Single-Step Substitution of all the α, β-Positions in Pyrrole: Choice of Binuclear versus Multinuclear Complex of the Novel Polydentate Ligand

Abstract

The α and β-positions of pyrrole were substituted with 3,5-dimethylpyrazolylmethyl groups in a single step that involved the reaction between 2,5-dimethylaminomethylpyrrole and 3,5-dimethylpyrazole-1-carbinol, affording 2,3,4,5-tetrakis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-ylmethyl)pyrrole LH in 40% yield. The coordination chemistry of this new polydentate ligand LH was explored by synthesizing several Pd(II), Cu(I), and Ag(I) complexes. When LH was used as a neutral ligand with [Pd(COD)Cl2], AgBF4, and CuX (X = Cl and I), compartmental type binuclear Pd(II) and Ag(I) complexes such as [Pd2Cl4(μ-C4HN-2,3,4,5-(CH2Me2pz)4-N,N,N,N)] and [Ag2(μ-C4HN-2,3,4,5-(CH2Me2pz)4-N,N,N,N)(CH3CN)2](2+)[BF4(-)]2 and cage-like copper(I) complexes [Cu2(μ-X)(μ-C4HN-2,3,4,5-(CH2Me2pz)4-N,N,N,N)](+)[CuX2](-) (X = Cl and I) containing a halide ion bridging in a bent fashion were obtained, respectively. Conversely, when the same metal precursors were treated with LH in the presence of n-BuLi, the multinuclear complexes [Pd2Cl3(μ-C4N-2,3,4,5-(CH2Me2pz)4-N,N,N,N,N)], [(Cu2(μ-I){μ-C4N-2,3,4,5-(CH2Me2pz)4-N,N,N,N,N})2Cu](+)I(-), and [Ag4(μ-C4N-2,3,4,5-(CH2Me2pz)4-N,N,N,N)2](2+)[BF4(-)]2 were obtained. In addition, the treatment of LH with [Pd(OAc)2] gave the mononuclear complex, [Pd(OAc)(C4N-2,3,4,5-(CH2Me2pz)4-N,N,N)]. The chloride analogue of this complex was obtained by the reaction of LH with [Pd(COD)Cl2] in the presence of triethylamine. The structures of all complexes were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses, which revealed interesting structural features, including pyrazole arms adopting different conformations with respect to the pyrrole ring plane and linear two- and three-coordinated copper(I) and silver(I) atoms exhibiting weak interactions between the metal and the pyrrolic carbon atoms and Ag(I)···Ag(I) interactions. The observed shorter metal pyrrolide nitrogen (M-N) bond distances and the elongation of the C-C double and single bond distances of the pyrrole ring in these complexes probably indicates the presence of π-donation/π-back bonding between the metal and the pyrrole ring. These multinuclear complexes are novel, and their formations are favored by the multidentating nature of the ligand LH.