Imidazolidine ring as a reduced heterocyclic spacer in a new all-N-donor m-bis(bidentate) Schiff base ligand: Synthesis, characterization and electron transfer properties of imidazolidine-bridged dicopper complexes

Low-temperature stoichiometric Schiff base reaction in air in 3 : 1 mole ratio between benzaldehyde and triethylenetetramine (trien) in methanol yields a novel tetraaza m-bis(bidentate) acyclic ligand L. It was characterized by elemental analysis, IR, EI mass and NMR (1H and 13C) spectra. The formation of a five-membered imidazolidine ring from the ethylenediamine backbone as a spacer-cumbridging unit gives rise to a new type of imidazolidine-bridged ligand. A geometric optimisation was made of the synthesized ligand and its complexes by the method of molecular mechanics (MM2) method in order to establish the stable conformations. This hitherto unknown tetraaza acyclic ligand affords new cationic dicopper(I/I) and dicopper(II/II) complexes in good yield. Dicopper(II/II) complex displays weak d–d transition bands in the visible region, while dicopper(I/I) complex displays strong MLCT band in the same region. Both the dinuclear complexes are of non-intimate nature and show interesting solution electrochemical behaviour. EPR spectral study of m-bis(imidazolidino) bridged dicopper(II/II) complex also supports the non-communicative nature of the two copper centres within the same molecule.