James M. McCormick

Synthesis and X-ray crystal structures of iron(II) and manganese(II) complexes of unsubstituted and benzyl substituted cross-bridged tetraazamacrocycles

Abstract The Mn2+ and Fe2+ complexes of the cross-bridged tetraazamacrocyclic ligands, 4,11-dibenzyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazabicyclo[6.6.2]hexadecane (1), 4,10-dibenzyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazabicyclo[5.5.2]tetradecane (2), 1,4,8,11-tetraazabicyclo[6.6.2]hexadecane (3), and 1,4,7,10-tetraazabicyclo[5.5.2]tetradecane (4) provide new compounds of these elements for fundamental studies and applications. These unsubstituted and benzyl substituted derivatives were prepared for comparison of their structures and properties with the known catalytically active dimethyl cross-bridged ligand complexes, which are especially notable for their exceptional kinetic stabilities and redox activity. The X-ray crystal structures of five complexes demonstrate that the ligands enforce a distorted octahedral geometry on the metals with two cis sites occupied by labile ligands. The Fe2+ complexes of the unsubstitued ligands form μ-oxo dimers upon exposure to air, which have also been structurally characterized. Cyclic voltammetry of the monomeric complexes shows reversible redox processes for the M3+/M2+ couples, which are sensitive to solvent, ring size, and ring substitution.

Ultra rigid cross-bridged tetraazamacrocycles as ligands—the challenge and the solution

The challenge to metal ion binding that is represented by the proton-sponge nature of two-carbon cross-bridged tetraazamacrocycles has been overcome and a general method developed for the synthesis of their transiton, and other, metal complexes; these ultra-rigid ligands form complexes having remarkable kinetic stabilities.