Bridging ligand isomers

Unlike reactive diatomic chalcogen-nitrogen species NE (E = S, Se) (Section 5.2.1), the prototypical chalcogenonitrosyls HNE (E = S, Se) have not been characterized spectroscopically, although HNS has been trapped as a bridging ligand in the complex (HNS)Fc2(CO)6 (Section 7.4). Ab initio molecular orbital calculations at the self-consistent field level, with inclusion of electron correlation, reveal that HNS is ca. 23 kcal mof more stable than the isomer NSH. There is no low-lying barrier that would allow thermal isomerization of HNS to occur in preference to dissociation into H -1- NS. The most common form of HNS is the cyclic tetramer (HNS)4 (Section 6.2.1). 

With a view to determining the equilibrium constant for the isomerisation, the rates of reduction of an equilibrium mixture of cis- and rra/i5-Co(NH3)4(OH2)N3 with Fe have been measured by Haim S . At Fe concentrations above 1.5 X 10 M the reaction with Fe is too rapid for equilibrium to be established between cis and trans isomers, and two rates are observed. For Fe concentrations below 1 X lO M, however, equilibrium between cis and trans forms is maintained and only one rate is observed. Detailed analysis of the rate data yields the individual rate coefficients for the reduction of the trans and cis isomers by Fe (24 l.mole sec and 0.355 l.mole .sec ) as well as the rate coefficient and equilibrium constant for the cw to trans isomerisation (1.42 x 10 sec and 0.22, respectively). All these results apply at perchlorate concentrations of 0.50 M and at 25 °C. Rate coefficients for the reduction of various azidoammine-cobalt(lll) complexes are collected in Table 12. Haim discusses the implications of these results on the basis that all these systems make use of azide bridges. The effect of substitution in Co(III) by a non-bridging ligand is remarkable in terms of reactivity towards Fe . The order of reactivity, trans-Co(NH3)4(OH2)N3 + > rra/is-Co(NH3)4(N3)2" > Co(NH3)sN3 +, is at va-... 

If the bridging ligand contains only one atom (e.g.. Cl ). both metal atoms of the complex must be bound to it. However. If the bridging ligand contains more than one atom (e.g.. SCN ). the two metal atoms may or may not be bound to the same bridging-ligand atom (see Problem 13.30). Hie two conditions are called adjacent and remote attack, respectively. A remote attack may lead to both linkage isomers ... 

This tetranuclear complex was first prepared by Jorgensen (2), and was resolved into optical isomers by Werner (5), who thereby disposed of the vitalist contention that organic carbon is an essential concomitant of optical activity. Werner named the complex hexol after the bridging ligands. The structure of this tetranuclear species has now been established by an X-ray crystal-structure analysis of the racemic salt (52). The complex racemizes fairly readily and rates of racemization depend heavily on pH the first-order rate constants at pH 2.0, 7.0, and 8.1, are respectively, k = 2 x 10 6, 2 x 10 3, and 4 x 10 2 sec-1 at 22"C. Tartrate and selenate decrease the rate of racemization, probably as a result of ion pairing between the hydroxo bridges and the anions (56). 

---