Redox induced electron transfer in doublet azo-anion diradical rhenium(II) complexes. Characterization of complete...

Reactions of dirhenium decacarbonyl with the two azoaromatic ligands, L(a) = (2-phenylazo)pyridine and L(b) = (4-chloro-2-phenylazo)pyridine (general abbreviation of the ligands is L) afford paramagnetic rhenium(II) complexes, [Re(II)(L(*-))(2)(CO)(2)] (1) (S = 1/2 ground state) with two one-electron reduced azo-anion radical ligands in an octahedral geometrical arrangement. At room temperature (300 K) the complexes 1a-b, showed magnetic moments (mu(eff)) close to 1.94 mu(B), which is suggestive of the existence of strong antiferromagnetic interactions in the complexes. The results of magnetic measurements on one of the complexes, 1b, in the temperature range 2-300 K are reported. The above complexes showed two cathodic and two anodic responses in cyclic voltammetry where one-electron oxidation leads to an unusual redox event involving simultaneous reduction of the rhenium(II) and oxidation of the second ligand via intramolecular electron transfer. The oxidized complexes 1a(+) and 1b(+) are air stable and were isolated as crystalline solids as their tri-iodide (I(3)(-)) salts. The structures of the two representative complexes, 1b and [1b]I(3), as determined by X-ray crystallography, are compared. The anionic complexes, [1](-) and [1](2-) were characterized in solution by their spectral properties.