A variety of transition metal complexes involving picolylcyanoacetamides (pica = NCCH2CONH-R; R = 2-picolyl- (2pica), 3-picolyl- (3pica), 4-picolyl- (4pica)) and thiocyanate have been synthesised and their solid-state structures have been determined. The complexes were all obtained from reactions between the corresponding metals salts and pica ligands with sodium thiocyanate under ambient conditions. Both 3pica and 4pica coordinate to the metal solely through the nitrogen atom of the picolyl group and form discrete tetrahedral [M(NCS)2(pica)2] (3pica; M = Mn, Zn; 4pica; M = Co) and octahedral [M(NCS)2(3pica)4] (M = Co, Fe, Ni) complexes. In addition, one-dimensional N,S-thiocyanate-bridged coordination polymers poly-[M(µ-NCS)2(pica)2] (3pica; M = Cd; 4pica; M = Co, Cd) were obtained. The ligand 2pica gave the discrete octahedral complexes [Co(NCS)2(2pica)2] and [Cd(NO3)2(2pica)2] in which 2pica chelates in a bidentate fashion through its picolyl and carbonyl groups. Magnetic susceptibility measurements on the cobalt(ii) complexes were performed and showed short-range antiferromagnetic coupling for the [Co(NCS)2(4pica)2]n 1D polymer.

A new class of homoleptic organoamido rare earth complexes [Ln(L(Me) or L(Et))(3)] (Ln = La, Ce, Nd; L(Me/Et) = p-HC(6)F(4)N(CH(2))(2)NMe(2)/Et(2)) exhibiting (Ar)CF-Ln interactions has been isolated from redox-transmetallation/protolysis (RTP) reactions between the free metals, Hg(C(6)F(5))(2) and L(Me/Et)H in tetrahydrofuran, together with low yields of [Ln(L(Me))(2)F](3) (Ln = La, Ce) or [Nd(L(Et))(2)F](2) species, resulting from C-F activation reactions. The structures of the homoleptic complexes have eight-coordinate Ln metals with two tridentate (N,N',F) amide ligands including (Ar)CF-Ln bonds and either a bidentate (N,F) ligand (Ln = La, Ce, Nd; L(Et)) or a bidentate (N,N') ligand (Ln = Nd; L(Me)), in an unusual case of linkage variation. All (Ar)CF-Ln bond lengths are shorter than or similar to the corresponding Ln-NMe(2)/Et(2) bond lengths. In [Ln(L(Me))(2)F](3) (Ln = La, Ce) complexes, there is a six-membered ring framework with alternating F and Ln atoms and the metal atoms are eight-coordinate with two tridentate (N,N',F) L(Me) ligands, whilst [Nd(L(Et))(2)F](2) is a fluoride-bridged dimer.

Examination of the crystal structures of (Me4N)(dcnm) (1), (Me4N)(dcnom) (2), and (Me4N)(nbdm) (3) [dcnm = dicyanonitrosomethanide, dcnom = dicyanonitromethanide, nbdm = nitroso-N,N-bis(dicyanomethanide)] reveals the anions pack in an unusual columnar array, with distances between the planar species suggestive of π–π stacking. This columar packing motif is not observed in the crystal structures of (Me4N)(ccnm) (4) and (Me4N)(ccnom) (6) (ccnm = carbamoylcyanonitrosomethanide, ccnom = carbamoylcyanonitromethanide), in which hydrogen bonding between anions is the dominant supramolecular interaction. Ab initio calculations performed at the HF and MP2 levels of theory on ionic clusters of varying size further explored the nature and strength of anionic interactions observed in crystal structures. The first syntheses of the nbdm and ccnom anions are also reported.

Rearrangement reactions between Ln(MQ) 3

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