A nucleophilic reaction of acetylacetonatocobalt(III) complexes with nitriles in Lewis acidic conditions

Under Lewis acidic conditions, Co(acac)3 reacted with various nitriles to give iminocomplexes. Isolated complexes were identified by usual sepctroscopy, elemental analyses and X-ray diffraction method. A possible mechanism was proposed. One of the iminocomplexes showed prominent crystal dichroism and two d-d compound in the first absorption band region were observed independently. Although clear limitations could not be determined, benzoyl and aryl cyanide did not react.