Di- and trivalent chromium bis(pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine pincer complexes with good leaving groups

Abstract

Abstract The consequences of installing two versions of a potentially redox active pincer ligand on Cr(III) and Cr(II) are described, and reveal influence of the Jahn-Teller effect. The ligand involves two pyrazole rings attached by pyrazole carbons to the ortho positions of pyridine, thus creating two 1,4-diazabutadiene moieties. In one version, each pyrazole carries an NH proton (H2L), while a comparison version (LMe) involves methyl in place of the two weakly acidic protons, to identify the impact of hydrogen bonding. Complexes synthesized include (H2L)CrX3, where X Cl, triflate and nitrate, (LMe)CrCl3 and (LMe)Cr(OTf)3, together with the divalent metal complexes (H2L)CrCl2, (LMe)CrCl2 and (LMe)Cr(OTf)2. Cyclic voltammetry establishes the relationship between the tri- and divalent triflate complexes of LMe, and DFT calculations indicate further reduction of the latter occurs at the LMe ligand. Nitrate is shown to be a stronger ligand than triflate to Cr(III) here. NaBArF24 in THF removes only one chloride from (H2L)CrCl2, to give square pyramidal [(H2L)CrCl(THF)]+.