Reversible switching of the coordination modes of a pyridine-functionalized quinonoid zwitterion; its di- and tetranuclear palladium complexes.

The coordination chemistry of a new functional quinonoid zwitterion (E)-3-oxo-4-((2-(pyridin-2-yl)ethyl)amino)-6-((2-(pyridin-2-yl)ethyl)iminio)cyclohexa-1,4-dienolate (2, H2L), in which a CH2CH2 spacer connects the N substituents of the quinonoid core with a pyridine group, was explored in Pd(II) chemistry. Different coordination modes have been observed, depending on the experimental conditions and the reagents. The reaction of H2L with [Pd(μ-Cl)(dmba)]2 (dmba = o-C6H4CH2NMe2-C,N) afforded the dinuclear complex [{PdCl(dmba)}2(H2L)] (3) in which H2L acts as a NPy,NPy bidentate ligand. Deprotonation of this complex with NaH resulted in the formation of the dinuclear complex [{Pd(dmba)}2(μ-L)] (4) in which a shift of the Pd(II) centers from the NPy sites to the N,O donor sites of the zwitterion core has occurred, resulting in a N2O2 tetradentate behavior of ligand L. Reaction of 4 with HCl regenerates 3 quantitatively. Chloride abstraction from 3 with AgOTf (OTf = trifluoromethanesulfonate) resulted in loss of one of the two dmba ligands and formation of an unusual tetranuclear Pd(II) complex, [{Pd(dmba)}(μ-L)Pd]2(OTf)2 (5), in which two dinuclear entities have dimerized, one pyridine donor group from each dimer forming a bridge with the other dinuclear entity. This results in a N2, O2, NPy, NPy hexadentate behavior for the ligand L. Complexes 3 and 4 constitute an unprecedented reversible, switchable system where deprotonation or protonation promotes the reversible migration of the [Pd(dmba)](+) moieties, from the NPy sites in 3, to the N,O donor sites of the quinonoid core in 4, respectively. This switch modifies the extent of π-delocalization involving the potentially antiaromatic quinonoid moiety and is accompanied by a significant color change, from red in 3 to green in 4. The presence of uncoordinated pyridine donor groups in 4 allowed the use of this complex for the preparation of the neutral tetranuclear complex [{Pd(dmba)}2(μ-L){PdCl(dmba)}2] (6) in which 4 acts as a NPy,NPy-bidentate metalloligand toward two PdCl(dmba) moieties. Halide abstraction from 6 afforded the monocationic, tetranuclear complex [{Pd(dmba)}2(μ-L){Pd(dmba)}2(μ-Cl)]PF6 (7) in which the two Pd(dmba) moieties are connected by ligand L and a bridging chloride. By Cl/PF6 anion metathesis, it was possible to switch quantitatively from complex 6 to 7 and vice versa. All new compounds were unambiguously characterized by IR, NMR, and mass spectroscopy. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction is also available for molecules 2-5 and 7.