Complexes of divalent transition metal chlorides with the tetradentate Schiff base ligand 1,2-bis(2′-pyridylmethyleneimino)-benzene

Transition metal(II) chloro complexes of the new Schiff base ligand 1,2-bis(2′-pyridylmethyleneimino)benzene (L), derived from 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde and 1,2-phenylenediamine, were prepared. Compounds of [MnLCl2]-H2O, [CoLCl2]·2H2O, [NiLCl2] and [Zn3L2Cl4]Cl2 were prepared. Details are given of the formation of the complex [Cu(L·EtOH)Cl2], in which one molecule of EtOH adds across only one of the Schiff base {ie531-01} groups to give the coordinated ligand L·EtOH. The rationalization of this type of reaction by considering the steric requirements of the ligand is given. The complexes were characterized by elemental analyses, conductivity measurements, thermal techniques, mass spectra, magnetic susceptibilities and spectroscopic (i.r., ligand field, e.s.r., 1H n.m.r.) studies. The nitrogen donor atoms of the tetradentate ligands L and L·EtOH are assumed to adopt an essentially planar arrangement about manganese(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II) and copper(II), with the remaining axial coordination sites occupied by chloro ligands to yield high-spin octahedral molecules. A trinuclear structure, based on tetrahedrally coordinated metal ions, is proposed for the zinc(II) complex.