Masking of Lewis acidity trends in the solid-state structures of trichlorido- and tribromido(2,2':6',2''-terpyridine-κ(3)N,N',N'')gallium(III)

Acta Crystallogr C Struct Chem. 2014 Mar;70(Pt 3):312-4. doi: 10.1107/S2053229614003349. Epub 2014 Feb 28.

Abstract

The molecular structures of trichlorido(2,2':6',2''-terpyridine-κ(3)N,N',N'')gallium(III), [GaCl3(C15H11N3)], and tribromido(2,2':6',2''-terpyridine-κ(3)N,N',N'')gallium(III), [GaBr3(C15H11N3)], are isostructural, with the Ga(III) atom displaying an octahedral geometry. It is shown that the Ga-N distances in the two complexes are the same within experimental error, in contrast to expected bond lengthening in the bromide complex due to the lower Lewis acidity of GaBr3. Thus, masking of the Lewis acidity trends in the solid state is observed not only for complexes of group 13 metal halides with monodentate ligands but for complexes with the polydentate 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine donor as well.

Keywords: 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine; crystal structure; solid-state structures; tribromidogallium(III); trichloridogallium(III).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Coordination Complexes / chemistry*
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Gallium / chemistry*
  • Lewis Acids / chemistry*
  • Ligands
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Molecular Structure

Substances

  • Coordination Complexes
  • Lewis Acids
  • Ligands
  • tribromido(2,2'-6',2'-terpyridine-kappa(3)N,N',N')gallium
  • trichlorido(2,2'-6',2'-terpyridine-kappa(3)N,N',N')gallium(III)
  • Gallium