Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Organocobalt(III) Complexes with Secondary Alkyls or Bulky Schiff Base Equatorial Ligands

Alkylcobalt(III) Schiff base B(12) model complexes with secondary alkyls or a bulky diamine in the equatorial position were synthesized and characterized. Structures have been first determined by X-ray diffraction analysis for i-C(4)H(9)Co(salen)(gamma-pic) (I), n-C(3)H(7)Co(salen)(gamma-pic) (II) and C(2)H(5)Co(SB) (III), where salen = N,N'-ethylenebis(salicylideneamine) dianion; SB = 1,1,2,2-tetramethyl-N,N'-ethylenebis(salicylideneamine) dianion, gamma-pic = gamma-picoline. Crystal data for I (CoC(26)N(3)O(2)H(30)): space group P2(1)/c with a = 6.661(5) ?, b = 18.612(2) ?, c = 19.533(3) ?, beta = 98.93(1) degrees, V = 2392.10 ?(3), D(calcd) = 1.320 g.cm(-3), Z = 4, and R = 0.048 for 4469 measured reflections. Crystal data for II (CoC(25)N(3)O(2)H(28)): space group P2(1)/c, a = 9.609(6) ?, b = 19.169(8) ?, c = 12.995(9) ?, beta = 106.9(7) degrees, V = 2290.4 ?(3), D(calcd) = 1.332 g.cm(-1), Z = 4, and R = 0.048 for 4358 measured reflections. Crystal data for III (CoC(22)N(2)O(2)H(27)): space group P2(1)/c, a = 8.318(3) ?, b = 21.579(2) ?, c = 11.572(2) ?, beta = 93.35(1) degrees, V = 2073.7 ?(3), D(calcd) = 1.314 g.cm(-1), Z = 4, and R = 0.060 for 3954 measured reflections. The crystal structure data reveal that complexes I and II display six-coordinate octahedral geometry; their Co-C, Co-N bond lengths, as well as the Co-C-C angles, are very close to those in 5'-deoxyadenosylcobalamin. Complex III is one of the very few compounds having five-coordinate square pyramidal geometry and observed instability of the Co-C bond.