Heterotetranuclear Complexes of Reduced and Non-reduced Bridging 1,2,4,5-Tetrazine Ligands with 1,1′-Bis(diphenylphosphanyl)-ferrocene-copper(I)

The complexes {(μ-bptz)[Cu(dppf)]2}(BF4)2 [(1)(BF4)2] [bptz = 3,6-bis(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine, dppf = 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)ferrocene] and {(μ-bpztz)[Cu(dppf)]2}(PF6)2 [(2)(PF6)2] [bpztz = 3,6-bis(2-pyrazinyl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine] contain two redox-active heterodinuclear FeIICuI moieties, bridged by a redox-active ligand. A crystal structure determination of (1)(BF4)2·2CH2Cl2 confirms the non-reduced aromatic nature of the bridge, in contrast to previous results on dicopper(I) complexes of bptz. Facile one-electron reduction produces the radical complexes {(μ-bptz)[Cu(dppf)]2}+ (1+) and {(μ-bpztz)[Cu(dppf)]2}+ (2+), which could be isolated [as (1)(BF4)] and studied by variable freq…