Four N, O-donor ligands built on diazocycle platforms and containing bis(di-tert-butyl-phenol) as pendant arms were employed in the synthesis of iron(III) complexes, resulting in four mononuclear and one dinuclear complexes. The ligands are distinct with respect to the diazocycle backbone: piperazine (H2L1), diazepane/homopiperazine (H2L2), hexahydropyrimidine (H2L3) or hexahydropyrimidin-5-ol (H3L4). The molecular structure of compounds [FeL2Cl], 2, and [Fe2(L4)(HL4)Cl], 4, were solved by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Electrochemical data showed that, in addition to the electrochemical process centered on the metal, the compounds show ligand-centered redox processes. Coulometric studies with concomitant UV-Vis analyses confirmed that compound 2 generated the phenoxyl species, while electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy confirmed the radical formation for compounds 2, 4 and 5. Of interest was the observation that the compound in which the ligand can be oxidized easiest is the one where the metal center shows the lowest Lewis acidity.
phenoxyl radical; iron compounds; diazocycle; tert-butylphenol; non-innocent ligand
