Synthesis and characterization of nitrile ligands towards molecular wires

Abstract

Molecular wires are molecular systems fully conjugated, bearing terminal functionalities for adhesion to microscopic metallic leads. These molecular systems possess numerous interesting physical properties, including electronic properties. Homo- and heterobinuclear complexes with fully conjugated bridges have attracted special attention as they serve as models for metal-metal electronic communication. Here we present the synthesis and characterization of ligands, with nitrile groups as terminal functionalities, which will be complexed to iron and ruthenium moieties. These ligands were synthesized from the (triphenylphosphoranylidene)acetonitrile and 4-cianobenzyltriphenyl-pshosphonium bromide, used as phosphorus ylides to react with aldehydes, in usual Wittig conditions. Their characterization was done by usual spectroscopic methods. It is presented the molecular and crystalline structures of four compounds obtained by X-Ray crystallography (Figure 1). Ratio isomers and yields obtained by these reactions will be compared with other synthetic methodologies also used in the synthesis of these ligands.