Several series of platinum(II), palladium(II),
and nickel(II) complexes
bearing 8-(diphenylphosphino)quinoline (PQH) or its 2-methyl
or 2-phenyl derivatives (PQMe or PQPh) were
synthesized, and their crystal structures and behaviors in solution
were investigated. Most of the complexes [M(PQR)2]X2 (MII = PtII, PdII, or NiII; R = H, Me or Ph; X = monoanionic ions) characterized
in this study have an approximately square-planar coordination geometry
with two bidentate P,N-chelating
or monodentate P-donating quinolylphosphine ligands
in the cis(P,P)
configuration. A large steric requirement from the Me or Ph substituent
introduced at the 2-position of the quinoline ring gives the resulting
complexes severe distortion. The PtII and PdII complex cations maintained the square-planar coordination geometry,
but the MII center was displaced from the chelating ligand
plane. This bending of the chelate coordination makes the M–N(quinoline)
bond weaker, as demonstrated by the longer M–N bonds. In accord
with the bond weakening, the partial dissociation of the PQH or PQMe chelates by substitution with halide anions were
observed using UV–vis spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography.
In contrast, the PQPh complexes were stable in solution
toward the addition of halide anions; the intramolecular π–π
stacking interaction between the coordinating quinolyl and the 2-substituted
phenyl rings protects the MII center from nucleophilic
attack. In the corresponding NiII complexes, the steric
congestion arising from the mutually cis-positioned
PQR ligands resulted in a large tetrahedral distortion
around the NiII center. However, the intramolecular π–π
stacking interaction was still effective in the PQPh complex,
and this interaction can explain some unusual robustness and electrochemical
properties of the NiII–PQPh complex.