Syntheses and structural characterizations of a new benzyl(4-methoxyphenyl)dithiophosphinic acid and its Ni(II), Co(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Ni-pyridine complexes

Benzyl(4-methoxyphenyl)dithiophosphinic acid (HL) was obtained as solid and was treated with the NiCl₂6H₂O, CoCl₂6H₂O, ZnCl₂, and CdCl₂ to prepare its Ni(II), Co(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II) complexes. The nickel complex was further treated with pyridine which led to the formation of octahedral dipyridine derivative. HL was obtained through the addition reaction of the perthiophosphonic acid anhydride Lawesson reagent, (LR), [2,4-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,3,2,4-dithiadiphosphetane-2,4-disulfide], with the corresponding Grignard compound (benzylmagnesium bromide) in diethyl ether medium.The complexes were all of the stoichiometry of [M(L)₂]_x, with x = 1 for M = Ni²⁺ and x = 2 for M = Co²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Zn²⁺. The coordination geometry was square planar in the nickel(II) complex and tetrahedral in the others. Similar to many other nickel(II) complexes, the Ni(L)₂ reacts reversibly with pyridine to yield the octahedral complex ({(Py)₂Ni(L)₂}).The compounds were characterized by elemental analysis; MS, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopies. The magnetic susceptibilities of the complexes were measured to confirm the hybridization patterns and the geometries. Single-crystal X-ray analyses of Ni(L)₂ and [Co(L)₂]₂ complexes were also carried out to prove the molecular topologies.