Aqua complex of iron(III) and 5-chloro-3-(2-(4,4-dimethyl-2,6- dioxocyclohexylidene) hydrazinyl)-2-hydroxybenzenesulfonate: Structure and catalytic activity in Henry reaction

Abstract A water-soluble iron(III) complex [Fe(H2O)3(L)]·5H2O (1) was prepared by reaction of iron(III) chloride with 5-chloro-3-(2-(4,4-dimethyl-2,6-dioxocyclohexylidene)hydrazinyl)-2-hydroxy-benzenesulfonic acid (H3L). The complex was characterized by IR, 1H NMR and ESI-MS spectroscopies, elemental and X-ray crystal structural analyses. The coordination environment of the central iron(III) is a distorted octahedron, three sites being occupied by L3− ligand, which chelates in O,N,O fashion, while three other sites are filled with the water molecules. The uncoordinated water molecules are held in the channels of the overall 3D supramolecular structure by the carbonyl and sulfonyl groups of …