Seven-coordination versus six-coordination in divalent first-row transition-metal complexes derived from 1,10-diaza-15-crown-5.

The complexes of the heptadentate receptor N,N'-bis(benzimidazol-2-ylmethyl)-1,10-diaza-15-crown-5 (L2) with MnII, CoII, NiII, CuII, and ZnII are reported. The X-ray crystal structures of the ZnII and NiII complexes show that whereas the ZnII ion is seven-coordinated in a (distorted) pentagonal-bipyramidal coordination environment, the NiII ion is only six-coordinated in a distorted octahedral coordination environment. Theoretical calculations on the [M(L2)]2+ systems (M = Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, or Zn) performed at the density functional theory (DFT; B3LYP) level have been used to obtain information about the structure and electronic properties of these complexes, as well as to rationalize their preferences for a pentagonal-bipyramidal or an octahedral coordination.

Electronic structure study of seven-coordinate first-row transition metal complexes derived from 1,10-diaza-15-crown-5: a successful marriage of theory with experiment.

A detailed study of the electronic structure of seven-coordinate Mn(II), Co(II), and Ni(II) complexes with the lariat ether N,N'-bis(2-aminobenzyl)-1,10-diaza-15-crown-5 (L(1)) is presented. These complexes represent new examples of structurally characterized seven-coordinate (pentagonal bipyramidal) complexes for the Mn(II), Co(II), and Ni(II) ions. The X-ray crystal structures of the Mn(II) and Co(II) complexes show C(2) symmetries for the [M(L(1))](2+) cations, whereas the structures of the Ni(II) complexes show a more distorted coordination environment.

Designing binuclear transition metal complexes: a new example of the versatility of N,N'-bis(2-aminobenzyl)-4,13-diaza-18-crown-6.

N,N'-Bis(2-aminobenzyl)-4,13-diaza-18-crown-6 (L) is a versatile receptor able to adapt to the coordinative preferences of different metal cation guests. With first-row transition metal ions, L tends to form binuclear complexes but, depending on the nature of the particular metal ion, the structure of the binuclear complex may be very different. Herein we report a study of the structure and magnetic properties of the corresponding nickel(II) and cobalt(II) complexes.