Structural, spectroscopic and redox properties of uranyl complexes with a maleonitrile containing ligand

The reaction of uranyl nitrate hexahydrate with the maleonitrile containing Schiff base 2,3-bis[(4-diethylamino-2-hydroxybenzylidene)amino]but-2-enedinitrile (salmnt((Et2N)2)H(2)) in methanol produces [UO2(salmnt((Et2N)2))(H2O)] (1) where the uranyl equatorial coordination plane is completed by the N2O2 tetradentate cavity of the (salmnt((Et2N)2))(2-) ligand and a water molecule. The coordinated water molecule readily undergoes exchange with pyridine (py), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO) to give a series of [UO2(salmnt((Et2N)2))(L)] complexes (L = py, DMSO, DMF, TPPO; 2-5, respectively). X-Ray crystallography of 1-5 show that the (salmnt((Et2N)2))(2-) ligand is distorted when coordinated to the uranyl moiety, in contrast to the planar structure observed for the free protonated ligand (salmnt((Et2N)2)H(2)). The Raman spectra of 1-5 only display extremely weak bands (819-828 cm(-1)) that can be assigned to the typically symmetric O=U=O stretch. This stretching mode is also observed in the infrared spectra for all complexes 1-5 (818-826 cm(-1)) predominantly caused by the distortion of the tetradentate (salmnt((Et2N)2))(2-) ligand about the uranyl equatorial plane resulting in a change in dipole for this bond stretch. The solution behaviour of 2-5 was studied using NMR, electronic absorption and emission spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. Complexes 2-5 exhibit intense absorptions in the visible region of the spectrum due to intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) transitions and the luminescence lifetimes (<5 ns) indicate the emission arises from ligand-centred excited states. Reversible redox processes assigned to the {UO2}(2+)/{UO2}(+) couple are observed for complexes 2-5 (2: E-1/2 = -1.80 V; 3,5: E-1/2 = -1.78 V; 4: E-1/2 = -1.81 V : vs. ferrocenium/ferrocene {Fc(+)/Fc}, 0.1 M Bu4NPF6) in dichloromethane (DCM). These are some of the most negative half potentials for the {UO2}(2+)/{UO2}(+) couple observed to