Synthesis reactivity and electrochemical properties of substituted cyclopentadienyl cobalt (III) complexes

Cyclopentadienyl cobalt complexes (η⁵‐C₅H₄R) CoLI₂ [L = CO,R=‐COOCH₂CH=CH₂ (3); L=PPh₃, R=‐COOCH₂‐CH=CH₂ (6); L=P(p‐C₆H₄O₃)₃, R = ‐COOC(CH₃) = CH₂ (7), ‐COOCH₂C₆H₅ (8), ‐COOCH₂CH = CH₂ (9)] were prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, ¹H NMR, ER and UV‐vis spectra. The reaction of complexes (η⁵‐C₅H₄R)CoLI₂ [L= CO, R= ‐COOC(CH₃) = CH₂ (1), ‐COOCH₂C₆H₅(2); L=PPh₃, R=‐COOC (CH₃) = CH₂ (4), ‐COOCH₂C₆H₅ (5)] with Na‐Hg resulted in the formation of their corresponding substituted cobaltocene (η⁵‐C₅H₄R)₂ Co[R=‐COOC(CH₃) = CH₂ (10), ‐COOCH₂C₆H₅ (11)]. The electrochemical properties of these complexes 1–11 were studied by cyclic voltammetry. It was found that as the ligand (L) of the cobalt (III) complexes changing from CO to PPh₃ and P(p‐tolyl)₃, their oxidation potentials increased gradually. The cyclic voltammetry of α,α′‐substituted cobaltocene showed reversible oxidation of one electron process.