Synthesis, Spectral and Electrochemical Studies of Mixed-Ligand Oxovanadium(IV) and Oxovanadium(V) Complexes Incorporating the Tridentate ONO Donor Schiff Base Derived from Acetylacetone and Benzoylhydrazine

Mixed-ligand oxovanadium(IV) and oxovanadium(V) complexes with a tridentate dinegative ONO donor Schiff base ligand [viz., 4-(1-hydroxybenzylidenehydrazono)-2-penten-2-ol (H2L)] and bidentate NN [viz., 2,2′-bipyridine (bipy) and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen): complexes (1) and (2), respectively] or OO−[viz., ethylene glycol (H2gol), salicylaldehyde (Hsal) and vanillin (Hvan): complexes (3)–(5), respectively] donor ligands have been prepared and characterized by elemental analyses and by i.r., e.p.r., n.m.r., and u.v.–vis. spectroscopies. The complexes with NN donor ligands are one electron paramagnetic, displaying axial e.p.r. spectra and exhibiting two ligand-field transitions in the visible region, whereas the complexes with OO− donor ligands are diamagnetic and display only LMCT bands. 1H n.m.r. spectral data indicate that the pentavalent complexes (4) and (5) exist in two isomeric forms [(4A), (4B) and (5A), (5B) in 1:1 and 4:1 ratios, respectively]. The vanadyl(IV) complexes display an irreversible oxidation peak near +0.67 V while among the vanadyl(V) complexes, (3), displays an irreversible reduction peak near −0.20 V and (4) and (5) display a quasi-reversible one electron reduction peak near +0.25 V versus s.c.e. The trend in redox potential values and the selective stabilization of VO2+ and VO3+ motifs have been explained on the basis of the basicity of the bidentate auxiliary ligands.