Reactions of organic halides MeI and Br(CH2)3Br with square planar nickel complexes of
tetradentate N2SS‘ or N2S‘2 ligands (S‘ = RS(O)) have been explored for their potential to
direct alkylation of metallosulfoxide sulfur and yield metal-bound organic sulfoxides. In
fact, as established by spectroscopic and electrochemical signatures, isolated products were
characterized as the result of O-atom rearrangements or transfers leading primarily to
metallosulfones (Ni−SO2R) and metallothiolates (Ni−SR) (which were subsequently alkylated
to nickel-bound thioethers). Proposed intermediates in the reactions of the monosulfoxide,
Ni-4*, N-(2-mercapto-2-(methylpropyl))-N‘-(2-sulfenato-2-(methylpropyl))-1,5-diazacyclooctanenickel(II) and the bis-sulfoxide, Ni-5*, N,N‘-bis(2-sulfenato-2-(methylpropyl))-1,5-diazacyclooctanenickel(II), with 1,3-dibromopropane include S-bound R‘S−OR moieties resulting
from ring closure of the pendant alkyl bromide on the nucleophilic sulfoxide oxygen. X-ray
crystal structures of N-(sulfinato-2-(methylpropyl))-N‘-(2-thia-2-(methylpropyl))-1,5-diazacyclooctanenickel(II) iodide and a bimetallic composed of two units of N-(2-mercapto-2-(methylpropyl))-N‘-(2-sulfinato-2-(methylpropyl))-1,5-diazacyclooctanenickel(II) linked by
(CH2CH2CH2) are reported.