Synthesis and structural characterization of heavier group 1 methyl tetrazolate complexes: New bridging coordination modes of the tetrazolate ligand

Abstract

A series of sodium, potassium, rubidium, and cesium complexes of methyl tetrazolate was prepared and structurally characterized. Treatment of methyl tetrazole (MetetzH) with the group 1 hydroxides in water at ambient temperature afforded Na(Metetz)(H 2O) 2 (92%), K(Metetz) (92%), Rb(Metetz) (97%), and Cs(Metetz) (97%) as colorless solids after workup. These complexes were characterized by spectral and analytical methods, thermogravimetric analysis, and by X-ray crystallography. Na(Metetz)(H 2O) 2 adopts a structure that consists of approximately octahedrally coordinated sodium ions that form infinite chains built up by two μ 2-aqua ligands and two μ 2- N 1, N 2-tetrazolate ligands between each sodium atom. The aqua ligand hydrogen atoms engage in hydrogen bonding with uncoordinated nitrogen atoms to hold the chains together. K(Metetz) and Rb(Metetz) are isostructural, with eight-coordinate metal ions and two metal–nitrogen bonds per nitrogen atom in each Metetz ligand. Cs(Metetz) has 10-coordinate cesium ions with two cesium–nitrogen bonds to two of the Metetz ligand nitrogen atoms and three cesium–nitrogen bonds to the other two nitrogen atoms. K(Metetz), Rb(Metetz), and Cs(Metetz) exhibit new coordination modes for the tetrazolate ligand.