Novel Hg(II) metal complexes of chelating phosphinopyridylamine and its selenide ligands: Synthesis, characterization, and X-ray structures

The reaction of 4-Me-C5H3N-2-NH(PPh2) (1) and monooxidized selenoyl (4-CH3)C6H3N-2-NH(P(Se)Ph2) (2) ligands with HgX2 (X = Cl, I) in acetone yielded the dimeric complexes [HgCl2]2[{1-?2P,N}{1-?P}] (3) and [HgI2{1-?2P,N}]2 (4), as well as [HgX2{2-?2Se,Npy}] (5, X = Cl; 6, X = I) derivatives. Complexes 3?6 were isolated and characterized utilizing multinuclear NMR (1H, 13C, and 31P) and infrared spectroscopy. The molecular structures of compounds 1 and 3?6 were elucidated using single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Complexes 3?6 constitute the first structurally defined complexes of these ligands with mercury metal identified to date. Dimer 3 is distinguished by the presence of Hg(II) metals exhibiting coordination numbers of five and four inside a single complex.