title: Ferrocene-cyclam: a redox-active macrocycle for the complexation of transition metal ions and a study on the influence of the relative permittivity on the coulombic interaction between metal cations.
abstract: The reaction of 1,1'-ferrocene-bis(methylenepyridinium) salt with 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-5,12-dione, followed by LiAlH4 reduction results in the formation of FcCyclam. Metal complexes of FcCyclam with M2+ = Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+ were synthesized from FcCyclam and the respective metal triflates. The complexation of Cu2+ and FcCyclam in CH3CN is preceeded by a rapid electron transfer, followed by a slower complex formation reaction and a reverse electron transfer. The protonation constants of FcCyclam and the stability constants for the Cu2+ complex of FcCyclam (logK = 9.26(4) for the formation of the [Cu(FcCyclam)]2+ complex) were determined in 1,4-dioxane/water 70:30 v/v, 0.1 moldm(-3), KNO3, 25 degrees C. By using FcCyclam one can selectively sense the presence of Cu2+ ions in the presence of Ni2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, Hg2+, and Pb2+ with a very large deltaE approximately 200 mV, depending on pH. The X-ray crystal structures of FcCyclam and of complexes with Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+ were determined and Fe-M2+ distances obtained: Fe-Co2+ 395.9, Fe-Ni2+ 385.4, Fe-Cu2+ 377.7, and Fe-Zn2+ 369.0 pm. The redox potential of FcCyclam is influenced in a characteristic manner by the complexation of M2+. A linear correlation of 1/r approximately/= deltaE [r = distance Fe-M2+ from crystal data, deltaE=-E1/2([M(FcCyclam)]2+) - E1/2(FcCyclam)] was found; this is indicative of a mainly Coulomb type interaction between the two metal centers. The nature of the Fe...M2+ interaction was also investigated by determining deltaE in several solvents (mixtures) of different dielectric constants epsilon. The expected relation of deltaE approximately/= 1/epsilon was only found at very high values of epsilon. At epsilon < 40 increased ion-pairing appears to reduce the effective positive charge at M2+ leading to progessively smaller values of deltaE with lowered epsilon. The dependence of deltaE and epsilon can be calculated semiquantitatively by combining the Fuoss ion-pairing theory with the Coulomb model.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Anorganische Chemie, TU Darmstadt, Germany. plenio@tu-darmstadt.de
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Plenio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aberle
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Al Shihadeh
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lloris
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martínez-Máñez
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pardo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Soto