Soluble monometallic salen complexes derived from O-functionalised diamines as metalloligands for the synthesis of heterobimetallic complexes.

O-Functionalised salen ligands were employed as bridging ligands in the synthesis of homo- and heterometallic salen complexes with early and late transition metals (H(2)salen: N,N'-bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine, systematic name: 2,2'-{ethane-1,2-diylbis(nitrilomethylidine)}diphenol). A new type of O-functionalised salen ligand was synthesised, which contains alkyl groups to enhance the solubility in organic solvents as well as carboxyl groups to allow introduction of an early transition metal. Two new salen ligands derived from O-functionalised diamines were synthesised from 3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylaldehyde (bsal) and 3,4-diaminobenzoic acid (4cpn) or (R)-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (cen). By using the aryl diamines, a conjugated backbone is obtained, and the alkyl diamines can be used to introduce a chiral centre. The salen ligand derived from 3,4-diaminobenzoic acid was accessible only via a zinc(II)-mediated template reaction. Monometallic salen complexes could be obtained by template synthesis with nickel(II) and copper(II). The analogous chromium(III), manganese(III) and molybdenum(IV) salen complexes were synthesised directly from the salen ligands. The crystal structures of the molybdenum(IV) salen complex and a decomposition product thereof gave insight into the stability of this compound. Starting from (R)-2,3-diaminopropionic acid the corresponding nickel(II), chromium(III), manganese(III) and molybdenum(IV) salen complexes were obtained. Reactions of the conjugated nickel(II) salen complex with metallocene derivatives resulted in the formation of soluble di- and trinuclear heterobimetallic complexes, depending on the stoichiometry used. The compounds were characterised by NMR, IR and EPR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and, for selected complexes, by X-ray crystallography. For selected mono- and bimetallic salen complexes the catalytic activity in the epoxidation of styrene was tested under different reaction conditions and with different oxidising agents. The highest values (up to 24%) for the conversion of styrene to styrene oxide were obtained with manganese(III) salen complexes.