Computational Structural Assessment on the Stereochemistry of the Transition Metal Complex Formed by a Naphthalene-1,4-dione Based Ligand with Divalent Nickel

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is elucidating the stereochemistry of a complex obtained by coordinating to divalent nickel a naphthalene-1,4-dione based chemical compound, namely N-(3-mercapto-naphthalene-1,4-dione-2-yl)nicotinamide. As this particular transition metal ion may lead to different coordination geometries and also tacking into account the fact that the organic ligand contains six heteroatoms, it seem to be worth clarifying denticity of the ligand, the coordination geometry (including stereoisomerism) and, of course, what are the atoms involved into the coordination process. The study has been conducted by computational means, followed by quantum-chemical calculations and comparative interpretation of the UV-Vis spectra of both the ligand and the complex compound, in order to find out in which case the structural assessment is consistent with the electronic transitions exhibited whithin the spectra, i.e. which of the several theoretical coordination posibilities is the actual one. This investigation leads to the conclusion that the organic compound acts as a bidentate ligand and, moreover, the complex compound has a square-planar coordination geometry, the two heteroatoms through which the coordination is realized being the sulfur atom and the nitrogen atom directly bonded to the naphthalene-1,4-dione heterocycle. This is an important achievement, as the properties of the complex compound � including its biologic activity - are obviously related to the coordination manner.