AMBIPHILIC TRIPOD COMPLEXES - SYNTHESIS A ND COORDINATION CHEMISTRY OF LONG-CHAINED FUNCTIONALIZED TRIPOD LIGANDS RC(CH2PPH2)3 WITH R=PENTYL OR 8-NONENYL

Tripod ligands RC(CH2PPh2)3 with R = pentyl (3a) and R = 8-nonenyl (3b ) are accessible from the corresponding triols. By using appropriately selected activation procedures the triols 1a, b are transformed into the tripodal ligands 3a, b. In addition to their direct characterisati on the tripod ligands 3a, b have been further structurally analysed by the syntheses and X-ray analyses of specific cobalt (4a) and iron (4b ) coordination compounds. An interesting side result from the X-ray an alysis of [(3b)Fe(NCCH3)3](BF4)2 (4b) is the organisation of its solid -state structure by the hydrophobic 8-nonenyl substituents in the liga nd backbone.