Solution study of a structurally characterized monoalkoxo-bound monooxo-vanadium(V) complex: spontaneous generation of the corresponding oxobridged divanadium(V,V) complex and its electroreduction to a mixed-valence species in solution.

An interesting transformation of a structurally characterized monooxoalkoxovanadium(V) complex [VO(OEt)L] (LH 2 = a dibasic tridentate ONO donor ligand) in solution leading to the formation of the corresponding monooxobridged divanadium(V,V) complex (VOL) 2O is reported. This binuclear species in solution is adequately characterized by elemental analysis, measurement of conductance (in solution), various spectroscopic (UV-vis, IR, NMR, and mass spectrometry) techiniques and by cyclic voltammetry. The corresponding mixed-valence vanadium(IV,V) species has been generated in CH 3CN solution by controlled potential electrolysis of (VOL) 2O. This mixed-valence species is identified and studied by EPR technique (at room temperature and at liquid nitrogen temperature) and also by UV-vis spectroscopy. This study may be regarded as a general method of obtaining monooxo-bridged binuclear vanadium(V,V) species from the corresponding mononuclear monooxoalkoxovanadium(V) complexes of some selected dibasic tridentate ONO chelating ligands, which can be utilized as the precursor of monooxobridged divanadium(IV,V) mixed-valence species in solution obtainable by controlled potential electrolysis.

Spacer flexibility in bis(pyridyl) ligands: chelating organosilicon pyridylethynyl ligands.

Two new bis(pyridylethynyl) ligands with organosilicon spacers have been synthesized. The ligands react readily with silver(I) to form crystalline complexes, both of which are revealed to be triflate-bridged dimers by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The complex with the flexible siloxane-based ligand possesses considerably less bond angle distortion.