Treatment of the bmnpa (N,N-bis-2-(methylthio)ethyl-N-((6-neopentylamino-2-pyridyl)methyl)amine) ligand with equimolar amounts of Cd(ClO(4))(2).5H(2)O and Me(4)NOH.5H(2)O in CH(3)CN yielded the binuclear cadmium hydroxide complex [((bmnpa)Cd)(2)(mu-OH)(2)](ClO(4))(2).CH(3)CN (1). Complex 1 may also be prepared (a) by treatment of a CH(3)CN solution of (bmnpa)Cd(ClO(4))(2) (2) with 1 equiv of n-BuLi, followed by treatment with water or (b) from 2 in the presence of 1 equiv each of water and NEt(3). The hydroxide derivative 1 is not produced from 2 and water in the absence of an added base. Complex 1 possesses a binuclear structure in the solid state with hydrogen-bonding and CH/pi interactions involving the bmnpa ligand. The overall structural features of 1 differ from the halide derivative [((bmnpa)Cd)(2)(mu-Cl)(2)](ClO(4))(2) (3), particularly in that the Cd(2)(mu-OH)(2) core of 1 is symmetric whereas the Cd(2)(mu-Cl)(2) core of 3 is asymmetric. In acetonitrile solution, 1 behaves as a 1:2 electrolyte and retains a binuclear structure and secondary hydrogen-bonding and CH/pi interactions, whereas 3 is a 1:1 electrolyte, indicating formation of a mononuclear [(bmnpa)CdCl]ClO(4) species in solution. Treatment of 1 with CO(2) in anhydrous CH(3)CN yields the bridging carbonate complex [((bmnpa)Cd)(2)(mu-CO(3))](ClO(4))(2).CH(3)CN (4). Treatment of a chemically similar zinc hydroxide complex, [((benpa)Zn)(2)(mu-OH)(2)](ClO(4))(2) (benpa = N,N-bis-2-(ethylthio)ethyl-N-((6-neopentylamino-2-pyridyl)methyl)amine, with CO(2) also results in the formation of a carbonate derivative, [((benpa)Zn)(2)(mu-CO(3))](ClO(4))(2) (5), albeit the coordination mode of the bridging carbonate moiety is different. Treatment of 4 with added water results in no reaction, whereas 5 under identical conditions will undergo reaction to yield the zinc hydroxide complex [((benpa)Zn)(2)(mu-OH)(2)](ClO(4))(2).

The synthesis and properties of mononuclear zinc methoxide ([(ebnpa)Zn-OCH3]ClO4) (1) and hydroxide ([(ebnpa)Zn-OH]ClO4) (2) complexes of a new mixed nitrogen/sulfur ligand (ebnpa = N-2-(ethylthio)ethyl-N,N-bis(6-neopentylamino-2-pyridylmethyl)amine) are reported. The structures of 1 and 2 were determined by X-ray diffraction. Each possesses a single zinc-coordinated anion (methoxide or hydroxide) and exhibits an overall trigonal bipyramidal geometry. Structural and spectroscopic studies indicate the presence of two hydrogen-bonding interactions involving the oxygen atom of the zinc-bound anion in each complex. Treatment of [(ebnpa)Zn-OH]ClO4 with CH3OH results in the formation of an equilibrium mixture of 1 and 2. 1H NMR spectroscopic methods were used to examine the equilibrium as a function of temperature, yielding KMe (304 K) = 0.30(8), DeltaHMe = -0.9(1) kcal/mol, and DeltaSMe = -5(1) eu. The negative enthalpy indicates that spontaneous zinc alkoxide formation from a hydroxide precursor occurs in this system at low temperature. Using the experimentally determined DeltaHMe value, we found the homolytic Zn-O bond dissociation energy (BDE) in the Zn-OCH3 unit to be approximately -14 kcal/mol relative to the Zn-O BDE in the Zn-OH unit.