Six novel homoleptic palladium(II) and platinum(II) complexes of donor-substituted alkenol ligands [PyCHC(R)OH; Py = pyridine, R = CH(3), CF(3), C(2)F(5), C(3)F(7)] of the general formula M[PyCHC(R)O](2) (M = Pd, Pt) were synthesized by reacting the deprotonated ligands with PdCl(2) and K(2)PtCl(4), respectively. Molecular structures, revealed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses, showed a square-planar arrangement of ligands around palladium and platinum centers, with the pyridine-ring nitrogen atoms situated in a mutually trans position. The monomeric nature of the compounds in the solution state was confirmed by multinuclear ((1)H, (13)C, and (19)F) NMR spectroscopy. Thermal decomposition profiles recorded under a nitrogen atmosphere suggested their potential as volatile precursors to palladium and platinum materials. The volatility was increased upon elongation of the perfluoroalkyl chain, which suppressed the intermolecular interactions, as is evident in crystal packings. The volatility of these compounds was attributed to bidentate chelation of the alkenol units and cooperativity among the electron-back-donating nitrogen atom and interplay of electron-withdrawing C(x)F(y) groups, resulting in an effective steric shielding of the metal atoms.

A series of aluminium complex ions with trifluoromethyl-heteroarylalkenolato (TMHA) ligands are studied by gas-phase infrared multiphoton-dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy and computational modelling. The selected series of aluminium TMHA complex ions are promising species for the initial study of intrinsic binding characteristics of Al(III) cations in the gas phase as corresponding molecular ions. They are readily available for examination by (+) and (-) electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) by spraying of [Al(3+)⋅(L(-))(3)] solutions. The complex ions under investigation contain trivalent Al(3+) cations with two chelating anionic enolate ligands, [Al(3+)⋅(L(-))(2)](+), providing insights in the nature of the heteroatom-Al bonds. Additionally, the structure of a deprotonated benzimidazole ligand, L(-,) and an anionic complex ion of Al(III) with two doubly deprotonated benzimidazole ligands, [Al(3+)⋅(L(2-))(2)](-), are examined by (-)ESI-IRMPD spectroscopy. Experimental and computational results are highly consistent and allow a reliable identification of the ion structures. In all complex ions examined the planar TMHA ligands are oriented perpendicular to each other around the metal ion, leading to a tetrahedral coordination sphere in which aluminium interacts with the enolate oxygen and heteroaryl nitrogen atoms available in each of the bidentate ligands.