Tris(mercaptoimidazolyl)hydroborato complexes of cobalt and iron, [TmPh]2M (M=Fe,Co): structural comparisons with their tris(pyrazolyl)hydroborato counterparts

The tris(mercaptophenylimidazolyl)borate iron and cobalt complexes [Tm^Ph]₂M (M=Fe, Co) have been synthesized by reaction of [Tm^Ph]Tl with MI₂. Structural characterization by X-ray diffraction demonstrates that the potentially tridentate [Tm^Ph] ligand binds through only two sulfur donors in these ‘sandwich’ complexes and that the ‘tetrahedral’ metal centers supplement the bonding by interactions with the two B–H groups. Comparison of the structures of [Tm^Ph]₂M (M=Fe, Co) with the related tris(pyrazolyl)borate [Tp^Ph]₂M counterparts indicates that the tris(mercaptoimidazolyl) ligand favors lower primary coordination numbers in divalent metal complexes. The trivalent complexes, {[Tp^Ph]₂Fe}[ClO₄] and {[pzBm^Me]₂Co}I, however, exhibit octahedral coordination, with the ligands binding using their full complement of donor atoms.