A new anilido-imine compound containing o-OMe-anilinyl derived from an unexpected adduct: Synthesis, crystal structure and its coordination capability

A new compound, ortho-C6H4F[CH(NHC6H4OMe-2)2], 1, was obtained with ortho-flurobenzaldehyde and 2-methoxyaniline as the starting materials. Compound 1 was readily converted into ortho-C6H4(2-OMeC6H4)(CHNC6H4OMe-2) 2 after treatment with 1 equiv of n-BuLi. Treatment of compound 2 with 1.5 equiv of ZnEt2 afforded the trinuclear zinc complex 3 by alkyl elimination and alkylation of the imino group of the ligand. The molecular structures of two new organic compounds and of the trinuclear zinc complex were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The dianionic ONNO tetradentate ligands derived from compound 2 coordinate to zinc ions in four to five coordination modes, forming distorted tetrahedral and trigonal–bipyramidal geometry around three metal centers.