Synthesis and structural characterization of adducts of silver(I) nitrate with ER3 (E = P, As, Sb; R = Ph, cy, o-tolyl, mes) and oligodentate aromatic bases derivative of 2,2′-bipyridyl, L, AgNO3:ER3:L (1:1:1)

Twenty-one adducts of the form AgNO₃:ER₃:L (1:1:1) (E = P, As, Sb; R = Ph, cy, o-tolyl, mes; L = 2,2′-bipyridyl (‘bpy’)-based ligand), together with AgNO₃:Pcy₃:tpy (2:2:1) and AgNO₃:PPh₃:tpy (1:2:1) (‘tpy’ ≡ (2,2′:6,2″-terpyridine)), have been synthesized and characterized by analytical, spectroscopic (IR, far-IR, ¹H and ³¹P NMR) and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The resulting complexes are predominantly of the form , with trigonal EAgN₂ coordination environments, the planarity of which is perturbed by the approach of the nitrate anion. The nitrate ion shows uni- or (semi-)bidentate coordination, excepting the complex AgNO₃:P(o-tol)₃:dpca (1:1:1) (dpca = bis(2-picolyl)amine) where the anion is uncoordinated, the donor dpca being a pincer-tridentate. The complex AgNO₃:Pcy₃:tpy (2:2:1), also reported, is dinuclear with a bridging unidentate nitrate and a terpyridine, the latter bridging through its central ring, with the peripheral rings forming chelates to either side, whereas the complex AgNO₃:PPh₃:tpy (1:2:1) is ionic with a five-coordinate silver, bonded to tridentate tpy and two phosphines.