Kinetics of ligand substitution in bis(N-alkylsalicylaldiminato)nickel(II) complexes: A search for kinetically-effective aromatic ring stacking

The square-planar bis chelate complexes Ni(R-sal)₂ (= bis(N-alkyl)salicylaldiminato)nickel(II)) with R = (CH₂)₂Ph (I; Ph = phenyl), (CH₂)₃Ph (II), (CH₂)₄Ph (III) and (CH₂)₂(4-hydroxyphenyl) (IV) were prepared and characterized. ComplexesII and III meet the steric requirements for intramolecular aromatic ring stacking. Stopped-flow spectrophotometry was used to study the kinetics of ligand substitution in complexesI–IV by H₂salen (=N,N′-disalicylidene-ethylenediamine) in acetone. For the substitution of the two bidentate ligands in Ni(R-sal)₂ only one step is kinetically observed which follows a second-order rate law, rate =kH₂salen] Ni(R-sal)₂], with k = 43.4 (I), 64.0 (II), 87.0 (III) and 49.5 (IV) M^?1 s^?1 at 298 K. It is found, therefore, that the size of k does not change significantly upon lengthening of the alkane chain in Ni(Ph(CH₂)_nsal)₂ from n = 2 to 4 and that there is no kinetic evidence for intramolecular stacking interactions. The equilibrium constants and thermodynamic parameters for the formation of the bis adductsIII·(py)₂ and III·(MeOH)₂ in acetone are reported.