Crystal structure and spectral characterization of dimethylthallium (III) complexes with 2-mercaptonicotinic acid and esters

Synthesis, spectral properties and crystal structure of dimethylthallium(III) complexes with 2-mercaptonicotinic acid (2mna), 2-mercapto-methyl-nicotinate (2mmn), 2-mercapto-ethyl-nicotinate (2men) and 2-mercapto-isopropyl-nicotinate (2min) are reported. The compounds were characterized using IR, multinuclear NMR (¹H,¹³C,²⁰⁵Tl) and mass spectrometry (electrospray, ES-API). The molecular structures of TlMe₂(2mna)]·H₂O, (1), TlMe₂(2mmn)], (2), TlMe₂(2men)], (3) and TlMe₂(2min)], (4) were determined by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In 1, the monodeprotonate O,S-bidentate ligand chelates one dimethylthallium (III) unit and simultaneously bridges (O and S) between two of these organometallic units. The Tl-O1′ and Tl-S″ interactions are leading to polymeric chain linked in a three-dimensional network by the hydrogen bonds formed between the water molecule and the oxygen O (2) atom of the acid. The thallium atom is in a distorted octahedral environment with a TlC₂O₂S₂] kernel. Compounds 2, 3 and 4 are similar, in all the cases already mentioned the ligand is NH deprotonated and is strongly coordinated to two dimethylthallium (III) units through the N and S atoms. Two additional weak interactions with the O and S atoms lead to a TlC₂NOS₂] kernel for the metal atom, in which the coordination polyhedron is a very distorted octahedron with the methyl groups occupying the apical positions.