Nickel complexes square-planar-tetrahedral equilibrium

Nickel(II) complexes of (505) exhibit spin equilibria in solution.1355 With the bidentate analogues (506), complexes [Ni(506)2] have been isolated.1356 When Rj = Ph, the complex is tetrahedral in solution. It has a temperature independent magnetic moment of 2.75pB- When R = Me, the complex exhibits square planar-tetrahedral equilibrium in solution. Both are, however, diamagnetic in the solid state. 

Nickel(ii) and cobalt(ii) complexes continue to be the most widely studied first-series transition metal complexes. The well resolved NMR spectra arise from the very rapid electron-spin relaxation which occurs as a result of modulation of the zero-field splitting of these ions. In the case of 4-coordinate nickel(ii), only tetrahedral complexes (ground state Ti) are of interest since the square-planar complexes are invariably diamagnetic. Many complexes, however, undergo a square-planar-tetrahedral dynamic equilibrium which can be studied by standard band-shape fitting methods (Section B.l). 

Bis(pyrrole-2-aldiminato)nickel(II) complexes (125) are diamagnetic in the solid state when R = H, Pr, Pr and Et, and paramagnetic pseudotetrahedral when R = Bu. 1001-1003 In solution there exists an equilibrium between square planar and tetrahedral species when R = Pr1, Bus and Bu Such equilibria were also investigated for complexes of the type (126) obtained from the condensation reaction in basic media of o-aminobenzaldehyde and a number of diamines in the presence of nickel(II).1004-1007 Square planar complexes (127)1008,1009 and (128)1010 were obtained with deprotonated pyridinecarboxamide ligands. In these complexes the Ni—N (amide) bond distance (184-187 pm) is shorter than the Ni—N (pyridine) distance (192-195 pm). 

Acetylacetonates with bulky substitution on the 1 and 5 positions may form square planar complexes (22). Bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-hep-tanedione)nickel(II) is square planar, whereas bis(2,6-dimethyl-3,5-hep-tanedione)nickel (II) exhibits an equilibrium between the square planar and tetrahedral configuration (22). 

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