Conformational control of spin state in iron(II) tripodal imidazole complexes

Three new iron(II) N₆ tripodal complexes provide information on the role of ligand conformation on spin crossover behavior. The ligands (generated in situ) are the Schiff base condensate of tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (tren) with three equivalents of 4-methyl-5-imidazolecarboxaldehyde, H₃(1), and the condensates of tris(2-aminoethyl)methylammonium ion (N(Me)tren⁺) with three equivalents of 4-methyl-5-imidazolecarboxaldehyde, N(Me)H₃(1)⁺, or with 2-imidazole carboxaldehyde, N(Me)H₃(3)⁺. The structures of [FeH₃(1)](ClO₄)₂, [FeN(Me)H₃(1)](ClO₄)₃ and [FeN(Me)H₃(1)](ClO₄)₃ are reported. The central tren nitrogen atom in these complexes exhibits three different geometries, pyramidal with the nitrogen pointed toward the iron (“N in”, Fe-N distance of 3.050 Å), planar (Fe-N distance of 3.527 Å), and pyramidal with the nitrogen pointed away from the iron atom (“N out”, Fe-N distance of 3.921 Å). With iron(II) the “N in” geometry is high spin while the planar and “N out” geometries are low spin. [FeH₃(1)](ClO₄)₂ exhibits spin crossover behavior between room temperature and 77 K as determined by Mössbauer spectroscopy and also exhibits a conformational change from “N in” to planar over this same temperature range. The structures of [FeN(Me)H₃(1)](ClO₄)₃ and [FeN(Me)H₃ (3)](ClO₄)₃ are locked into the “N out” geometry due to the quaternary nitrogen atom and are low spin even at room temperature. The LS planar and “N out” conformations place a strain on the bond angles of the aliphatic arms of the ligand, which are more pronounced in the “N out” case. The HS “N in” geometry lacks this strain.