SNS versus SNN Pincer Ligands: Electrochemical Studies and Their Palladium(II) Complexes as Electro‐Catalyst for Proton Reduction

Abstract

AbstractElectrochemical measurements on pincer ligands bis‐N‐(2,5‐dimethoxyphenyl)pyridine‐2,6‐dicarbothioamide (pdcta) and 6‐(4,7‐dimethoxy‐2‐benzothiazolyl)‐N‐(2,5‐dimethoxyphenyl)‐2‐pyridinecarbothioamide (pbcta) in N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) on a glassy carbon working electrode revealed sulfur centred electrochemical processes. Spectroscopic, elemental and electrochemical analyses indicated that pdcta coordinated to Pd(II) via a κ3‐SNS mode to give 1 whereas pbcta coordinated via a κ3‐SNN mode to give 2. Electrochemical measurements in DMF indicated that the reduction of Pd(II)→Pd(0) proceeded in a concerted manner in the 2, whereas reduction was resolved into the Pd(II)→Pd(I)→Pd(0) in the case of 1. In the presence of p‐toluenesulfonic acid, both palladium complexes displayed electro‐catalytic proton reduction in DMF, with associated overpotentials calculated to be 97 mV and 156 mV for 1 and 2, respectively. The data suggests that the κ3‐SNS pincer ligand enhances the activity of the Pd(II) towards proton reduction relative to 1.