New anionic cobalt complexes using highly hindered bis-amides with varying donor abilities as ligands.

Four potential tetradentate ligands of formulae 1,2-bis-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxybenzamido)ethane (H(4)L(1), 1), 1,2-bis-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxybenzamido)propane (H(4)L(2), 2), 1,2-bis-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxybenzamido)benzene (H(4)L(3), 3) and 1,8-bis-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxybenzamido)naphthalene (H(4)L(4), 4) have been prepared and the crystal structures of three of them (1, 3 and 4) determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The investigation of their complexing ability toward Co(II) afforded the compounds of formulae [Co(III)(L(3))Na(I)(H(2)O)(2)] (5), [Co(III)(L(n))Li(I)(H(2)O)2] with n = 1 (6), 2 (7) and 3 (8) and [Co(II)(L(4))Li(I)(2)] (9). Complexes 5-8 are squa…