Supramolecular structures of NiII and CuII with the sterically demanding Schiff base dyes driven by cooperative action of preagostic and other non-covalent interactions

This work reports on synthesis and extensive experimental and theoretical investigations on photophysical, structural and thermal properties of the NiII and CuII discrete mononuclear homoleptic complexes [Ni(L I,II)2] and [Cu(L I,II)2] fabricated from the Schiff base dyes o-HOC6H4-CH=N-cyclo-C6H11 (HL I) and o-HOC10H6-CH=N-cyclo-C6H11 (HL II), containing the sterically crowding cyclo-hexyl units. The six-membered metallocycles adopt a clearly defined envelope conformation in [Ni(L II)2], while they are much more planar in the structures of [Ni(L I)2] and [Cu(L I,II)2]. It has been demonstrated by in-depth bonding analyses based on the ETS-NOCV and Interacting Quantum Atoms energy-decomposition schemes that application of the bulky substituents, containing several C-H groups, has led to the formation of a set of classical and unintuitive intra- and inter-molecular interactions. All together they are responsible for the high stability of [Ni(L I,II)2] and [Cu(L I,II)2]. More specifically, London dispersion dominated intramolecular C-H⋯O, C-H⋯N and C-H⋯H-C hydrogen bonds are recognized and, importantly, the attractive, chiefly the Coulomb driven, preagostic (not repulsive anagostic) C-H⋯Ni/Cu interactions have been discovered despite their relatively long distances (∼2.8-3.1 Å). All the complexes are further stabilized by the extremely efficient intermolecular C-H⋯π(benzene) and C-H⋯π(chelate) interactions, where both the charge-delocalization and London dispersion constituents appear to be crucial for the crystal packing of the obtained complexes. All the complexes were found to be photoluminescent in CH2Cl2, with [Cu(L II)2] exhibiting the most pronounced emission - the time-dependent density-functional-theory computations revealed that it is mostly caused by metal-to-ligand charge-transfer transitions.

Supramolecular chirality in the crystals of mononuclear and polymeric cobalt(ii) complexes with enantiopure and racemic N-thiophosphorylated thioureas

The control of stereochemistry in Co(ii) complexes was provided by additional pyridine and pyrazine ligands. 1D and 2D supramolecular homochiral arrangements in racemic crystals of mononuclear complexes are transferred to their polymeric counterparts.

Detailed studies of the interaction of 3-chloroaniline with O,O′-diphenylphosphorylisothiocyanate

The reaction of neat 3-chloroaniline with neat SCN–P(O)(OPh)₂ leads to 1. The same reaction in non-dried CH₂Cl₂ or C₆H₆ or Me₂CO leads to 2, 3·0.5C6H6 and 4, respectively.

An intermolecular pyrene excimer in the pyrene-labeled N-thiophosphorylated thiourea and its nickel(ii) complex

(1-pyrene)NHC(S)NHP(S)(OiPr)₂ (HL) and its Ni^II complex ([NiL2]) have been synthesized. Both HL and [NiL2] were found to be emissive in solution of CH₂Cl₂, which is due to the concentration dependent emission of the pyrene monomer and excimer.

Metal ion influences distortion of the ligand in the structure of [M{2-MeO(O)CC6H4NHC(S)NP(S)(OiPr)2}2] (M = Zn(II), Cd(II)) complexes: a driving force for intermolecular aggregation

Reaction of the in situ deprotonated N-thiophosphorylated thiourea 2-MeO(O)CC6H4NHC(S)NHP(S)(OiPr)2 () with MCl2 (M = Zn(II), Cd(II)) in aqueous ethanol leads to complexes of the formula . Both compounds crystallise in the triclinic space group P1[combining macron] with Z = 2 and the metal cations are found in a tetrahedral S2S coordination environment formed by the C-S and P-S sulfur atoms. The crystal structures reveal intramolecular N-HO[double bond, length as m-dash]C hydrogen bonds formed within the 2-MeO(O)CC6H4NH fragments. Both structures are further stabilised by intermolecular ππ stacking interactions, which are more efficient in . Here, a pronounced dimeric intermolecular aggregate is observed which goes along with a pronounced distortion of the chelate [(S)CNP(S)](-) backbone of the ligand upon coordination to Cd(II) as well as a significantly distorted coordination tetrahedron CdS2S. The aggregation is also reflected in the positive electrospray ionisation (ESI) mass spectrum of the Cd(II) complex, which exhibits peaks for the dimeric cations [Cd2L3](+), [Cd2L4 + H](+) and [Cd2L4 + Na](+), while for the Zn(II) analogue only monomeric species were observed. Quantum chemical ETS-NOCV (ADF) calculations confirm the higher stability of dimers in compared with . The ππ stacking interactions are prodominantly due to dispersion contributions, though the electrostatic and orbital interaction components are also important. QTAIM (ADF) type calculations additionally quantify the covalent and non-covalent interactions in the momomers.

From a mononuclear Ni(II) precursor to antiferromagnetically coupled trinuclear double-stranded helicates

Reaction of the mononuclear Ni(II) complex [Ni{2-Py(6-NH2)NHC(S)NP(S)(OiPr)2}2] with different salicylaldehydes leads to new antiferromagnetically coupled trinuclear double-stranded helicates , where Ni(II) metal ions are coordinated by two bis-anionic thiourea ligands and two deprotonated molecules of the corresponding aldehyde.

Complexation properties of N-thiophosphorylated thiourea 2-PyNHC(S)NHP(S)(OiPr)2 towards Ni(II)

Reaction of the deprotonated N-thiophosphorylated thiourea 2-PyNHC(S)NHP(S)(OiPr)2 (HL) with NiCl2 leads to the complex [Ni{2-PyNHC(S)NP(S)(OiPr)2}2] ([NiL2]) with unprecedented 1,5,7-N,N′,S-coordination of the ligand. Recrystallization of [NiL2] from a mixture of CH2Cl2–n-hexane or acetone–n-hexane leads to [Ni(L-1,5,7-N,N′,S)2]·CH2Cl2 and [Ni(L-1,5,7-N,N′,S)2], respectively. The latter complex, in turn, shows a temperature-induced polymorphism. [NiL2] in solution shows a paramagnetic distorted octahedral structure where the metal center is coordinated through the nitrogen atoms of the phosphorylamide and pyridyl group functions, and oxygen atoms of the phosphorylamide unit. Furthermore, in the solid state at low temperature, [Ni(L-1,5,7-N,N′,S)2] is shown from high-frequency EPR measurements to possess an S = 1 ground state with large anisotropy.

Theoretical description of halogen bonding - an insight based on the natural orbitals for chemical valence combined with the extended-transition-state method (ETS-NOCV)

In the present study we have characterized the halogen bonding in selected molecules H3N-ICF3 (1-NH 3 ), (PH3)2C-ICF3 (1-CPH 3 ), C3H7Br-(IN2H2C3)2C6H4 (2-Br), H2-(IN2H2C3)2C6H4 (2-H 2 ) and Cl-(IC6F5)2C7H10N2O5 (3-Cl), containing from one halogen bond (1-NH 3 , 1-CPH 3 ) up to four connections in 3-Cl (the two Cl-HN and two Cl-I), based on recently proposed ETS-NOCV analysis. It was found based on the NOCV-deformation density components that the halogen bonding C-X (…) B (X-halogen atom, B-Lewis base), contains a large degree of covalent contribution (the charge transfer to X (…) B inter-atomic region) supported further by the electron donation from base atom B to the empty σ*(C-X) orbital. Such charge transfers can be of similar importance compared to the electrostatic stabilization. Further, the covalent part of halogen bonding is due to the presence of σ-hole at outer part of halogen atom (X). ETS-NOCV approach allowed to visualize formation of the σ-hole at iodine atom of CF3I molecule. It has also been demonstrated that strongly electrophilic halogen bond donor, [C6H4(C3H2N2I)2][OTf]2, can activate chemically inert isopropyl bromide (2-Br) moiety via formation of Br-I bonding and bind the hydrogen molecule (2-H 2 ). Finally, ETS-NOCV analysis performed for 3-Cl leads to the conclusion that, in terms of the orbital-interaction component, the strength of halogen (Cl-I) bond is roughly three times more important than the hydrogen bonding (Cl-HN).