A series of peri-substituted acenaphthene-based
phosphine selenoether bidentate ligands Acenap(iPr2P)(SeAr) (L1–L4, Acenap =
acenaphthene-5,6-diyl, Ar = Ph, mesityl, 2,4,6-trisopropylphenyl and
supermesityl) were prepared. The rigid acenaphthene framework induces
a forced overlap of the phosphine and selenoether lone pairs, resulting
in a large magnitude of through-space 4
J
PSe coupling, ranging from 452 to 545 Hz. These rigid
ligands L1–L4 were used to prepare
a series of selected late d-block metals, mercury, and borane complexes,
which were characterized, including by multinuclear NMR and single-crystal
X-ray diffraction. The Lewis acidic motifs (BH3, Mo(CO)4, Ag+, PdCl2, PtCl2, and
HgCl2) bridge the two donor atoms (P and Se) in all but
one case in the solid-state structures. Where the bridging motif contained
NMR-active nuclei (11B, 107Ag, 109Ag, 195Pt, and 199Hg), J
PM and J
SeM couplings are observed
directly, in addition to the altered J
PSe in the respective NMR spectra. The solution NMR data are correlated
with single-crystal diffraction data, and in the case of mercury(II)
complexes, they are also correlated with the solid-state NMR data
and coupling deformation density calculations. The latter indicate
that the through-space interaction dominates in free L1, while in the L1HgCl
2
complex,
the main coupling pathway is via the metal atom and not through the
carbon framework of the acenaphthene ring system.