Electrochemical and Spectroscopic Studies on σ-Phenyl Ruthenium Complexes Ru(CO)Cl(C6H4R-4)(PiPr3)2

Metal/Metal Redox Isomerism Governed by Configuration

A pair of diastereomeric dinuclear complexes, [Tp′(CO)BrW{μ‐η²‐C,C′‐κ²‐S,P‐C₂(PPh₂)S}Ru(η⁵‐C₅H₅)(PPh₃)], in which W and Ru are bridged by a phosphinyl(thiolato)alkyne in a side‐on carbon P,S‐chelate coordination mode, were synthesized, separated and fully characterized. Even though the isomers are similar in their spectroscopic properties and redox potentials, the like‐isomer is oxidized at W while the unlike‐isomer is oxidized at Ru, which is proven by IR, NIR and EPR‐spectroscopy supported by spectro‐electrochemistry and computational methods. The second oxidation of the complexes was shown to take place at the metal left unaffected in the first redox step. Finally, the tipping point could be realized in the unlike isomer of the electronically tuned thiophenolate congener [Tp′(CO)(PhS)W{μ‐η²‐C,C′‐κ²‐S,P‐C₂(PPh₂)S}Ru(η⁵‐C₅H₅)‐(PPh₃)], in which valence trapped W^III/Ru^II and W^II/Ru^III cationic species are at equilibrium.

Predictable Substituent Control of CoIII/II Redox Potential and Spin Crossover in Bis(dipyridylpyrrolide)cobalt Complexes

A family of five easily prepared tridentate monoanionic 2,5-dipyridyl-3-(R¹)-4-(R²)-pyrrolide anions (dpp^R1,R2)^-, varying in the nature of the R¹ and R² substituents [R¹, R² = CN, Ph; CO₂Et, CO₂Et; CO₂Me, 4-Py; CO₂Me, Me; Me, Me], has been used to generate the analogous family of neutral [Co^II(dpp^R1,R2)₂] complexes, two of which are structurally characterized at both 100 and 298 K. Both the oxidation and spin states of these complexes can be switched in response to appropriate external stimuli. All complexes, except [Co^II(dpp^Me,Me)₂], exhibit gradual spin crossover (SCO) in the solid state, and SCO activity is observed for three complexes in CDCl₃ solution. The cobalt(II) centers in the low spin (LS) complexes are Jahn-Teller tetragonally compressed along the pyrrolide-Co-pyrrolide axis. The complexes in their high spin (HS) states are more distorted than in the LS states, as is also usually the case for SCO active iron(II) complexes. The reversible Co^III/II redox potentials are predictably tuned by choice of substituents R¹ and R², from -0.95 (Me,Me) to -0.45 (CN,Ph) V vs Fc⁺/Fc, with a linear correlation observed between E_1/2(Co^III/II) and the Swain-Lupton parameters of the pyrrolide substituents.