Synthesis, characterization, and crystal structures of organonickel(II) complexes coordinated to novel 1-bromo-2,6-bis{[(λ5-phosphanylidene)imino]methyl}benzene NCN-pincer ligands

A novel family of four 1-bromo-2,6-bis{[(λ5-phosphanylidene)imino]methyl}benzene ligands has been synthesized and characterized. The phosphiniminomethyl substituents are decorated with either three phenyl groups, two phenyl and one cyclohexyl group, one phenyl and two cyclohexyl groups, or three cyclohexyl groups. Each ligand was metallated using zero-valent nickel through an oxidative addition to form a family of organonickel(II) complexes, namely (2,6-bis{[(triphenyl-λ5-phosphanylidene)imino]methyl}phenyl-κ3 N,C 1,N′)bromidonickel(II) dichloromethane hemisolvate, [NiBr(C44H37N2P2)]·0.5CH2Cl2, (2,6-bis{[(cyclohexyldiphenyl-λ5-phosphanylidene)imino]methyl}phenyl-κ3 N,C 1,N′)bromidonickel(II) diethyl ether hemisolvate, [NiBr(C44H49N2P2)]·0.5C4H10O, (2,6-bis{[(dicyclohexylphenyl-λ5-phosphanylidene)imino]methyl}phenyl-κ3 N,C 1,N′)bromidonickel(II), [NiBr(C44H61N2P2)], and (2,6-bis{[(tricyclohexyl-λ5-phosphanylidene)imino]methyl}phenyl-κ3 N,C 1,N′)bromidonickel(II), [NiBr(C44H73N2P2)]. This family of complexes represents a useful opportunity to investigate the impact of incrementally changing the steric characteristics of a complex on its structure and reactivity.