Isolation of a novel intermediate during unsymmetrical to symmetrical rearrangement of a tetradentate Schiff base ligand in a manganese(III) complex: Catalytic activity of the rearranged product towards alkene epoxidation

During the synthesis of a MnIII complex with an unsymmetrical tetradentate ligand (1:1:1 condensate of salicylaldehyde, 2,4-pentanedione and 1,2-ethanediamine) a novel species that contains both the unsymmetrical and symmetrical tetradentate ligand salen and another phenoxo bridged dinuclear MnIII complex of salen were isolated. The catalytic activity of the later towards alkenes epoxidation has also been studied.