Synthesis and characterization of Mg(II), Mn(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) complexes with a new heptaaza Schiff base pendant-armed macrocycle: X-ray crystal structure, NMR and computational study

New 2-aminoethyl pendant-armed Schiff base macrocyclic complexes, [ML⁷]²⁺ (M = Mn(II), Mg(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II)), have been prepared via M(II) templated [1 + 1] cyclocondensation of 2,6-diacetylpyridine with a new branched hexamine, N,N,N′,N′-tetrakis(2-aminoethyl)-2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diamine. The ligand is a 16-membered pentaaza macrocycle having two 2-aminoethyl pendant arms [L⁷ is 2,14-dimethyl-6,10-bis(2-aminoethyl)-3,6,10,13,19-pentaazabicyclo[13.3.1]8,8-dimethylnonadeca-1(19),2,13,15,17-pentaene]. The crystal structures of [MnL⁷]²⁺ and [MgL⁷]²⁺ were determined from X-ray diffraction data. The geometry of the coordination sphere of complexes is a slightly distorted pentagonal bipyramid with the metal ion located within a pentaaza macrocycle and two pendant amines coordinating on opposite sides. All complexes were characterized by IR, microanalysis and except of [MnL⁷]²⁺ by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, DEPT135, COSY(H, H) and HMQC spectroscopy. The data indicate that the structure is pentagonal bipyramidal in each case. The structure of all complexes has also been theoretically studied by ab initio Hartree-Fock and density functional theory methods.