Substituent Effects in Electron Transfer Reactions: The Preparation and Chromium(II) Reduction of 3-Formylpentane-2,4-dionatobis(ethylenediamine)cobalt(III). Preparation of the Linkage Isomer 2-Acetylbutane-1,3-dionatobis(ethylenediamine)cobalt(III)

The preparation of the linkage isomers, 3-formylpentane-2,4-dionatobis(ethylenediamine)cobalt(III), (1), and 2-acetylbutane-1,3-dionatobis(ethylenediamine)cobalt(III), (2), are described. The kinetics of the reaction of Cr(OH2)62+ with 1 and the parent complex, 2,4-pentanedionatobis(ethylenediamine)cobalt(III), (3), have been studied spectrophotometrically in acidic solution. For 1, the reduction is described by the rate law −d ln [Co(III)complex]/dt = k[Cr2+], and k = 0.0863 M−1 s−1 at 25 °C, μ = 1.0 M (LiClO4). The activation parameters for this reaction were found to be ΔH≠ = 9.9 ± 0.5 kcal mol−1 and ΔS≠ = −30 ± 3 e.u. The reaction proceeded by an inner-sphere mechanism and the product of this reaction was isolated and characterized as 2-acetylbutane-1,3-dionatotetraaquochromium(III). The linkage isomer of this complex was also prepared. The parent complex (3) was not reduced by Cr(OH2)62+ at an observable rate and an upper limit for the rate constant of this reaction was assigned a value of 10−4–10−6M−1s−1 at 25 °C. The ability of the formyl group to enhance the rate of electron transfer is discussed, and the chromium(II) reduction studies of related chelated systems are compared with the results obtained in this investigation.