Tetrakis(imino)pyracene complexes exhibiting multielectron redox processes

The differences in redox behavior of the monofunctional bis(imino)acenaphthene (BIAN) and bifunctional tetrakis(imino)pyracene (TIP) ligands have been explored by treatment of the latter with PI(3), TeI(4), or BI(3). These reactions result in the formation of products involving the transfer of three or four electrons. Accompanying DFT calculations reveal that in each case the extent of electron transfer from each p-block element into the TIP ligand is dependent upon the element-TIP bonding interactions.