Synthesis and crystal structures of cobalt(III) complexes containing pyridine-2-selenolato and its oxidation products

A series of mixed cobalt(III) complexes [Co(pySe)3−n(NN)n]n+ [pySe=pyridine-2-selenolato (1−); NN=1,2-ethanediamine (en) and 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy); n=0, 1 and 2] was prepared. The geometrical preference and trans influence of pySe are fairly different from those of pyridine-2-thiolate. These selenolato complexes were oxidized by peracetic acid to give the corresponding pyridine-2-seleninato (pySeO2) and pyridine-2-selenonato (pySeO3) complexes. The crystal structures of the pySeO2 and pySeO3 complexes revealed that the coordination mode change from an original N,Se-four-membered to the N,O-five-membered chelate ring occurred during oxidation and intramolecular hydrogen bonds between the non-coordinated oxygen of pySeO2 or pySeO3 and the amine protons of en stabilize the N,O-coordination mode.