The condensation reaction between 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde
and diethylenetriamine, 3-[(2-aminoethyl)amino]propylamine,
and 3,3'-iminobis(propylamine) in a 2:1 molar ratio yields lig
ands that may be isolated exclusively inthe dissymmetric (cyclic) isomeric forms L
A, L
B/L
B*,
and L
C. The template effect of a metal center (Fe
II, Ni
II,
and Zn
II)results in the ring opening of L
C including one hexahydropyrimidine ring
and one (long) propylene bridge. Theresulting symmetric bis-Schiff base isomeric form L
C' is stabilized through pentacoordination, yielding [Fe
IIL
C'(NCS)](NCS) (
3), [Ni
IIL
C'(NCS)](NCS) (
6),
and [Zn
IIL
C'(NCS)](NCS) (
9). The same metal centers are too bulky to exert atemplate effect on L
A including one imidazolidine ring
and one (short) ethylene bridge. L
A acts as a tetradentatelig
and yielding [Fe
IIL
A(NCS)
2] (
1), [Ni
IIL
A(NCS)
2] (
4),
and [Zn
IIL
A(NCS)
2] (
7). The template effect of the metal centeris selective toward the lig
and L
B/L
B* including a hexahydropyrimidine (imidazolidine) ring
and the shorter ethylene(longer propylene) bridge. The Fe
II cation is small enough to exert a template effect, resulting in the ring openingof L
B/L
B*. The resulting bis-Schiff base L
B' is stabilized through pentacoordination, yielding [Fe
IIL
B'(NCS)](NCS) (
2).Ni
II is too bulky to promote the ring opening of L
B/L
B*: L
B acts as a tetradentate lig
and, yielding [Ni
IIL
B(NCS)
2] (
5)(the L
B* isomer is totally converted to L
B). The coordinative requirements
and stereochemical preference of thebulkier Zn
II cation allow neither the ring opening of L
B/L
B* nor the tetracoordination of L
B or L
B* but stabilize thenovel tetradentate dissymmetric form L
B in [Zn
IIL
B(NCS)
2]·H
2O (
8) (L
B results from MeOH addition across theimine bond of L
B). Density functional theory calculations performed for Ni
II and Zn
II complexes of the L
B/L
B*/L
B setof lig
ands allowed one to compare the relative stabilities of all possible isomers, showing that the most stable onescorrespond to those experimentally obtained: isomerization, or methanol addition across the imine bond, of thetetradentate lig
and depends on the relative stabilities of all possible isomeric complexes.