Thin-layer spectroelectrochemical studies of cobalt and copper Schiff base complexes

Structural investigation on phenyl- and pyridin-2-ylamino(methylene)naphthalen-2(3H)-one. Substituent effects on the NMR chemical shifts

Schiff bases bearing phenyl and pyridyl groups were synthesized by condensation of appropriate amines with 2-hydroxynaphthaldehyde. These Schiff bases were obtained as colored crystalline solids. The proton NMR spectra of these compounds showed a doublet for the NH protons indicating a keto tautomer for these Schiff bases. The pyridyl-substituted Schiff bases containing hydroxyl moiety were found to show the most downfield shift for the NH protons in DMSO solvent, and this was rationalized due to the formation of a six- and five-membered ring using hydrogen bonds for these two compounds. Correspondingly, the olefinic proton of the Schiff bases is also found to be a doublet due to coupling to the amine proton. These Schiff bases exhibited thermochromic properties. Detailed NMR spectral analysis for both the phenyl- and pyridyl-substituted Schiff bases is presented.

Synthesis and Characterization of Anils Exhibiting Thermochromism

Several Schiff bases containing a hydroxy naphthyl moiety and substituted pyridyl groups were synthesized. The pyridyl substituted Schiff bases were isolated as a single stable tautomer at room temperature. High-resolution proton and carbon NMR spectroscopy showed that these compounds exist as keto tautomers. The Schiff bases showed extraordinary stability and did not convert to the enol tautomer, even at high temperatures. Most of the compounds exhibited thermochromic properties.

Abiotic metallofoldamers as electrochemically responsive molecules

Described are the design, synthesis, and study of nonbiological molecules based on salophen and salen ligands that fold into single-stranded helices in the presence of either Ni(II) or Cu(II). X-ray diffraction studies show that the materials fold into helical structures in the solid state, and a series of NMR studies provide strong evidence that the folded structures are conserved in solution. Metal coordination is required for folding, as NMR and X-ray show that the free ligands do not adopt helical structures. Two of the racemic metallofoldamers spontaneously resolve during crystallization from CHCl3/acetonitrile, and CD spectroscopy and optical rotation show that the resolved, crystalline materials racemize quickly when dissolved at 5 degrees C. This shows that the secondary structures can reorganize easily and can, therefore, provide the basis for responsive materials. By comparison, an analogue from enantiomerically pure (R,R)-(-)-trans-cyclohexanediamine showed a strong CD signal and a large specific rotation. Electrochemical experiments show that a structural reorganization occurs upon metal-centered reduction of a Cu(II)-containing foldamer. When the reduction is carried out in the presence of coordinating ligands, it is proposed that apical binding of those ligands gives square pyramidal complexes. Semiempirical (AM1) calculations support that the helical structure would be disrupted by the reduction to Cu(I) with concomitant reorganization to a square pyramidal complex.

Copper(ii) complexes of thioether-substituted salcyen and salcyan derivatives and their silver(i) adducts

New syntheses are reported of 5-tert-butyl-2-hydroxy-3-methylsulfanylbenzaldehyde, 5-tert-butyl-2-hydroxy-3-phenylsulfanyl-benzaldehyde, and salcyen (H(2)L(1)-H(2)L(3)) and salcyan (H(2)L(4)-H(2)L(6))-type ligands derived from these aldehydes and from 5-tert-butyl-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde. The complexes [CuL](L(2-)=[L(1)](2-)-[L(6)](2-)) bearing sulfanyl substituents each show two distinct voltammetric ligand-based oxidations under the same conditions, the first of which is chemically reversible. The first oxidation product is much longer lived by coulometry for the salcyen than for the salcyan ligand complexes, despite the latter having a substantially lower oxidation potential. The lifetimes of all the ligand oxidation products in this system are substantially smaller than for similar compounds derived from 3,5-di(tert-butyl)-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde (Dalton Trans., 2004, 2662). Attempted chemical oxidation of the Schiff base compounds using AgBF(4) yielded instead stable silver(i) adducts. A crystal structure of one such compound showed that the Ag atom was coordinated in a slightly bent geometry by the two ligand sulfanyl groups, with two additional long-range Ag...O interactions to the phenoxide donors. EPR spectra showed that some of these silver adducts dimerise in CH(2)Cl(2), probably through basal, apical intermolecular Cu-O...Cu bridging. In contrast the parent copper(ii) complexes are all monomeric in this solvent by EPR.

Electrochemistry of Oxygenation Catalysts. 3.(1) Thermodynamic Characterization of Electron Transfer and Solvent Exchange Reactions of Co(salen)/[Co(salen)](+) in DMF, Pyridine, and Their Mixtures

Redox and ligand exchange reactions of the oxygenation catalyst (N,N '-bis(salicylidene)ethylenediaminato)cobalt(II), Co(salen), and its one-electron oxidation product, Co(salen)(+), are investigated in DMF, pyridine, and mixtures of these solvents. Electron transfers and solvent exchange reactions involving three neutral Co(II) and three cationic Co(III) complexes with different axially bound solvent molecules (two DMF, one DMF and one pyridine, or two pyridine molecules) form a three-rung ladder scheme. All formal potentials E(0) and equilibrium constants K in this scheme are determined from electrochemical or spectrophotometric experiments or the construction of thermodynamic cycles. The latter are also used to prove consistency of the results. Values for the E(0) and K are discussed in terms of the Co coordination geometry, solvent effects on the potentials, the thermodynamics of cross reactions, and the distribution of Co(II) and Co(III) species as a function of the solvent composition. Some peculiarities found in the oxygenation of flavonols and indoles are explained.