A Neutral Four-Coordinate Mononuclear Cobalt(II) Complex with Biphenyl Appended N-Bidendate Ligand: Synthesis, Structure and Spectral Properties

Abstract

A mononuclear cobalt(II) complex [Co(BP)(Cl2)], 1 with a new N,N-bidentate ligand, BP ([N,N-(1,1′-biphenyl-2,2′-dimethylene)]-2-aminomethyl) pyridine) was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, UV–Vis, paramagnetic NMR, magnetic moment and single crystal XRD. The air and moisture stable Co(II) title complex is a 15 electron species which crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n with cell dimensions a = 10.406(3), b = 12.873(4), c = 13.859(7) A, β = 96.30(3)˚ and Z = 4. The cobalt atom has distorted tetrahedral (td) geometry with coordination provided by an amine and pyridyl nitrogen donors of BP and two terminal chloride ions. The packing is stabilized through C–H···π and van der Waals interactions. A neutral four coordinate cobalt(II) complex with a new N,N-bidentate ligand capped by a biphenyl appendage was characterized by spectroscopic and single crystal X-ray diffraction technique. The title complex is a 15 e− molecule whose crystal structure is the first report of a neutral tetrahedral Co(II) complex with biphenyl appended bidentate ligand with amino-methyl pyridine.