Sensitivity of a strained C-C single bond to charge transfer: Redox activity in mononuclear and dinuclear ruthenium complexes of bis(arylimino)acenaphthene (BIAN) ligands

Abstract

The new compounds [Ru(acac)2(BIAN)], BIAN = bis(arylimino) acenaphthene (aryl = Ph (1a), 4-MeC6H4 (2a), 4-OMeC 6H4 (3a), 4-ClC6H4 (4a), 4-NO 2C6H4 (5a)), were synthesized and structurally, electrochemically, spectroscopically, and computationally characterized. The α-diimine sections of the compounds exhibit intrachelate ring bond lengths 1.304 Å < d(CN) < 1.334 and 1.425 Å < d(CC) < 1.449 Å, which indicate considerable metal-to-ligand charge transfer in the ground state, approaching a RuIII(BIAN•-) oxidation state formulation. The particular structural sensitivity of the strained peri-connecting C-C bond in the BIAN ligands toward metal-to-ligand charge transfer is discussed. Oxidation of [Ru(acac)2(BIAN)] produces electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and UV-vis-NIR (NIR = near infrared) spectroelectrochemically detectable RuIII species, while the reduction yields predominantly BIAN-based spin, in agreement with density functional theory (DFT) spin-density calculations. Variation of the substituents from CH3 to NO2 has little effect on the spin distribution but affects the absorption spectra. The dinuclear compounds {(μ-tppz)[Ru(Cl)(BIAN)]2}(ClO4)2, tppz = 2,3,5,6-tetrakis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine; aryl (BIAN) = Ph ([1b](ClO 4)2), 4-MeC6H4 ([2b](ClO 4)2), 4-OMeC6H4 ([3b](ClO 4)2), 4-ClC6H4 ([4b](ClO 4)2), were also obtained and investigated. The structure determination of [2b](ClO4)2 and [3b](ClO 4)2 reveals trans configuration of the chloride ligands and unreduced BIAN ligands. The DFT and spectroelectrochemical results (UV-vis-NIR, EPR) indicate oxidation to a weakly coupled RuIIIRu II mixed-valent species but reduction to a tppz-centered radical state. The effect of the π electron-accepting BIAN ancillary ligands is to diminish the metal-metal interaction due to competition with the acceptor bridge tppz. © 2014 American Chemical Society.