Metal Complexes with Macrocyclic Ligands. Part XLI. Nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes with mono-N-functionalized dithiadiazamacrocycles

Three N₂S₂ macrocycles ( 3, 10, 12 ) carrying an amino group as a pendant arm have been synthesized and their complexation properties towards Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺ studied. The crystal structures of the Cu²⁺ complexes with 10-methyl-1,4-dithia-7,10-diazacyclododecane-7-ethanamine ( 3 ) and 11-methyl-1,4-dithia-8,11-diazacyclotetradecane-8-ethanamine ( 10 ) show that, in both cases, the Cu²⁺ is pentacoordinated by the four donor atoms of the macrocycle and the amino group of the side chain. In aqueous solution, however, two forms of the complexes with stoichiometries MLH] and ML] (M = Cu²⁺ or Ni²⁺) have been observed. In MLH], the amino group is protonated and does not bind to the metal ion, whereas in ML] the amino group is bound, and a pentacoordinated geometry results. The pK_a values for the equilibrium ML] + H⁺?MLH]⁺ decrease in the order 12 > 10 > 3 , indicating that the 2-aminoethyl side chain binds better to the Cu²⁺ than the 3-aminopropyl side chain. Cyclic voltammetry for the Cu²⁺/Cu⁺ pair shows that the 2-aminoethyl pendant arm stabilizes the Cu²⁺ oxidation state, when the metal ion is in the 14-membered ring ( 10 ), whereas it stabilizes Cu⁺ for the 12-membered macrocycle ( 3 ).