Syntheses of linear-type S-bridged trinuclear complexes composed of heavy d metal ions and 2-aminoethanethiolate: comparative characterization by X-ray diffraction, spectroscopy and electrochemistry

The S-bridged trinuclear complexes composed of heavy d⁶ metal ions, Rh^III{M(aet)₃}₂]³⁺ (M=Ir^III(1), Rh^III(2); aet = 2-aminoethanethiolate), have been prepared by the reactions of fac(S)-M(aet)₃] with RhCl₃ · 3H₂O. The complexes were separated into meso (1a, 2a) and rac (1b, 2b) isomers by SP-Sephadex C-25 column chromatography. 1b and 2b were optically resolved by the column chromatographic method and characterized by CD spectroscopy. Crystal structures of 1a, 1b and 2a were determined by X-ray diffraction, and it was found that they consist of linear-type trinuclear structures. The central Rh(III) ion in the present complexes has d⁶ electronic configuration with the non-degenerated A-type cubic field term, and showed long Rh?M distances, acute S-M-S angles and obtuse Rh-S-M angles. These are in contrast with the complexes having the degenerated T-type cubic field term such as M^′{M(aet)₃}₂]ⁿ⁺ (M^′=V^III, Mo^IV and Re^III, M=Ir^III, Rh^III, n=3 or 4). All the isomers have been comparatively characterized and discussed in solid state and the solution for spectrochemical and electrochemical properties.