Tetradentate bis(o-iminobenzosemiquinonate(1-)) pi radical ligands and their o-aminophenolate(1-) derivatives in complexes of nickel(II), palladium(II), and copper(II).

The coordination chemistries of the potential tetradentate ligands N,N'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)ethylenediamine, H4[L1], the unsaturated analogue glyoxal-bis(2-hydroxy-3,5-di-tert-butylanil), H2[L2], and N,N'-bis(2-hydroxy-3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)-2,2-dimethylpropylenediamine, H4[L3], have been investigated with nickel(II), palladium(II), and copper(II). The complexes prepared and characterized are [Ni(II)(H3L1)2] (1), [Ni(II)(HL2)2].5/8CH2Cl2 (2), [Ni(II)(L3**)] (3), [Pd(II)(L3**)][Pd(II)(H2L3) (4), and [Cu(II)(H2O)(L4)] (5), where (L4)2- is the oxidized diimine form of (L3)4- and (L3**)2- is the bis(o-iminosemiquinonate) diradical form of (L3)4-. The structures of compounds 1-5 have been determined by single crystal X-ray crystallography. In complexes 1 and 2, the ligands (H3L1)- and (HL2)- are tridentate and the nickel ions are in an octahedral ligand environment. The oxidation level of the ligands is that of an aromatic o-aminophenol. 1 and 2 are paramagnetic (mu(eff) approximately 3.2 mu(B) at 300 K), indicating an S = 1 ground state. The diamagnetic, square planar, four-coordinate complexes 3 and [Pd(II)(L3**)] in 4 each contain two antiferromagnetically coupled o-iminobenzosemiquinonate(1-) pi radicals. Diamagnetic [Pd(II)(H2L3)] in 4 forms an eclipsed dimer via four N-H.O hydrogen bonding contacts which yields a nonbonding Pd.Pd contact of 3.0846(4) A. Complex 5 contains a five-coordinate Cu(II) ion and two o-aminophenolate(1-) halves in (L4)2-. The electrochemistries of complexes 3 and 4a ([Pd(II)(L3**)] of 4) have been investigated, and the EPR spectra of the monocations and -anions are reported.