Ni(ii) complexes featuring non-metallated pincer-type ligands

Attempts to prepare pincer-type Ni complexes from the ligands (i-Pr(2)POCH(2))(2)CH(2) and (pz*CH(2))(2)CH(2) (pz* = 3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl) gave instead the complexes cis-{kappa(P),kappa(P')-(i-Pr(2)POCH(2))(2)CH(2)}NiCl(2) and {kappa(N),kappa(N')-(pz*CH(2))(2)CH(2)}NiBr(2). X-Ray diffraction studies confirmed that these potentially pincer-type ligands have not undergone metallation, serving instead as chelating ligands in essentially square-planar or tetrahedral complexes. Heating of these compounds failed to induce metallation of the coordinated ligands.