Tricarbonylrhenium(I) and manganese(I) complexes of 2-(pyrazolyl)-4-toluidine

A series of tricarbonyl rhenium(I) and manganese(I) complexes of the electroactive 2-(pyrazolyl)-4-toluidine ligand, H(pzAnMe), has been prepared and characterized including by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The reactions between H(pzAnMe) and M(CO)5Br afford fac-MBr(CO)3[H(pzAnMe)] (M = Mn, 1a; Re, 1b) complexes. The ionic species {fac-M(CH3CN)(CO)3[H(pzAnMe)]}(PF6) (M = Mn, 2a; Re, 2b) were prepared by metathesis of 1a or 1b with TlPF6 in acetonitrile. Complexes 1a and 1b partly ionize to {M(CH3CN)(CO)3[H(pzAnMe)]+}(Br−) in CH3CN but retain their integrity in less donating solvents such as acetone or CH2Cl2. Each of the four metal complexes reacts with (NEt4)(OH) in CH3CN to give poorly-soluble crystalline [fac-M(CO)3(μ-pzAnMe)]2 (M = Mn, 3a; Re, 3b). The solid state structures of 3a and 3b are of centrosymmetric dimeric species with bridging amido nitrogens and with pyrazolyls disposed trans- to the central planar M2N2 metallacycle. In stark contrast to the diphenylboryl derivatives, Ph2B(pzAnMe), none of the tricarbonyl group 7 metal complexes are luminescent.