An elusive vinyl radical isolated as an appended unit in a five-coordinate Co(iii)-bis(iminobenzosemiquinone) complex formed via ligand-centered C-S bond cleavage.

Abstract

Redox-active ligand H4Pra(edt(AP/AP)) experienced C-S bond cleavage during complexation reaction with Co(OAc)2·2H2O in the presence of Et3N in CH3OH in air. Thus, formed complex 1 was composed of two iminobenzosemiquinone radicals in its coordination sphere and an unprecedented stable tethered-vinyl radical. The complex has been characterized by mass, X-ray single crystal, X-band EPR, variable-temperature magnetic moment measurements and DFT based computational study.