Syntheses, characterizations, and crystal structures of transition metal complexes based on sulfoxide-containing Schiff base ligands

Abstract

Two sulfoxide-containing Schiff bases, (E)-(((2-(methylsulfinyl phenyl) imino)methyl)-4-nitrophenol (HL1) and (E)-3,5-dibromo-2-(((2-(methylsulfinyl phenyl)imino)methyl)phenol (HL2), were prepared by condensation and subsequent oxidation reactions. In the presence of triethylamine, reactions of HL1 with 0.5 equivalent of copper acetate, cobalt acetate, nickel acetate and zinc acetate in ethanol afforded four metal complexes: (η2-N,O-L1)Cu(η3-O,N,O-L1) (1) and (η3-O,N,O-L1)2M (M = Co, 2; Ni, 3; Zn, 4), respectively. Similarly, treatment of HL2 with 0.5 equivalent of cobalt acetate and nickel acetate obtained two cobalt/nickel complexes: (η3-O,N,O-L2)2M (M = Co, 5; Ni, 6). Reactions of HL1 and one equivalent of Ru(PPh3)3Cl2 in tetrahydrofuran in the presence of triethylamine afforded a ruthenium(II) complex, (η3-O,N,S-L1)Ru(PPh3)2Cl (7). The molecular structures of HL1 and 1-7 have been confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In addition, the UV–Vis, infrared, and fluorescence spectroscopies of 1–7 along with their electrochemical properties were also investigated.