Doubly Pyrazolate-Bridged Dinuclear Complexes of a Highly Constrained Bis-terdentate Ligand: Observation of a [High Spin-Low Spin] State for [FeII2(PMAP)2][SbF6]2·2.25(C3H8O) (PMAP = 3,5-bis{[N-(2-pyridylmethyl)amino]-methyl}-1H-pyrazolate)

Abstract

The bis-terdentate pyrazole-based ligand 3,5-bis{[N-(2-pyridylmethyl)amino]methyl}-1H-pyrazole (PMAPH) was synthesized from 3,5-(1H)-pyrazoledicarbaldehyde and 2 equiv of 2-(aminomethyl)pyridine, using sodium borohydride to reduce the imine intermediate. A family of dinuclear complexes [M(II/III)(2)(PMAP)(2)](X)(2/4) was prepared by 2:2:2 reactions of MX(2)/PMAPH/base, where M = Zn(II) and X = BF(4)(-); M = Cu(II) and X = ClO(4)(-), BF(4)(-), OAc(-), NO(3)(-); M = Ni(II), Fe(III) and X = ClO(4)(-), BF(4)(-); M = Fe(II) and X = SbF(6)(-). Single crystal X-ray structure determinations on four complexes: [Fe(III)(2)(PMAP)(2)](BF(4))(4).2MeCN, [Ni(II)(2)(PMAP)(2)](ClO(4))(2).2MeCN, [Cu(II)(2)(PMAP)(2)](BF(4))(2).2MeCN, and [Zn(II)(2)(PMAP)(2)](BF(4))(2).2MeCN confirmed a dinuclear doubly pyrazolate-bridged structure for each. The two metal centers in these complexes have similar N(6) distorted octahedral coordination spheres, with all donors provided by the two deprotonated PMAP(-) ligands. Magnetic measurements reveal intra-dinuclear antiferromagnetic interactions for both the M = Cu(II) and Ni(II) [M(2)(PMAP)(2)](BF(4))(4) complexes, with J/k(B) = -252(2) K and J/k(B) = -24.7(2) K (H = -2JS(M)S(M)), respectively. Interestingly magnetic measurements show that the complex [Fe(2)(II)(PMAP)(2)](SbF(6))(2).2.25(C(3)H(8)O) is in a mixed high spin (HS)-low spin (LS) spin state, [HS-LS], from 300 to 1.8 K, with no sign of spin crossover to a fully low spin form [LS-LS] even at 1.8 K.