Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity Study of a New Penta-Coordinated Mn(II) Complex

A penta-coordinated Mn(II) compound dqpMnCl₂] (1) (dqp = 2,6-di-(8-quinoline-yl)-pyridine) has been synthesized and its X-ray crystallographic structure is reported here. Magnetic susceptibility measurements confirmed a high-spin Mn(II) (S = 5/2) center in 1. The X-band EPR spectrum of 1 in dimethylformamide solution exhibits widely distributed transitions in the spectral range from 0 to 700 mT with particularly well-resolved hyperfine lines due to the ⁵⁵Mn (I = 5/2) nucleus. The abundance of highly resolved transition lines in the spectrum facilitated the electron paramagnetic resonance spectral simulation which revealed large zero-field splitting and g-anisotropies. When dissolved, 1 exists in equilibrium with a hexa-coordinated species, the latter probably resulting from disassociation of one chlorido-ligand allowing ligation of two solvent molecules. The redox behavior of 1 was studied and was compared to that of a structural analog for which water oxidation in the presence of a chemical oxidant has been shown. The results from water oxidation trials of 1 are discussed.