Syntheses of new P-N ligands containing an imidazolyl group and their co-ordination behaviors toward nickel(II), cobalt-(II) and -(III)

Two new bidentate imidazolylphosphine P-N chelate ligands 2-(diphenylphosphinomethyl)- 1-methylimidazole (PNI) and 2-(diisopropylphosphinomethyl)- 1-methylimidazole (pN(II)) have been synthesized in good yields by treating R2PCl (R = Ph or Pr-I) with 1-methyl-2-trimethylsilylmethylimidazole. Various types of nickel(II), cobalt-(II) and -(III) complexes have been prepared with these two ligands and characterized by physico-chemical techniques. The structures of PNI .HBr and two nickel(II) complexes, [Ni(PNI)(2)][BF4](2) 2 and [Ni(PNII)(2)][BF4](2).MeCN 4.MeCN, have been studied by single crystal X-ray analyses. Both take planar structures with different configurations. In 2 the two phosphorus atoms are in cis position whereas in 4.MeCN they are tmns to each other. The complex [NiCl2(PNI)] 1 adopts a five-co-ordinate dimeric structure with chloride bridges in the solid state and a monomeric square-planar structure, [Ni(PNI)(solv)(2)]Cl-2, in aqueous and in methanolic solutions. However, complex [NiCl2(PNII)] 3 is diamagnetic and takes square-planar geometry around the metal ions both in the solid and solution states. The structures of cobalt(II), [CoX2(L)] (where X = Cl or Br), and cobalt(III) complexes, [Co(acac)(L)]ClO4 (where acac = acetylacetonate, L = PNI or PNII), are tetrahedral and octahedral, respectively. A variable temperature H-1 and P-31 NMR study of complexes 1 and 2 demonstrated the presence of dynamic motion of the PN-chelate ring(s). On the other hand, in the cobalt(III) complexes [Co(acac)(2)(PNI)]ClO4 and [Co(acac)(2)(PNII)]ClO4 two protons of the backbone methylene group of the PN ligands are magnetically inequivalent.