Two-Coordinate, Quasi-Two-Coordinate, and Distorted Three Coordinate, T-Shaped Chromium(II) Amido Complexes: Unusual Effects of Coordination Geometry on the Lowering of Ground State Magnetic Moments

The synthesis and characterization of the mononuclear chromium(II) terphenyl substituted primary amido-complexes Cr{N(H)Ar(Pr(i)(6))}(2) (Ar(Pr(i)(6)) = C(6)H(3)-2,6-(C(6)H(2)-2,4,6-(i)Pr(3))(2) (1), Cr{N(H)Ar(Pr(i)(4))}(2) (Ar(Pr(i)(4)) = C(6)H(3)-2,6-(C(6)H(3)-2,6-(i)Pr(2))(2) (2), Cr{N(H)Ar(Me(6))}(2) (Ar(Me(6)) = C(6)H(3)-2,6-(C(6)H(2)-2,4,6-Me(3))(2) (4), and the Lewis base adduct Cr{N(H)Ar(Me(6))}(2)(THF) (3) are described. Reaction of the terphenyl primary amido lithium derivatives Li{N(H)Ar(Pr(i)(6))} and Li{N(H)Ar(Pr(i)(4))} with CrCl(2)(THF)(2) in a 2:1 ratio afforded complexes 1 and 2, which are extremely rare examples of two coordinate chromium and the first stable chromium amides to have linear coordinated high-spin Cr(2+). The reaction of the less crowded terphenyl primary amido lithium salt Li{N(H)Ar(Me(6))} with CrCl(2)(THF)(2) gave the tetrahydrofuran (THF) complex 3, which has a distorted T-shaped metal coordination. Desolvation of 3 at about 70 °C gave 4 which has a formally two-coordinate chromous ion with a very strongly bent core geometry (N-Cr-N= 121.49(13)°) with secondary Cr--C(aryl ring) interactions of 2.338(4) Å to the ligand. Magnetometry studies showed that the two linear chromium species 1 and 2 have ambient temperature magnetic moments of about 4.20 μ(B) and 4.33 μ(B) which are lower than the spin-only value of 4.90 μ(B) typically observed for six coordinate Cr(2+). The bent complex 4 has a similar room temperature magnetic moment of about 4.36 μ(B). These studies suggest that the two-coordinate chromium complexes have significant spin-orbit coupling effects which lead to moments lower than the spin only value of 4.90 μ(B) because λ (the spin orbit coupling parameter) is positive. The three-coordinated complex 3 had a magnetic moment of 3.79 μ(B).