Exploring the coordination chemistry of 1,3-substituted Azulenes
Alibek Nurseiit*, Medet Segizbayev, and Andrey Khalimon**
Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Nazarbayev University,
Astana, Kazakhstan
Email: *[email protected]; **[email protected]
Abstract
Transition metal complexes with ligands that are highly conjugated are applied in very different
fields of chemistry. For instance, such compounds are used in phosphorescent and fluorescent
compounds; in activation of small molecules (e.g. CO 2 ); in sun light harnessing and so on.
Azulene ligands have very unique p-electron system and such compounds are utilized in
colorimetric sensors, conducting polymers and optical materials. It was found that the reaction
of [RhCl(C 2 H 4 ) 2 ] 2 with 1 gives the product of oxidative addition to Rh. Formation of 2 takes
place even at RT, however, heating at 65 °C is required to drive the reaction to completion.
The 1 H-NMR spectrum of 2 in CD 2 Cl 2 revealed symmetrical structure of the complex with
equivalent H A and H B resonances. Disappearance of H C resonance and appearance of
characteristic RhEt signals (3.59 ppm (q, CH 2 ) and 1.32 ppm (t, CH 3 ), respectively) were also
observed in the 1 H-NMR spectrum of 2. In this work, we discuss the synthetic route and the
coordination chemistry of 1,3-disubstituted azulenes.