Synthesis, spectroscopy and electrochemical behaviors of nickel(II) complexes with tetradentate shiff bases derived from 3,5-Bu₂<i><SUP>t</SUP></i>-salicylaldehyde

Abstract

Nickel(II) complexes of a series of N,N'-polymethylenebis(3,5-Bu'(2)-salicylaidimine) ligands containing 2,4-di-Bu'(2)-phenol arms, NiLx, were synthesized and their spectroscopic and redox properties were examined. The UV-vis, H-1 NMR spectroscopic and magnetic results indicate that complexes NiL1-NiL4 unlike NiL5 and NiL6 have a square-planar structure in the solid state and in solution. Cyclic voltammograms of NiLx (x= 1-4) complexes displayed two-step oxidation processes. The first oxidation peak potentials of all Ni(II) complexes corresponds to the reversible one-electron oxidation process of the metal center, yielding Ni(III) species. The second oxidation peak of the complexes was assigned as the ligand based oxidation generating a coordinated phenoxyl radical species. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.