Solution and solid-state complexes of the potentially tetradentate pyridyl-thiazole ligand 6,6′-bis(4-methylthiazol-2-yl)-2,2′-bipyridine with Co, Ni, Cu, Cd, Hg, Cu and Ag

Reaction of the potentially tetradentate N-donor ligand 6,6′-bis(4-methylthiazol-2-yl)-2,2′-bipyridine (L1) with the transition metal dications CoII, NiII, CuII, CdII and HgII results in the formation of mononuclear [M(L1)]2+ complexes, in which a planar ligand coordinates to the metals via all four N-donors. In contrast, reaction of L1 with CuI and AgI monocations, affords dinuclear double stranded helicate species [M2(L1)2]2+ (where M = CuI or AgI), in which partitioning of the ligand into two bis-bidentate pyridyl-thiazole chelating units allows each ligand to bridge both metal centres. X-Ray crystallography, electrospray mass spectroscopy and NMR spectroscopy reveal that the complexes [Mn(L1)m]z+ (where n = 1, m = 1 and z = 2, when M = CoII, NiII, CuII, CdII and HgII; n = 2, m = 2 and z = 2, when M = CuI), retain their solid-state structures in solution. Conversely, whilst 1H NMR studies suggest that combination of equimolar amounts of Ag(X)(where ) and L1 (in either nitromethane or acetonitrile) results in the formation of a helicate in solution, in the solid-state, an anion-templating effect gives rise to either mononuclear or dinuclear helicate structures [Agn(L1)n][X]n (where n = 2 when X = OTf−; n = 1 when ).