Crystalline architectures of copper(II) complexes derived from halogen substituted carbonyl compounds: Interplay of covalent and non-covalent forces

Abstract

The current scenario of coordination chemistry is witnessing the exploitation of coordination bonds and noncovalent interactions to generate self-assemblies of various dimensions having not only aesthetic values but also countless applications and that paved way for supramolecular chemistry/crystal engineering. Most of such fascinating work employs Schiff bases obtained by the condenzation of an amine and a carbonyl compound. The use of diamines in the synthesis of highnuclearity complexes utilizes the bridging capacity of phenoxo atoms. Whereas in the case of N2O donor tridentate Schiff bases (N-substituted diamines with salicylaldehyde or its derivatives), coligands are employed to generate structures of variable composition apart from satisfying the coordination number. Among the various coligands known, pseudohalides (azido, cyanato, thiocyanato, dicyanamido) deserve special attention on account of its versatile modes of binding. In addition to the structural variety, such Schiff base complexes have its signature in the field of catalysis, luminescence, gas adsorption and magnetic materials which make the arena conspicuous. The recognition of plasticity of copper(II) metal with respect to its coordination number and its ubiquitous nature as active sites in many metalloenzymes fuelled us to work with this metal. The results of our efforts to explore the role of various interaction forces constitute the subject matter of the thesis entitled “Crystalline architectures of copper(II) complexes derived from halogen substituted carbonyl compounds: Interplay of covalent and non-covalent forces”. The work embodied in this thesis was carried out by the author in the Department of Applied Chemistry, CUSAT, Kochi, during the period 2011-2016 and is divided into eight chapters.