Subtle Bite-Angle Influences on N₂S₂Ni Complexes

A new N(2)S(2)Ni complex based on the 1,4-diazacycloheptane (dach) framework allows the study of the effects of ring size, in fused diamines, on the structural and chemical properties of nickel(II) dithiolate and dithioether complexes. Compared to its 1,5-diazacyclooctane (daco) derivatives, the dithiolate complex (bmedach)Ni and the S-templated, macrocyclic dithioether complex (propyl-bmedach)NiBr(2) show decreased cavity sizes with narrower angleN-Ni-N angles (by ca. 6 degrees ) and wider angleS-Ni-S angles (also by ca. 6 degrees ). The electrochemical properties of the dithiolate complexes based on dach and daco are nearly identical, while the (propyl-bmedach)NiBr(2) complex shows a 140 mV destabilization of the Ni(I) oxidation state relative to its daco analogue. Molecular structures for the (bmedach)Ni and (propyl-bmedach)NiBr(2) complexes and their respective electrochemical and spectroscopic properties are reported.