3.2. Synthesis
Ligand
L1 was prepared as described earlier [
4]. [2,2′:6′,2″]terpyridine-4′-ol [
19], 2,6-di(pyridin-2-yl)pyridin-4-yl trifluoromethane-sulfonate [
20], 5-ethynyl-1,2,3-trimethoxybenzene [
21], and 5-(bromomethyl)-1,2,3-trimethoxybenzene [
22] were prepared by literature procedures.
Ligand L2: A three-necked, round-bottomed flask was charged with 2,6-di(pyridin-2-yl)pyridin-4-yl trifluoromethanesulfonate (0.5 g, 1.3 mmol), 5-ethynyl-1,2,3-trimethoxybenzene (0.25 g, 1.3 mmol), Pd(PPh3)4 (0.1 g, 0.086 mmol) and CuI (0.02 g, 0.11 mmol) under an nitrogen atmosphere. Then, degassed diisopropylamine (i-Pr2NH) (30 mL) was added and the mixture heated at 60 °C for 24 h under nitrogen. The resulting dark brown, turbid solution obtained was concentrated to an oil before chromatography on silica using using ethylacetate/hexane (1:4, v/v) eluent to give the desired product as a white powder. Yield, 0.29 g, 53%. 1H NMR (500 MHz; CDCl3): δ = 8.67 (d, 2H, J = 4.5 Hz, Py-H), 8.59 (d, 2H, J = 7.5 Hz, Py-H), 8.52 (s, 2H, Py-H), 7.85 (td, 2H, J = 7.5, 1.5 Hz, Py-H), 7.32 (m, 2H, Py-H), 6.76 (s, 2H, Ph-H), 3.84 (s, 6H, −OCH3), 3.79 (s, 3H, −OCH3).
Ligand L3: A mixture of [2,2′:6′,2″]terpyridine-4′-ol (0.5 g, 2.0 mmol), 5-(bromomethyl)-1,2,3-trimethoxybenzene (0.6 g, 2.3 mmol), and K2CO3 (1.0 g, 7.2 mmol) in dry DMF (50 mL) was heated at 100 °C for 12 h. After cooling to room temperature, the precipitate was filtered out and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure. The residue was subjected to chromatography on silica using ethylacetate/hexane (1:4, v/v) eluent to give the desired product as a pale yellow powder. Yield, 0.32 g, 37%. 1H NMR (300 MHz; CDCl3): δ = 8.74 (dt, 2H, J = 4.8, 0.87 Hz, Py-H), 8.68 (dt, 2H, J = 8.0, 1.0 Hz, Py-H), 8.18 (s, 2H, Py-H), 7.92 (td, 2H, J = 7.7, 1.8 Hz, Py-H), 7.40 (dd, 1H, J = 4.8, 1.2 Hz, Py-H), 7.37 (dd, 1H, J = 4.8, 1.2 Hz, Py-H), 7.06 (s, 2H, Ph-H), 5.36 (s, 2H, −OCH2–), 3.95 (s, 6H, −OCH3), 3.93 (s, 3H, −OCH3).
All metal ion complexes were prepared and crystallised for structure determinations by methods essentially identical to those used for [Co(
L1)
2](BF
4)
2·CH
3CN·0.5H
2O [
5]. Full details are given for the case of the Fe(II) complex of
L1 only.
[Fe(L1)2](ClO4)2·CH3CN: L1 (0.1 g, 0.25 mmol) was dissolved in hot CH3CN (10 mL) and Fe(ClO4)2·H2O (0.035 g, 0.13 mmol) in CH3CN (5 mL) slowly added. The mixture was stirred for 2 h at 60 °C, then evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure. The purple residue was washed with cold MeOH and dried in air. Yield: 0.11 g. Vapour diffusion of diethyl ether into an acetonitrile solution of the product gave purple crystals suitable for an X-ray structure determination. 1H NMR (300 MHz; CDCl3): δ = 9.18 (s, 4H, Py-H), 8.71 (dt, 4H, J = 8.0, 0.75 Hz, Py-H), 7.97 (td, 4H, J = 7.7, 1.5 Hz, Py-H), 7.58 (s, 4H, Ph-H), 7.23 (dt, 4H, J = 5.6, 0.7 Hz, Py-H), 7.14 (dd, 2H, J = 5.6, 1.3 Hz, Py-H), 7.12 (dd, 2H, J = 5.6, 1.3 Hz, Py-H), 4.15 (s, 12H, −OCH3), 3.95 (s, 6H, −OCH3). Anal. Calcd. for C50H45Cl2FeN7O14: C, 54.86; H, 4.14; N, 8.96. Found: C, 54.80; H, 4.16; N, 9.01%.
[Ni(L1)2](ClO4)2·CH3CN: Substitution of Ni(ClO4)2.6H2O (0.46 g, 0.13 mmol) for Fe(ClO4)2·H2O in the above procedure gave a pale yellow powder. Yield: 0.10 g. Anal. Calcd. for C50H45Cl2NiN7O14: C, 54.72; H, 4.13; N, 8.93. Found: C, 54.76; H, 4.12; N, 8.90%.
[Co(L2)2](BF4)2·H2O: Use of L2 (0.1 g, 0.24 mmol) and Co(BF4)2.6H2O (0.04 g, 0.12 mmol) gave a deep orange powder, Yield: 0.12 g. Anal. Calcd. for C52H44B2CoF8N6O7: C, 56.91; H, 4.04; N, 7.66. Found: C, 56.95; H, 4.01; N, 7.60%.
[Cd(L2)2](ClO4)2·CH3CN·Et2O: Use of L2 (0.1 g, 0.24 mmol) and Cd(ClO4)2.H2O (0.04 g, 0.12 mmol) gave a pale yellow powder. Yield: 0.09 g. 1H NMR (300 MHz; CDCl3): δ = 8.82 (s, 4H, Py-H), 8.65 (d, 4H, J = 8.1 Hz, Py-H), 8.27 (td, 4H, J = 7.8, 1.7 Hz, Py-H), 8.13 (d, J = 4.6 Hz, 4H, Py-H), 7.55 (dd, 4H, J = 5.1, 0.84 Hz, Py-H), 7.53 (dd, 2H, J = 5.1, 0.72 Hz, Py-H), 7.08 (s, 4H, Ph-H), 3.94 (s, 12H, −OCH3), 3.83 (s, 6H, −OCH3). Anal. Calcd. for C58H55CdCl2N7O15: C, 54.71; H, 4.35; N, 7.70. Found: C, 54.80; H, 4.26; N, 7.75%.
[Co(L3)2](BF4)2: Use of L3 (0.1 g, 0.24 mmol) and Co(BF4)2·6H2O (0.04g, 0.12 mmol) gave an orange powder. Yield: 0.11 g. Anal. Calcd. for C52H48B2CoF8N4O8: C, 57.32; H, 4.44; N, 5.14. Found: C, 56.98; H, 4.41; N, 5.10%.
[Cu(L3)2](ClO4)2·CH3CN: Use of L3 (0.1 g, 0.23 mmol) and Cu(ClO4)2·6H2O (0.043 g, 0.12 mmol) gave a green powder. Yield: 0.12 g. Anal. Calcd. for C54H51Cl2CuN5O16: C, 55.89; H, 4.43; N, 6.03. Found: C, 56.01; H, 4.39; N, 6.11%.