Synthesis and complexes of the first chelating ligand containing a 1,2-benzisoxazole subunit

The new ligand 3-(2-pyridyl)-1,2-benzisoxazole (3) was prepared in five steps from readily available starting materials. It represents the first example of a chelating ligand containing a 1,2-benzisoxazole group and readily forms complexes with palladium(II), copper(II) and ruthenium(II). An X-ray crystal structure of the copper complex, trans-Cu(3)2(NO3)2, is the first reported structure of a complex containing a 1,2-benzisoxazole.