Abstract:

Metal complexes with Schiff base (SB) play a pivotal role in the research and development of main group and transition metal coordination chemistry. There have been numerous reports of transition metal complexes containing N2O2-tetradentate ligands (salen-type SB ligands), but only one report of complexes containing related ligands derived from Meldrum´s acid (MA) and phenylenediamines or with aliphatic 1,2-diamines (Figure 1). By structural analogy with salen complexes, these complexes are termed of ‘melen complexes’. MA and its derivatives have been recognized as versatile reagents in organic synthesis and nowadays as a potentially useful compounds in the development of novel metal-chelating agents. Herein we describe the design and synthesis of news examples of ‘melen complexes’, which can potentially be used as catalysts and/or as photo- and electroluminescent materials in the future.