Alkali metal cations controlling the reactivity of cobalt(II) Schiff base complexes: synthesis of a µ-persulphido-ligand from S8 reacting with a cobalt(II) oxygen carrier compound

Abstract

Elemental sulphur reacted with N,N′-o-phenylenebis(salicylideneaminato)cobalt(II), [Co(salophen)] in tetrahydrofuran or pyridine solution to produce ttetrasulphido-cobalt(III) complexes, [(L)(salophen)Co–S₄–Co(salophen)(L)][L = tetrahydrofuran (thf), pyridine (py)]; when the same reaction was carried out in the presence of a Sodium cation bonded by [Co(salophen)], the isolation of a µ-persulphido-dicobalt(III) complex, {[(thf)(salophen)Co–S₂–Co(salophen)][Na(thf)]}[BPh₄] was achieved [S–S, 1.962(9)Å].