Copper, cobalt, and nickel complexes of azomethine compounds containing phenylazo group in the amine fragment: Syntheses, structures, and magnetic properties

Abstract

The Cu, Ni, and Со complexes based on the following new azomethine compounds containing azobenzene groups in the ortho- or para-positions of the amine fragment are synthesized: 2-allyl-6-[(E)-[4-(E)-phenylazophenyl]iminomethyl]phenol (HL¹), 2-allyl-6-[(E)-[4-methyl-2-[(E)-phenylazo]-p-tolylazo] iminomethyl]phenol (HL²), 5-methoxy-2-[(E)-[4-[(E)-phenylazo]phenyl]iminoethyl]phenol (HL³), and 5-methoxy-2-[(E)-[4-methyl-2-[(E)-p-tolylazo]phenyl]iminomethyl]phenol (HL⁴). The structures of the complexes are determined by the data of IR and ¹Н NMR spectroscopy (for the azomethine compounds), X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and magnetochemistry. The coordination centers of all Cu complexes have a distorted square structure. A direct dependence of the geometry of the coordination polyhedron on the position of azobenzene groups in the amine fragments of the ligands is found for the Ni and Co complexes. The octahedral environment of the nickel and cobalt ions takes place in the case of the ortho-position of the amine fragment, whereas the square environment for the Ni complexes or the tetrahedral environment for the Co complexes is observed at the para-position. The molecular structures of two azomethines HL¹ and HL⁴ are determined by X-ray diffraction analysis (CIF files CCDC nos. 1552836 (HL¹) and 1552837 (HL⁴)).