Selectivity of the complexation reactions of four regioisomeric methylcamphorquinoxaline ligands with gold(III): X-ray, NMR and DFT investigations

Abstract

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Reported are the synthesis, spectral and structural characteristics of new quinoxaline-related regioisomeric ligands L1-L4 (1,x,11,11-tetramethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1,4-methanophenazine, x = 7, 8, 9 and 6, respectively) and their mononuclear Au(III) complexes (1-4). Fusion of the camphor moiety to the quinoxaline core made two N-atoms of quinoxaline nonequivalent while the introduction of a methyl-substituent at positions 6-9 enabled a tuning of coordination properties of L1-L4. Gold(III) complexes 1-4 and ligands L1-L4 have been studied in detailed by 1D and 2D NMR and the structures of 1-4 have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The results of these analyses revealed a regiospecific coordination of Au(III) to the sterically less hindered N-5 atom (spatially close to the non-substituted bridgehead carbon) of L1-L3, and to N-10 (spatially close to the methyl-substituted bridgehead carbon) of L4. The results of DFT calculations shed light on disparate coordination modes of L1-L4 toward the AuCl3 fragment and explain formation of single coordination products in high yield.