Syntheses, Crystal and Electronic Structures of Rhodium and Iridium Pyridine Di-Imine Complexes with O- and S-Donor Ligands: (Hydroxido, Methoxido and Thiolato)

The syntheses of new neutral square-planar pyridine di-imine rhodium and iridium complexes with O- and S-donor (OH, OR, SH, SMe and SPh) ligands along with analogous cationic compounds are reported. Their crystal and electronic structures are investigated in detail with a focus on the non-innocence/innocence of the PDI ligand. The oxidation states of the metal centers were analyzed by a variety of experimental (XPS and XAS) and theoretical (LOBA, EOS and OSLO) methods. The dπ-pπ interaction between the metal centers and the π-donor ligands was investigated by theoretical methods and revealed the partial multiple-bond character of the M-O,S bonds. Experimental support is provided by a sizable barrier for the rotation about the Ir-S bond in the methyl thiolato complex and confirmed by DFT and LNO-CCSD(T) calculations. This was corroborated by the high Ir-O and Ir-S bond dissociation enthalpies calculated at the PNO-CCSD(T) level.