Thioxocarbon Dianions CnS22-and Other Sulfur-Containing Derivatives of Deltic and Squaric Acid

A Potent Auto-Umpolung Ligand for Conjugative Radical Stabilization

Carbenes with conjugatively connected redox system act as "auto-umpolung" ligands. Due to their electronic flexibility, they should also be particularly suitable to stabilize open-shell species. Herein, the first neutral radical of such sort is described in form of a dialkylamino-substituted bis(dicyanomethylene)cyclopropanide. Despite the absence of steric shielding, the radical is stable for an extended amount of time and was consequently characterized in solution via EPR measurements. These data and accompanying X-ray structural analyses indicate that the radical species is in equilibrium with aggregates (formed via π-stacking) and dimers (obtained via σ-bond formation between methylene carbons).

A Theoretical and Structural Investigation of Thiocarbon Anions

Density functional theory energies, geometries, and population analyses as well as nucleus-independent chemical shifts (NICS) have been used to investigate the structural and magnetic evidence for cyclic CnSn(2-) and CnSn (n = 3-6) electron delocalization. Localized molecular orbital contributions to NICS, computed by the individual gauge for localized orbitals method, dissect pi effects from the sigma single bonds and lone pair influences. CnSn(2-) (n = 3-5) structures in Dnh symmetry are minima. Their aromaticity decreases with increasing ring size. C3S3(2-) is both sigma and pi aromatic, while C4S4(2-) and C5S5(2-) are much less aromatic. NICS(0)pi, the C-C(pi) contribution to NICS(0) (i.e., at the ring center), decreases gradually with ring size. In contrast, cyclic C6S6(2-) prefers D2h symmetry due to the balance between aromaticity, strain energy, and the S-S bond energies and is as aromatic as benzene. The theoretical prediction that C6S6(6-) has D6h minima was confirmed by X-ray structure analysis. Comparisons between thiocarbons and oxocarbons based on dissected NICS analysis show that CnSn(2-) (n = 3-5) and C6S6(6-) are less aromatic in Dnh symmetry than their oxocarbon analogues.

Ferro- and Antiferromagnetic Coupling through 1,n-Dithiosquarate Bridges (n = 2, 3) in Copper(II) Dimers. Syntheses, Crystal Structures, and Magnetic Properties of [Cu(2)(bpca)(2)(1,2-dtsq)(H(2)O)].2H(2)O and [Cu(2)(bpca)(2)(1,3-dtsq)].2H(2)O

The preparation, crystal structures, and variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility data for two dithiosquarate-bridged copper(II) complexes of formulas [Cu(2)(bpca)(2)(1,2-dtsq)(H(2)O)].2H(2)O (1) and [Cu(2)(bpca)(2)(1,3-dtsq)].2H(2)O (2) (where bpca = the bis(2-pyridylcarbonyl)amide anion, 1,2-dtsq = dianion of 3,4-dimercapto-3-cyclobutene-1,2-dione, and 1,3-dtsq = dianion of 3-hydroxy-4-mercapto-2-thioxo-3-cyclobuten-1-one) are reported herein. 1 and 2 crystallize in the triclinic system, space group P&onemacr;, with a = 9.3243(4) Å, b = 10.9036(5) Å, c = 15.5432(4) Å, alpha = 90.276(2) degrees, beta = 100.009(2) degrees, gamma = 94.139(2) degrees, and Z = 2 for 1 and a = 7.656(2) Å, b = 9.351(3) Å, c = 11.587(2) Å, alpha = 109.02(2) degrees, beta = 97.40(2) degrees, gamma = 110.27(2) degrees, and Z = 1 for 2. Their structures consist of the neutral dithiosquarate-bridged copper(II) units [Cu(2)(bpca)(2)(1,2-dtsq)(H(2)O)] (1) and [Cu(2)(bpca)(2)(1,3-dtsq)] (2) and water molecules of crystallization. The copper environment is distorted square pyramidal CuN(3)SO in both compounds. Bpca acts as a tridentate end-cap ligand with its three nitrogen atoms occupying three of the four basal positions. 1,3-Dithiosquarate adopts a centrosymmetric bis-bidentate bridging mode with the sulfur atom filling the fourth equatorial position around each copper atom and the oxygen at the apical site. 1,2-Dithiosquarate acts also as a bridging ligand but in an asymmetrical manner, chelating through the two sulfur atoms at one copper atom and unidentate through one sulfur at the other copper atom. The bridging sulfur occupies one equatorial position at a copper atom and the apical site at the other one. The metal-metal separations through the extended 1,2- and 1,3-dtsq bridges are 5.1654(8) and 7.212(3) Å, respectively. The exchange pathways accounting for the intermediate ferro- (1, J = +32.4 cm(-)(1)) and antiferromagnetic (2, J = -33.5 cm(-)(1)) couplings (H = -JS(A).S(B)) observed in these dithiosquarate-bridged compounds are analyzed and discussed in the light of density functional theory (DFT) calculations.