Copper(II) complexes with new polypodal ligands presenting axial-equatorial phenoxo bridges {2-[(bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amino)methyl]-4-methylphenol, 2-[(bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amino)methyl]-4-methyl-6-(methylthio)phenol}: examples of ferromagnetically coupled bi- and trinuclear copper(II) complexes

Inorg Chem. 2007 Aug 20;46(17):6924-32. doi: 10.1021/ic700544b. Epub 2007 Jul 26.

Abstract

Two new ligands, 2-[(bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amino)methyl]-4-methylphenol (HL) and 2-[(bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amino)methyl]-4-methyl-6-(methylthio)phenol (HSL), were synthesized and were used to prepare the trinuclear copper(II) complex {[CuSL(Cl)]2Cu}(PF6)2.H2O (1) and the corresponding binuclear complexes [Cu2(SL)2](PF6)2 (2) and [Cu2L2](PF6)2 (3). The crystal structure of 1 shows two different coordination environments: two square base pyramidal centers (Cu1 and Cu1a, related by a C2 axes), acting as ligands of a distorted square planar copper center (Cu2) by means of the sulfur atom of the SCH3 substituent and the bridging phenoxo oxygen atom of the ligand (Cu2-S = 2.294 A). Compounds 2 and 3 show two equivalent distorted square base pyramidal copper(II) centers, bridged in an axial-equatorial fashion by two phenoxo groups, thus defining an asymmetric Cu2O2 core. A long copper-sulfur distance measured in 2 (2.9261(18) A) suggests a weak bonding interaction. This interaction induces a torsion angle between the methylthio group and the phenoxo plane resulting in a dihedral angle of 41.4(5) degrees. A still larger distortion is observed in 1 with a dihedral angle of 74.0(6) degrees. DFT calculations for 1 gave a ferromagnetic exchange between first neighbors interaction, the calculated J value for this interaction being +11.7 cm-1. In addition, an antiferromagnetic exchange for 1 was obtained for the second neighbor interaction with a J value of -0.05 cm-1. The Bleaney-Bowers equation was used to fit the experimental magnetic susceptibility data for 2 and 3; the best fit was obtained with J values of +3.4 and -16.7 cm-1, respectively. DFT calculations for 2 and 3 confirm the nature and the values of the J constants obtained by the fit of the experimental data. ESR and magnetic studies on the reported compounds show a weak exchange interaction between the copper(II) centers. The low values obtained for the coupling constants can be explained in terms of a poor overlap between the magnetic orbitals, due to the axial-equatorial phenoxo bridging mode observed in these complexes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation
  • Copper / chemistry*
  • Cresols / chemistry*
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Iron / chemistry*
  • Ligands
  • Magnetics*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Organometallic Compounds* / chemistry
  • Phenols / chemical synthesis
  • Phenols / chemistry*
  • Pyridines / chemical synthesis
  • Pyridines / chemistry*

Substances

  • 2-((bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amino)methyl)-4-methyl-6-(methylthio)phenol
  • 2-((bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amino)methyl)-4-methylphenol
  • Cresols
  • Ligands
  • Organometallic Compounds
  • Phenols
  • Pyridines
  • 4-cresol
  • Copper
  • Iron