The co-ordination chemistry of bis(2,2′-bipyrid-6′-yl)ketone with first row transition metals: the reversible interconversion of a mononuclear complex and a dinuclear hemiketal containing species

Bis(2,2′-bipyrid-6′-yl)ketone has been shown to co-ordinate to Zn(II) to form either a dinuclear hemiketal complex in methanol solutions or mononuclear complexes in acetonitrile. The ligand readily complexes to the late transition metals in acetonitrile to yield mononuclear complexes (Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II),Zn(II) and Cd(II)) however for Fe(II) only dinuclear complexes [Fe2{(2-bipy)2C(OMe)O−}2][ClO4]2 could be isolated. The solid state structures of the mononuclear complexes exhibit varying degrees of distortion compared to an anticipated planar array of bipyridyl donors