Enabling Valence Delocalization in Iron(III) Macrocyclic Complexes through Ring Unsaturation.

The complexes [Fe(HMC)(CDMA)]CFSO ([]OTf) and [Fe(HMTI)(CY)]CFSO ([-]OTf) have been prepared and thoroughly characterized (HMC = 5,5,7,12,12,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane; HMTI = 5,5,7,12,12,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradeca-1,3,8,10-tetraene; Y = Fc (ferrocenyl, []OTf), 4-(,-dimethyl)anilino (DMA, []OTf), or 4-(,-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)anilino (TPA, []OTf); OTf = CFSO)). Vibrational and electronic absorption spectroelectrochemical analyses following one-electron oxidation of the ethynyl substituent Y revealed evidence of strong coupling in the resultant mixed valent species for all HMTI-based complexes. However, the analogous mixed valent ion based on []OTf appeared to be more localized.

Geometric isomers of dichloridoiron(III) complexes of CTMC (5,7,12,14-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane).

Both trans and cis iron-CTMC complexes, namely, trans-dichlorido[(5SR,7RS,12RS,14SR)-5,7,12,14-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane]iron(III) tetrachloridoferrate, [Fe(CHN)Cl][FeCl] (1a), the analogous chloride methanol monosolvate, [Fe(CHN)Cl]Cl·CHOH (1b), and cis-dichlorido[(5SR,7RS,12SR,14RS)-5,7,12,14-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane]iron(III) chloride, [Fe(CHN)Cl]Cl (2), were successfully synthesized and structurally characterized using X-ray diffraction. The coordination geometry of the macrocycle is dependent on the stereoisomerism of CTMC. The packing of these complexes appears to be strongly influenced by extensive hydrogen-bonding interactions, which are in turn determined by the nature of the counter-anions (1a versus 1b) and/or the coordination geometry of the macrocycle (1a/1b versus 2).