Non-oxo 5-coordinate and 6-coordinate vanadium(IV) complexes with their precursor [LV(III)(CH3OH)](0), where L = a trianionic aminetris(phenolate)-[N,O,O,O] donor ligand: a magnetostructural and EPR study

Ligating properties of a tripodal, potentially tetradentate aminetris(phenol) ligand, tris(2-hydroxy-3,5-di-tert-butylbenzyl)amine, H(3)L, containing N,O,O,O] donor atoms toward the vanadium ions in +III and IV oxidation states have been studied. The structures of complexes 1 LV(III)(CH(3)OH)](0), 2 LV(IV)(OCH(3))](0) and 3 LV(IV)(acac)](0) were determined by X-ray diffraction methods as having five-coordinate V(III), 1, five-coordinate non-oxo-vanadium(IV), 2, and six-coordinate non-oxo-vanadium(iv) 3, respectively. Compounds 1-3 were also studied with electrochemical methods, variable-temperature (2-295 K) magnetic susceptibility measurements and X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The electrochemical results of 2 and 3 suggest metal-centered oxidation, i.e. the generation of a V(V)-phenolate species. EPR investigations indicate a (d(xy))(1) ground state showing a considerable increase in the in-plane π-bonding, as is expected for a phenolate ligand.