Copper Complexes of Silicon Pyridine-2-olates RSi(pyO)3 (R = Me, Ph, Bn, Allyl) and Ph2Si(pyO)2

The organosilicon pyridine-2-olates 1a–1d (RSi(pyO)3, R = Me (a), Ph (b), Bn (c), Allyl (d); pyO = pyridine-2-olate) may serve as tripodal ligands toward CuCl with formation of complexes of the type RSi(μ2-pyO)3CuCl (2a–2d). In addition, for R = Allyl, formation of the more stable isomer 2d′ (κO-pyO)Si(μ2-pyO)2(μ2-Allyl)CuCl was observed. In the presence of dry air (as a source of oxygen), reactions of 1a–1d and CuCl afforded Cu(II) complexes RSi(μ2-pyO)4CuCl (3a–3d); 3a–3c in good yield, and 3d only as a side product. Reaction of Ph2Si(pyO)2 (4) and CuCl in equimolar ratio afforded, depending on reaction conditions, a series of (CuCl)n-ladder-type oligonuclear Cu(I) complexes Ph2Si(μ2-pyO)2(CuCl)n(μ2-pyO)2SiPh2 (n = 2 (52), 3 (53), 4 (54)). In all of the above compounds, the pyO group is Si–O bound and, in the case of μ2 coordination, Cu–N bound. All new compounds (1c, 1d, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2d′, 3b, 3c, 3d, 52, 53, 54) were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and further characterization includes solution 1H, 13C, 29Si NMR spectroscopy (1c, 1d, 2b, 2c, 2d’, 53, 54), solid-state 29Si (2b, 2c, 2d′, 53, 54) and 63Cu NMR spectroscopy (2c, 2d′) as well as computational analyses of the isomerization of the couple 2d, 2d′.