New bis-, tris- and tetrakis(pyrazolyl)borate ligands with 3-pyridyl and 4-pyridyl substituents: synthesis and coordination chemistry

The new ligands dihydrobis[3-(4-pyridyl)pyrazol-1-yl]borate [Bp(4py)]-, hydrotris[3-(4-pyridyl)pyrazol-1-yl]borate [Tp(4py)]-, tetrakis[3-(4-pyridyl)pyrazol-1-yl]borate [Tkp(4py)]-, dihydrobis[3-(3-pyridyl)pyrazol-1-yl]borate [Bp(3py)]-, hydrotris[3-(3-pyridyl)pyrazol-1-yl]borate [Tp(3py)]- and tetrakis[3-(3-pyridyl)pyrazol-1-yl]borate [Tkp(4py)]- are derivatives of the well known bis-, tris- and tetrakis-(pyrazolyl)borate cores, bearing 4-pyridyl or 3-pyridyl substituents attached to the pyrazolyl C3 positions. These pyridyl groups cannot chelate to the metal ions in the poly(pyrazolyl) cavity but are externally directed. Structural studies on a range of metal complexes show how, in many cases, coordination of these pendant pyridyl groups to the M(pyrazolyl)n core of an adjacent metal complex fragment results in formation of coordination oligomers or polymeric networks. [Tl(Bp(3py))], [Tl(Bp(4py))] and [Tl(Tp(4py))] form one-dimensional polymeric chains via coordination of one of their pendant pyridyl units to the Tl(I) centre of an adjacent complex fragment; in contrast, in [Tl(Tp(3py))] coordination of all three pendant pyridyl units to separate Tl(I) neighbours results in formation of a two-dimensional polymeric sheet. In [Tl(Tkp(3py))] and [Tl(Tkp(4py))] the Tl(I) is coordinated by two or three of the four pyrazolyl arms, respectively; bridging interactions of pendant 4-pyridyl groups with adjacent Tl(I) centres result in a two-dimensional sheet forming in each case. In Ag(Tkp(4py)) each Ag(I) ion is coordinated by two pyrazolyl rings, and two bridging pyridyl ligands from other complex units, resulting in a one-dimensional chain consisting of pairs of cross-linked zigzag chains. In contrast to these polymeric coordination networks, the structures of [Cu(Tp(4py))] and [(Tp(3py))Cd(CH3CO2)] are dimers, with a pendant pyridyl residue from the first metal centre attaching to a vacant coordination site on the second, and vice versa; these dimers are stabilised by pi-stacking interactions between sections of the two ligands. [Ni(Tp(3py))2] is monomeric, with an octahedral coordination geometry arising from two tris(pyrazolyl)borate chelates; the array of pendant 3-pyridyl groups is involved only in intramolecular hydrogen-bonding. [(Tp(4py))Re(CO)3] is also monomeric, with a facial arrangement of three pyrazolyl ligands and three carbonyls, with the pendant 4-pyridyl groups not further coordinated. [(Tp(2py))Re(CO)3], based on the related ligand hydrotris[3-(2-pyridyl)pyrazol-1-yl]borate, has a similar fac-(CO)3(pyrazolyl)3 coordination geometry.