Monodentate, didentate chelating, and bridging 1,8-naphthyridine complexes of pentamethylcyclopentadienyliridium(III): Syntheses and structures in the solid states and in solution

A series of new iridium(III) complexes containing pentamethylcyclopentadienyl (Cp^* = η⁵-C₅Me₅) and 1,8-naphthyridine (napy) have been prepared. X-ray crystallography revealed that napy acted as a monodentate, a didentate chelating, and a bridging ligand in complexes of [Cp^*IrCl₂(napy)] (1), [Cp^*IrCl(napy)]PF₆ (2), and [(Cp^*IrCl)₂(H)(napy)]PF₆ (4), respectively. The crystal structure of [Cp^*Ir(napy)₂](PF₆)₂ (3) has also been determined; the dicationic complex bore both monodentate and chelating napy ligands. Dinuclear Cp^*Ir^III complex bridged by napy was only isolable if two Ir^III centers were supported by a hydride (H^-) bridge. In complexes 2 and 3, the four-membered chelate rings formed by napy exhibited a large steric strain; in the rings the N{single bond}Ir{single bond}N bond angles were only 60.5(2)-61.0(4)° and the Ir{single bond}N{single bond}C angles were 94.7(8)-96.7(8)°. The bridging coordination of napy in complex 4 also afforded a large strain, i.e., the Ir^III centers were displaced by 0.84(3) Å from the napy plane, due to the steric interaction between two Cp^*IrCl moieties. The monodentate napy complex 1 in CDCl₃ or CD₂Cl₂ at ambient temperature showed a rapid coordination-site exchange reaction, which gave two N sites of napy equivalent; at temperatures below -40 °C, the ¹H NMR spectra corresponded to the molecular structure of [Cp^*IrCl₂(napy-κN)]. The analogous diazido complex of [Cp^*Ir(N₃)₂(napy)] (5) has also been prepared, and the crystal structure has been determined. In contrast to the dichloro complex 1, the diazido complex 5 exhibited a dissociation equilibrium of coordinated napy in solution.