Transfer of chirality by dithiophosphate ligands and chiral discrimination in the stereoselective formation of square-planar Ni(II) complexes.

In the formation reaction of Ni(2+) with the chiral racemic ligand, (R)(R)bdtp(-)/(S)(S)bdtp(-), bdtp(-) = SSPOCH)CH(3))CH(CH(3))O, cyclo- O,O'-[1,2-dimethylethylene] dithiophosphato ion, the meso-complex Ni[(R)(R)(lambda)bdtp][(S)(S)(delta)-bdtp] is stereoselectively produced. The meso-complex was compared with the enantiopure crystals of (+)(589)Ni(R)(R)(lambda)bdtp or (-)(589)Ni(S)(S)(delta)bdtp, as well as racemic crystals, rac-(+/-)Nibdtp, which were prepared from the solution containing the two enantiomers in a 1:1 ratio. Dissociation constants in solutions indicate different stability of the meso and enantiopure complexes depending on the solvent, whereas a more efficient crystal packing, weak H-bonding, and nonbonding interactions contribute to stabilization of the meso-species over the racemic one. Molecular structures show that the outer five-membered ligand ring adopts the half-chair conformation C(2) with either the lambda or the delta chirality and the methyl groups are in equatorial (e) positions. Enantiopure ligands of (+)(589)Ni(R)(R)(lambda)bdtp and (-)(589)Ni(S)(S)(delta)bdtp induce chirality into the symmetric SSNiSS chromophore with slightly helical distortion. Thus, their CD spectra exhibit weak negative or positive Cotton effects at 662 nm. CD spectra in L(+)- and D(-)diethyltartrate of the meso-complex and racemic crystal, rac-(+/-)Nibdtp, exhibit different weak Cotton effects of opposite sign. Complexes dissociate in methanol; rac-(+/-)Nibdtp in methanol undergoes a crystallization-induced second-order asymmetric transformation which finally yields crystals of the meso-Ni[(R)(R)(lambda)bdtp][(S)(S)(delta)bdtp] complex.