A study on the electronic effect of para substituents in the aryloxy ring of the hydrazone ligands on the vanadium centre in a family of mixed-ligand [VVO(ONO)(OO)] complexes

Abstract

[VIVO(acac)2] reacts with the methanolic solutions of tridentate dibasic ONO donor hydrazone ligands derived from the condensation of benzoyl hydrazine with either 2-hydroxyacetophenone (H2L1) or its para-substituted derivatives (H2L2–4) (general abbreviation H2L), in the presence of vanillin (Hvan) in equimolar ratio under aerobic conditions generating the mixed-ligand oxovanadium(V) complexes of the type [VVO(L)(van)], (1)–(4) in good yield. All the complexes are diamagnetic and exhibit only ligand-to-metal charge transfer (l.m.c.t.) band near 510 nm in addition to intra-ligand (π → π*) transition band near 330 nm in CH2Cl2 solution. 1H-n.m.r. spectra of the complexes in CDCl3 solution indicate the presence of two isomeric forms [(1A), (1B); (2A), (2B); (3A), (3B) and (4A), (4B)] in different ratios, which is explained by the interchange of the two binding sites of van− motif between its coordinated equatorial and axial positions. Complexes display two quasi-reversible one electron reduction peaks near +0.10 V and near +0.30 V versus s.c.e. in CH2Cl2 solution which are attributed to the successive reduction of VV→ VIV and the VIV→ VIII motifs, respectively. λmax (for l.m.c.t. transition), and the two reduction potential values (E1/2)I (average of the first step anodic and first step cathodic peak potentials) and (E1/2)II (average of the second step anodic and second step cathodic peak potentials) of the complexes, are found to be linearly related to the Hammett constants (σ) of the substituents in the aryloxy ring of the hydrazone ligands. λmax, (E1/2)I and (E1/2)II values show large dependence: dλmax/dσ = 37.29 nm, d(E1/2)I/dσ = 0.21 V and d(E1/2)II/dσ = 0.21 V, respectively, on σ.