posted on 2005-03-21, 00:00authored byParna Gupta, Anindya Das, Falguni Basuli, Alfonso Castineiras, William S. Sheldrick, Heike Mayer-Figge, Samaresh Bhattacharya
Reaction of chloranilic acid (H<sub>2</sub>ca) with [Os(bpy)<sub>2</sub>Br<sub>2</sub>] (bpy = 2,2‘-bipyridine) affords a dinuclear complex of type
[{Os(bpy)<sub>2</sub>}<sub>2</sub>(ca)]<sup>2+</sup>, isolated as the perchlorate salt. A similar reaction of H<sub>2</sub>ca with [Os(PPh<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>(pap)Br<sub>2</sub>] (pap =
2-(phenylazo)pyridine) affords a dinuclear complex of type [{Os(PPh<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>(pap)}<sub>2</sub>(ca)]<sup>2+</sup> (isolated as the perchlorate
salt) and a mononuclear complex of type [Os(PPh<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>(pap)(ca)]. Reaction of H<sub>2</sub>ca with [Os(PPh<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>(CO)<sub>2</sub>(HCOO)<sub>2</sub>]
gives a dinuclear complex of type [{Os(PPh<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>(CO)<sub>2</sub>}<sub>2</sub>(r-ca)], where r-ca is the two electron reduced form of the
chloranilate ligand. The structures of the [{Os(PPh<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>(pap)}<sub>2</sub>(ca)](ClO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>, [Os(PPh<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>(pap)(ca)], and [{Os(PPh<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>(CO)<sub>2</sub>}<sub>2</sub>(r-ca)] complexes have been determined by X-ray crystallography. In the [{Os(bpy)<sub>2</sub>}<sub>2</sub>(ca)]<sup>2+</sup> and [{Os(PPh<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>(pap)}<sub>2</sub>(ca)]<sup>2+</sup> complexes, the chloranilate dianion is serving as a tetradentate bridging ligand. In the
[Os(PPh<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>(pap)(ca)] complex, the chloranilate dianion is serving as a bidentate chelating ligand. In the [{Os(PPh<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>(CO)<sub>2</sub>}<sub>2</sub>(r-ca)] complex, the reduced form of the chloranilate ligand (r-ca<sup>4-</sup>) is serving as a tetradentate
bridging ligand. All the four complexes are diamagnetic and show intense metal-to-ligand charge-transfer transitions
in the visible region. The [Os(PPh<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>(pap)(ca)] complex shows an Os(II)−Os(III) oxidation, followed by an Os(III)−Os(IV) oxidation on the positive side of a standard calomel electrode. The three dinuclear complexes show two
successive oxidations on the positive side of SCE. The mixed-valent Os<sup>II</sup>−Os<sup>III</sup> species have been generated in the
case of the two chloranilate-bridged complexes by coulometric oxidation of the homovalent Os<sup>II</sup>−Os<sup>II</sup> species. The
mixed-valent Os<sup>II</sup>−Os<sup>III</sup> species show intense intervalence charge-transfer transitions in the near-IR region.