Synthesis of cobalt(II), nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes with 2-(2-hydroxyphenyliminomethyl)-1-( 4-methyl-phenylsulfonamido)benzene and crystal structures of {bis(methanol)[2-(2 '-N-tosylaminophenyl)iminomethyl]phenolato}nickel(II) and {bis(2,2 '-bipyridine)[2-(2 '-N-tosylaminophenyl)iminomethyl]phenolato}copper(II)

Electrochemical oxidation of metal anodes (cobalt, copper and nickel) in ac etonitrile solutions of 2-(2-hydroxyphenyliminomethyl)-1-(4-methyl-phenylsu lfonamido)benzene (H2L) gave [CoL], [CuL] and [NiL] complexes. When 1,10-ph enanthroline (phen) or 2,2'-bipyridine (bipy) was added to the electrolytic cell, the mixed complexes [MLL'] (M = Co, Cu, L' = bipy or M = Ni, L' = ph en) were obtained. A binuclear compound of composition [Ni2L2(MeOH)(4)] (1) was synthesized by reaction of the ligand H2L and nickel(II) acetate in me thanol. X-ray structure determination showed the compound to be binuclear, with each nickel atom coordinated to two nitrogen and two bridging phenol o xygen atoms of two dianionic ligands and two methanol molecules, in an octa hedral environment. The crystal structure of [CuLbipyl] (2) was determined by X-ray diffraction; with the copper atom in a distorted bipyramidal envir onment defined by the two bipyridine nitrogen atoms and by the phenolic oxy gen and the nitrogen atoms of the dianionic ligand. The electronic and vibr ational spectral data of the complexes are discussed and related to the str ucture. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.