Coenzyme M studies with nickel(II) compounds: Synthesis,structure, spectra and redox behaviors

Nickel(II) complexes of 1,6-bis(pyridyl)-2,5-dithiahexane (L¹), 1,7-bis(2′-pyridyl)-2,6-dithiaheptane (L²) and 1,9-bis(2′-pyridyl)-2,5,8-trithianonane (L³) have been prepared and their spectroscopic and redox behaviors were studied. Ni(II)L¹(H₂O)₂](ClO₄)₂, and Ni(II)L³(H₂O)](ClO₄)₂ were crystallized in single crystal form; their structures were solved by X-ray crystallography. The structures of the complexes are of distorted octahedral geometry. A red shift in the electronic spectra and a positive potential shift in electrochemical studies were detected during the addition of the sodium salt of 2-mercaptoethanesulfonic acid (CoM) to Ni(II) complexes containing L¹ and L². The high redox potential shifting difference (PSD) was observed with the addition of CoM to NiL¹]²⁺, which accounts for the axial coordination of CoM with the nickel ion. However, Ni(II)L³]²⁺ does not respond well with CoM addition due to the structural limitation around the Ni(II) ion. A destabilization of Ni(II)L¹]²⁺ and Ni(II)L²]²⁺ complexes and stabilization for Ni(II)L³]²⁺ were noticed in their redox studies and these trends were inversely changed during anaerobic CoM addition to Ni(II) complexes. A nephelauxetic effect (β values) has been shown to establish a good relation with PSD.