Synthesis and structural characterization of nitrite-coordinating CoII and CoIII complexes as models for the reaction center of Co-substituted nitrite reductase

Co^II and Co^III complexes containing nitrite and tridentate aromatic amine compounds [bis(6-methyl-2-pyridylmethyl)amine (Me₂bpa) and bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (bpa)] have been prepared as models of the catalytic center in Co-substituted nitrite reductase: [Co^II(Me₂bpa)(NO₂)Cl]₂ · acetone (2), Co^II(Me₂bpa)(NO₂)₂ (3), Co^II(bpa)(NO₂)Cl (4), Co^II(bpa)(NO₂)₂ (5), Co^III(Me₂bpa)(NO₂)(CO₃) (6), and Co^III(bpa)(NO₂)₃ (7). The X-ray crystal structure analyses of these Co^II and Co^III complexes indicated that the geometries of the cobalt centers are distorted octahedral and the Me₂bpa and bpa with three nitrogen donors exhibit mer- (2, 3, and 7) and fac-form (4 and 6). The coordination mode of nitrite depends on the cobalt oxidation state, to Co^II through the oxygen (nitrito coordination, O- and O,O-coordination) and to Co^III through nitrogen (nitro coordination, N-coordination mode). These findings are consistent with the results of their IR spectra, except that another oxygen of the O-coordinated nitrito group in 3 might interact weakly with Co^II according to its IR spectrum. Reductions of the nitrite in 2, 3, 4, and 5 to nitrogen monoxide were not accelerated in the presence of proton, perhaps due to the nitrito coordination in these Co^II complexes.