Structural and spectroscopic characterisation of bis-ligand complexes of iron(II), nickel(II) and nickel(III) with the hydrotris(methimazolyl)borate anion:: soft S6 donor sets generating a weak ligand field

Reaction of iron(II) and nickel(II) halides with sodium hydrotris(methimazolyl) borate (NaTm) results in the formation of 2 : 1 complexes [M(Tm)(2)]. Crystallographic characterisation reveals in both cases trigonally distorted octahedral geometry in an S-6 donor set. Spectroscopic properties indicate that the Tm ligand generates a weak ligand field, with Dq between that of H2O and Cl- and this is confirmed by the high-spin configuration of the iron(II) complex. Both complexes display classical paramagnetic behaviour. Mossbauer spectroscopy of the iron complex is also consistent with a high-spin complex. Reaction of NiCl2.6H(2)O with [Tl(Tm)] results in a small quantity of a material which is crystallographically demonstrated to be [Ni(Tm)(2)]Br.