Syntheses of polyfluorophenylcobalt(III) schiff base complexes using organothallium reagents

The complexes RCo(acacen) [R = C₆F₅, p-HC₆F₄, or o-HC₆F₄; H₂acacen = N,N′-ethylenebis(acetylacetonimine)] and RCo(salen) [R = C₆F₅ or p-HC₆F₄; H₂salen = N,N′-ethylenebis(salicylaldimine)] have been prepared by reaction between Co(acacen) or Co(salen) and the appropriate bromobis(polyfluorophenyl)thallium(III) compounds, and have been isolated as pyridinates. Spectroscopic evidence for formation of C₆F₅Co(salophen) [H₂salophen = _N,N′-o-phenylenebis(salicylaldimine)] has also been obtained. The reactivity of the thallium compounds increased in the sequence Ph₂TlBr ≪ (o-HC₆F₄)2TlBr < (p-HC₆F₄)₂TlBr < (C₆F₅)₂TlBr, and of the cobalt complexes in the sequence Co(salophen) < Co(salen) < Co(acacen). Possible mechanisms are discussed.