Iron (II), cobalt (II), and nickel (II) complexes of bis- (3-chloroacetylacetonate) ethylenediimine and bis-(acetylacetonate) ethylenediimine and their viologen molecular switches

Preparation of AAN and ACl is performed by reaction 1 equivalent of en and 2 equivalents of acetyl acetone and 3-chloro acetyl acetone, respectively. Fe2+, Co2+, and Ni2+complexes with both bis(acetylacetone) ethylenediimine AAN and bis(3-chloroacetylacetone) ethylenediimine ACl ware synthesized. The adduct complex [Fe(AAN)(bpy)2] was also synthesized from reaction of [Fe(AAN)(H2O)2] with 4,4’-bipyridine. These N2O2 metal complexes have been characterized by FT-IR, UV-Vis, and TG analysis as well as XRD spectrometries. Interaction of 4,4’-bipyridine (bpy) with metal (II) complexes in solution affords adduct complexes, i.e. through coordination of bpy with metal ion (II). Interaction of  with metal (II) complexes in solution affords adduct complexes, i.e. through coordination of  with metal ion (II). The solutions of adduct complexes happened among bis-viologen  and metal complexes have been reduced by activated zinc powder to afford viologen-based molecular switches.