Cobalt(II)-disulfide compounds with the unusual PF2O2– anion. ligand-dependent redox conversion to a cobalt(III)-thiolate complex

Abstract

Herein we describe the synthesis of the cobalt(II) disulfide compounds [CoII2(LxSSLx)(μ–PO2F2)2](PF6)2 and [CoII2(LxSSLx)(NO3)4] (x = 1: di-2-(bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amino)-ethyl disulfide; x = 2: di-2-((6-methyl-2-pyridylmethyl)(2-pyridylmethyl)amino)-ethyl disulfide). The crystal structures show the cobalt(II) centers in [CoII2(LxSSLx)(μ-PO2F2)2](PF6)2 to be in distorted octahedral geometries, whereas in [CoII2(L1SSL1)(NO3)4] the geometries are distorted trigonal bipyramidal. The cobalt(II) centers in [CoII2(LxSSLx)(PO2F2)2](PF6)2 are coordinated by three nitrogen and one sulfur donor atom of the disulfide ligand, and two oxygen atoms of two bridging difluoridophosphate anions. The cobalt(II) centers in [CoII2(L1SSL1)(NO3)4] are coordinated by three nitrogen donors of the ligand and three oxygen atoms of one monodentate and one bidentate nitrate anion, the latter two oxygen atoms together occupying one of the equatorial sites of the trigonal bipyramid. It was found that the dinuclear compound [CoII2(L1SSL1)(PO2F2)2](PF6)2 is stable as such in methanol and dichloromethane solution, but in acetonitrile redox conversion occurs forming the cobalt(III) thiolate compound [CoIII(L1S)(MeCN)2]2+. The compound [CoII2(L1SSL1)(NO3)4] and the disulfide compounds of the ligand L2SSL2 do not show this redox conversion and remain in the disulfide form in all investigated solvents.