Bimetallic bis(diphenylphosphino)acetylene bridged copper(I) complexes with 1,10-phenanthroline derivatives: synthesis, crystal structure, and spectroscopic characterization

A new series of bimetallic bis(diphenylphosphino)acetylene-bridged copper(I) 1,10-phenanthroline complexes, [Cu₂(dppa)₂(L)₂](BF₄)₂; L = 1,10-phenanthroline (1); 4-methyl-1,10-phenanthroline (2); 4,7-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (3); and 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (4), have been prepared and characterized by spectroscopic methods. The X-ray structures of 1 and 4 were determined. The structures consist of centrosymmetric bimetallic 10-membered chair-like dimetallacycles. In 1, intermolecular C–H…π interactions result in bending of the phenanthroline ligand and sterically induced lengthening of one Cu–P bond. In 1–4, the ³¹P NMR downfield coordination shift, relative to the free ligand, correlates with the basic strength of the 1,10-phenanthroline ligands.