Synthesis and complexation of a novel soluble vic-dioxime with hydroxyethyl pendant arms

A new soluble vic-dioxime ligand namely 1,4-bis(2′-hydroxyethyl)-2,3-bis(hydroxyimino)-5,6-diphenylpiperazine, (LH₂) containing optically active centers has been prepared as a mixture of isomers from (CNO)₂ and N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)stilbendiamine (1) which has been made by the reduction of the condensation of the product of benzaldehyde and 2-aminoethanol in the presence of aluminum amalgam. N,N-coordinated planar metal complexes of this ligand have been synthesized with Ni^II, Cu^II, Co^II, Pd^II and U^VIO₂. Oxidation of (LH)₂Co in the presence of a base, such as pyridine, leads to an octahedral complex (LH)₂CopyCl containing pyridine and chloride as axial ligands in addition to vic-dioxime ligands. The structures of the ligand and its complexes are proposed on the basis of elemental analysis, ¹H-n.m.r., mass, i.r. and u.v.–vis. spectral data. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.