N-donor ligand complexes of nickel, zinc and copper: Comparisons with tetradentate N-donor ligands derived from Schiff bases

Abstract

The nickel and zinc complexes of 2-aminomethylaniline (AMA) are reported. Both metals form the octahedral complex [M(AMA) 2(ONO 2) 2] (M = Ni, Zn) where the aromatic ligands lie in the meridial plane with the anilino donors trans to one another. The remaining nitrates coordinate axially. A simple comparison with the nitrogen donor disposition ( cis/ trans) in nickel complexes of tetradentate N 4 donor ligands derived from symmetric Schiff base ligands is presented. The discussion is extended to interrogate the bonding motifs of the nitrate ligands viz –ONO 2 in the nickel complexes of AMA compared to the two motifs (viz O 2NO and ONO 2) that are isolated for the nickel complexes of the macrocycle hexamethyltetraazacyclotetradecane.