Tridentate rings

A promising recent extension of the aminopyridinato ligand concept involves the use of potentially tridentate amidinato-cyclopentadienyl ligands. Typical complexes with M = Ti, Zr are depicted in Scheme 171. Other heterocycles can be incorporated in the ligand system instead of the pyridine ring. ... 

The first complexes of a-keto ylides and group 5 early transition metals have only recently been obtained by reaction of Nb(III) derivatives [[NbCl3(dme) (R C=CR")] with 25 (R = thiazolyl) (Scheme 16). The chelation of the ylide occurs through an N,0-coordination to the metal center and in presence of MeLi a deprotonation of a phenyl ring takes place with the loss of alkyne, leading to the formation of a new orfho-metallated binuclear compound 32. The two ylides involved in the complexation behave as tridentate anionic ligands and are mutually in a trans disposition in order to minimize the steric hindrance [71,72]. Another binuclear niobium complex 33 has been obtained from 25 (R = Me, Ph) with this time an 0-coordinated a-keto ylide [68]. 

In an attempt to change the electronics of the chromium atom, we are replacing the carbon based cyclopentadienyl ring with ligands containing harder donor atoms. For example, we have employed the tris(pyrazolyl)borate moiety, an isoclectronic replacement for Cp featuring tridentate N-coordination.[9] Figure 2 shows the molecular structure of Tp SU Cr-Ph, a representative Cr° alkyl. It will be noted, that this complex is mononuclear, due to the steric protection of the extremely bulky tris(pyrazolyl)borate. 

Thiolates are strong ligands and a rich coordination chemistry with cobalt(III) exists. Normally, thiols are employed directly in synthesis, and this is the usual entry into their coordination chemistry. However, alternative approaches do appear from time to time, and recently the cobalt-mediated direct thiolation of an aromatic ring in bidentate phenyl(2-pyridyl)diazene using dithiocarbamate ion to produce a coordinated tridentate thiolate has been reported.1034... 

---