Mapping the Binding Modes of Hemilabile Pincer-Crown Ether Ligands in Solution Using Diamagnetic Anisotropic Effects on NMR Chemical Shift.

A protocol for identifying ligand binding modes in a series of iridium pincer complexes bearing hemilabile aza-crown ether ligands has been developed using readily accessible NMR methods. The approach was tested on a collection of 13 structurally diverse pincer-crown ether complexes that include several newly characterized species. New synthetic routes enable facile interconversion of coordination modes and supporting ligands. Detailed structural assignments of five complexes reveal that the difference in chemical shift (Δδ) between geminal protons in the crown ether is influenced by diamagnetic anisotropy arising from halides and other ligands in the primary coordination sphere. The average difference in chemical shift between diastereotopic geminal protons in the crown ether macrocycle (Δδavg), as determined through a single 1H-13C HSQC experiment, provides information on the pincer ligand binding mode by establishing whether the macrocycle is in close proximity to the metal center. The Δδavg values for binding modes that involve chelating ether(s) bound to iridium are roughly 2-fold larger than those for tridentate complexes with no Ir-O bonds.