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Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Preparation of SNS Cobalt(II) Pincer Model Complexes of Liver Alcohol Dehydrogenase
Published on: March 19, 2020
Cobalt(II) "scorpionate" complexes as models for cobalt-substituted zinc enzymes: electronic structure investigation
J Krzystek1, Dale C Swenson, S A Zvyagin
1National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, USA.
Abstract:
A series of complexes of formula Tp(R,R')CoL, where Tp(R,R'-) = hydrotris(3-R,5-R'-pyrazol-1-yl)borate ("scorpionate") anion (R = tert-butyl, R' = H, Me, 2'-thienyl (Tn), L = Cl(-), NCS(-), NCO(-), N(3)(-)), has been characterized by electronic absorption spectroscopy in the visible and near-infrared (near-IR) region and by high-frequency and -field electron paramagnetic resonance (HFEPR). Reported here are also crystal structures of seven members of the series that have not been reported previously: R' = H, L = NCO(-), N(3)(-); R' = Me, L = Cl(-), NCS(-), NCO(-), N(3)(-); R' = Tn, L = Cl(-), NCS(-). These include a structure for Tp(t-Bu,Me)CoCl different from that previously reported. All of the investigated complexes contain a four-coordinate cobalt(II) ion (3d(7)) with approximate C(3v) point group symmetry about the metal ion and exhibit an S = (3)/(2) high-spin ground state. The use of HFEPR allows extraction of the full set of intrinsic S = (3)/(2) spin Hamiltonian parameters (D, E, and g values). The axial zero-field splitting parameter, D, for all investigated Tp(R,R')CoL complexes is always positive, a fact not easily determined by other methods. However, the magnitude of this parameter varies widely: 2.4 cm(-1)
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