PCP-bridged chalcogen-centred anions: coordination chemistry and carbon-based reactivity

Since the discovery of the stabilising influence of thiophosphinoyl groups in methanediides by Le Floch et al. (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2004, 43, 6382), numerous transition metal, lanthanide and actinide complexes of bis(thiophosphinoyl) carbene ligands have been investigated with an emphasis on the electronic structure and reactivity of the metal-carbon bonds. This Perspective begins by discussing main group (s- and p-block) complexes of this ligand and draws attention to differences compared to their d and f-block analogues. Investigations targeting the heavy chalcogen analogues of the Le Floch ligand have revealed an unusual carbon-based reactivity that led to the discovery of novel multidentate chalcogen-centred ligands as both monomers and, upon oxidation, dimers linked by dichalcogenido functionalities. Studies of main group and coinage metal complexes have established the flexibility and redox-activity of these novel anionic ligands.     

Review: the multicolored coordination chemistry of violurate anions

This review provides a comprehensive overview on the coordination chemistry of violuric acid, C₄H₃N₃O₄ (= H₃Vio), and its derivatives (e.g. 1,3-diorganovioluric acids and thiovioluric acid). The most remarkable property of these colorless compounds is the formation of brightly colored (pantochromic/polychromic) salts with colorless cations such as alkali metal and alkaline earth metal ions and organoammonium ions. These magnificent colors have fascinated chemists for more than a century. Only in recent years it has been fully recognized that the structural chemistry of violurates is rather interesting and diverse. Violurate anions are excellent building blocks for new supramolecular assemblies in the crystalline state. Various organoammonium violurates and transition metal violurate complexes have been structurally characterized through single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Highly characteristic for these structures is the formation of 1D, 2D, or 3D hydrogen-bonded assemblies in the crystalline state. This review provides a comprehensive overview on the multicolored coordination chemistry of violurate anions, with the focus being on structurally characterized species.     

The coordination chemistry ofN-vinylimidazole

Summary The synthesis of coordination compounds of formula M(viz)_n(A)₂ is described, where viz. =N-vinylimidazole, M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn or Cd, A = ClO ₄ ^– , BF ₄ ^– or NO ₃ ^– , and n varies from 3 to 6, depending upon the particular combination of cation and anion. The compounds are easily prepared in ethanol from the hydrated metal(II) salts and the ligand and the products were characterized using i.r., ligand-field, far-i.r. and e.p.r. spectra in conjunction with x-ray powder diagrams and magnetic techniques. Octahedral cations [M(viz)₆]²⁺ are formed in many cases, although square planar species Cu(viz)₄(A)₂ and tetrahedral species [M(viz)₄]²⁺ for M = Co and Zn are also found.Compared withN-alkylimidazole ligands, viz behaves differently in some cases, resulting in special effects in the crystal packing, and can be related to the quite rigid ligand structure. The pyridine-type N-atom of the imidazole ring appears to be coordinated; in all compounds no evidence is found for C=C double bond coordination.     

The chemistry and complexes of small cyano anions

The chemistry of the anions dicyanamide and tricyanomethanide (dca and tcm, respectively) has produced a plethora of discoveries over the past few decades, particularly in relation to transition-metal coordination polymers with magnetic coupling. Over recent years there have been an increasing number of reports of heterofunctionalised cyano-containing anions, typically derivatives of dicyanomethanide. Our own group has been particularly concerned with the amide- and nitroso-functionalised anions carbamoyldicyanomethanide (cdm) and dicyanonitrosomethanide (dcnm), respectively. This feature article examines the fascinating diversity of materials and complexes that can be obtained using small cyano anions, ranging from coordination polymers to heterometallic clusters and hydrogen bonding networks. In particular, we focus on results from our own laboratories in the past few years. The magnetic properties of these materials are briefly discussed.     

The coordination chemistry of guanidines and guanidinates

Species containing the Y-shaped CN₃ unit have recently attracted increasing attention as electronically and sterically flexible ligands. Neutral guanidines [(R₂N)₂CNR], guanidinates(−1) [(RN)₂CNR₂]⁻ and guanidinates(2) [(RN)₂CNR]²⁻ are capable of exhibiting a variety of coordination modes and a range of donor properties leading to compatibility with a remarkably wide range of metal ions from all parts of the periodic table. The coordination chemistry of these species is reviewed up to July 2000, and aspects of their electronic structures and metal-ligand bonding characteristics discussed.     

The fixation of linear versus loop-type peptidic structures by metal coordination: the coordination chemistry of Val-Val- and Val-Val-Val-bridged dicatechol ligands

The Val-Val-bridged dicatechol ligand L1-H4 forms triplybridged dinuclear complexes with titanium(IV) ions, while the more flexible Val-Val-Val derivative L2-H4 leads to mixtures of complexes containing species with a cyclic arrangement of the ligand; with [cis-MoO2]2+ on the other hand, a well-defined macrocycle [(L2)MoO2]2- is formed which possesses a loop-type structure in the peptidic part of the ligand.     

The coordination chemistry of 1,2,4,5-tetrazines

1,2,4,5-Tetrazine and its 3,6-disubstituted derivatives exhibit a particular coordination chemistry, characterized by electron and charge transfer phenomena and by the ability of these heteroatom-rich ligands to bridge metal centers in various ways. A very low-lying π* orbital localized at the four nitrogen atoms is responsible for intense low-energy charge transfer absorptions, electrical conductivity of coordination polymers, unusual stability of paramagnetic radical or mixed-valent intermediates and for often well-resolved EPR hyperfine structure in the radical complexes. Substituted 1,4-dihydro-1,2,4,5-tetrazines have also been used as bridging ligands. The structural consequences of electron transfer as well as the capability for efficient and variable metal–metal bridging render the tetrazines as valuable components of supramolecular materials.     

The coordination chemistry of the proton

It is well known that an acidic hydrogen atom can form hydrogen bonds to a hydrogen bond acceptor, a Lewis base. It is considerably less known that the proton can coordinate two or more atoms conveniently in bonding modes that cannot be described as hydrogen bonding. Agostic interactions, bridging hydrides, 3-centre-2-electron bonds in boranes, bifurcated hydrogen atoms, they are all elements of the coordination chemistry of the proton and, of course, the hydrogen bond comes in more than one facette as well.     

Facially coordinating cyclic triamines, part I. The coordination chemistry of cis-3,5-diaminopiperidine and substituted derivatives

An efficient and convenient method for the preparation of cis-3,5-diaminopiperidine (dapi) has been established and the coordination chemistry of this ligand with CoII, CoIII, NiII, CuII, ZnII, and CdII has been investigated in the solid state and in aqueous solution. Potentiometric measurements revealed a generally high stability for the bis complexes of the divalent cations with maximum stability for NiII (log beta2 = 21.2, beta2 = [M(dapi)2][M](-1)[dapi](-2), 25 degrees C, mu = 0.1 mol dm(-3)). Cyclic voltammetry established quasi-reversible formation of [Ni(dapi)2]3+ with a redox potential of 0.91 V (versus NHE) for the Ni(II/III) couple. [Co(dapi)2]3+ was prepared by aerial oxidation of the corresponding CoII precursor. The two isomers trans-[Co(dapi)2]3+ (1(3+), 26%) and cis-[Co(dapi)2]3+ (2(3+), 74%), have been separated and isolated as solid Cl- and CF3SO3- salts. In a non-aqueous medium 1(3+) and 2(3+) reacted with paraformaldehyde and NEt3 to give the methylidene-imino derivatives 3(3+) and 4(3+), in which the two piperidine rings are bridged by two or one N-CH2-O-CH2-N bridges, respectively. Crystal structure analyses were performed for H3dapi[ZnCl4]Cl, 1Cl3 x 2H2O, 2Cl3 x H2O, 3[ZnCl4]Cl, 4[ZnCl4]Cl, [Ni(dapi)2]Cl2 x H2O, [Cu(dapi)2](NO3)2, [Cu(dapi)Cl2], [(dapi)ClCd-(mu2-Cl)2-CdCl(dapi)], and [Co(dapi)(NO2)(CO3)]. The stability of [M(II)(dapi)]2+ and [M(II)(dapi)2]2+ complexes in aqueous solution, particularly the remarkably high tendency of [M(dapi)]2+ to undergo coordinative disproportionation is discussed in terms of the specific steric requirements of this ligand. Molecular mechanics calculations have been performed to analyze the different types of strain in these complexes. A variety of alkylated derivatives of dapi have been prepared by reductive alkylation with formaldehyde, benzaldehyde, salicylaldehyde, and pyridine-2-carbaldehyde. The NiII complexes of the pentadentate N3,N5-bis(2-pyridinylmethyl)-cis-3,5-diaminopiperidine (py2dapi) and the hexadentate N3,N5,1-tris(2-pyridinylmethyl)-cis-3,5-diaminopiperidine (py3dapi) have been isolated as crystalline ClO4- salts [Ni(py2dapi)Cl]ClO4 and [Ni(py3dapi)](ClO4)2 x H2O and characterized by crystal structure analyses.     

Surface-assisted coordination chemistry and self-assembly

This article discusses different approaches to build up supramolecular nanoarchitectures on surfaces, which were simultaneously investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) on the single-molecule level. Following this general road map, first, the hydrogen-bonding guided self-assembly of two different, structural-equivalent molecular building blocks, azobenzene dicarboxylic acid and stilbene dicarboxylic acid, was studied. Secondly, the coordination chemistry of the same building blocks, now acting as ligands in metal coordination reactions, towards co-sublimed Fe atoms was studied under near surface-conditions. Extended two-dimensional tetragonal network formation with unusual Fe2L(4/2)-dimers at the crossing points was observed on copper surfaces. Complementary to the first two experiments, a two-step approach based on the solution-based self-assembly of square-like tetranuclear complexes of the M4L4-type with subsequent deposition on graphite surfaces was investigated. One- and two-dimensional arrangements as well as single molecules of the M4L4-complexes could be observed. Moreover, the local electronic properties of a single M4L4-complexes could be probed with submolecular resolution by means of scanning tunnelling spectroscopy (STS).     

Synthesis and coordination chemistry of tetrabutyldithioimidodiphosphinates

Butyl substituted imidodithiophosphinates R₂P(S)NP (S)R′₂ (R=ⁿBuⁱBu^sBuR′=ⁿBuⁱBu^sBu) have been synthesised via an HBr elimination reaction between R₂P(S)NH₂ and R′₂P(S)Br The compounds were characterised spectroscopically Crystallographic and spectroscopic studies reveal ⁿBu₂P(S)NHP(S)ⁿBu₂ and ^sBu₂P(S)NHP(S)ⁱBu₂ to be hydrogen bonded transoid dimers and ⁱBu₂P(S)NHP(S)ⁱBu₂ to be a transoid hydrogen bonded chain Reactions of the imidodithiophosphinates with ZnCl₂ or MCl₂COD gave the coordination complexes M[R₂P(S)NP (S)R′₂]₂ (R=ⁿBuⁱBu^sBuR′=ⁿBuⁱBu^sBuM=ZnPd: R=ⁿBuⁱBu^sBuPt).     

Cu(II) coordination chemistry of patellamide derivatives: possible biological functions of cyclic pseudopeptides

Two synthetic derivatives of the naturally occurring cyclic pseudooctapeptides patellamide A-F and ascidiacyclamide, that is, H(4)pat(2), H(4)pat(3), as well as their Cu(II) complexes are described. These cyclic peptide derivatives differ from the naturally occurring macrocycles by the variation of the incorporated heterocyclic donor groups and the configuration of the amino acids connecting the heterocycles. The exchange of the oxazoline and thiazole groups by dimethylimidazoles or methyloxazoles leads to more rigid macrocycles, and the changes in the configuration of the side chains leads to significant differences in the folding of the cyclic peptides. These variations allow a detailed study of the various possible structural changes on the chemistry of the Cu(II) complexes formed. The coordination of Cu(II) with these macrocyclic species was monitored by high-resolution electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), spectrophotometric (UV/Vis) and circular dichroic (CD) titrations, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and molecular mechanics (MM) simulations have been used to model the structures of the Cu(II) complexes and provide a detailed understanding of their geometric preferences and conformational flexibility. This is related to the Cu(II) coordination chemistry and the reactivity of the dinuclear Cu(II) complexes towards CO(2) fixation. The variation observed between the natural and various synthetic peptide systems enables conclusions about structure-reactivity correlations, and our results also provide information on why nature might have chosen oxazolines and thiazoles as incorporated heterocycles.