The physical properties and structures of a series of six complexes of the type (NiN
2S
2)W(CO)
4have been used to establish electronic and steric parameters for square planar NiN
2S
2 complexes asbidentate, S-donor ligands. According to the
![](/images/gifchars/nu.gif)
(CO) stretching frequencies and associated computed Cotton-Kraihanzel force constants of the tungsten carbonyl adducts, there is little difference in donor abilities ofthe five neutral NiN
2S
2 metallodithiolate ligands in the series. The dianionic Ni(ema)
2- (ema =
N,
N'-ethylenebis(2-mercaptoacetamide)) complex transfers more electron density onto the W(CO)
4 moiety. Aranking of donor abilities and a comparison with classical bidentate ligands is as follows: Ni(ema)
= >{[NiN
2S
2]
0} > bipy
![](/images/entities/ap.gif)
phen > Ph
2PCH
2CH
2PPh
2 > Ph
2PCH
2PPh
2. Electrochemical data from cyclicvoltammetry find that the reduction event in the (NiN
2S
2)W(CO)
4 derivatives is shifted to more positivepotentials by ca. 0.5 V compared to the ca. -2 V Ni
II/I redox event in the free NiN
2S
2 ligand, consistent withthe electron drain from the nickel-dithiolate ligands by the W(CO)
4 acceptor. Differences in Ni
II/I
E1/2values appear to have a ligand dependence which is related to a structural feature of the hinge angleimposed by the (
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-SR)
2 bridges. Thus the angle formed by the intersection of NiN
2S
2/WS
2C
2 planes hasbeen established by X-ray diffraction analyses as a unique orientational feature of the nickel-dithiolateligands in contrast to classical diphosphine or diimine ligands and ranges in value from 136 to 107
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
. Variable-temperature
13C NMR studies show that the spatial orientations of the ligands remained fixed with respectto the W(CO)
4 moiety to temperatures of 100
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
C.