Light-induced cis/trans isomerization of cis-[Pd(L-S,O)2] and cis-[Pt(L-S,O)2] complexes of chelating N,N-dialkyl-N′-acylthioureas: key to the formation and isolation of trans isomers
Irradiation cis-[M(Ln-S,O)2] complexes (M = PtII, PdII) derived from N,N-dialkyl-N′-benzoylthioureas (HLn) with various sources of intense visible polychromatic or monochromatic light with λ < 500 nm leads to light-induced cis → trans isomerization in organic solvents. In all cases, white light derived from several sources or monochromatic blue-violet laser 405 nm light, efficiently results in substantial amounts of the trans isomer appearing in solution, as shown by 1H NMR and/or reversed-phase HPLC separation in dilute solutions at room temperature. The extent and relative rates of cis/trans isomerization induced by in situ laser light (λ = 405 nm) of cis-[Pd(L2-S,O)2] was directly monitored by 1H NMR and 195Pt NMR spectroscopy of selected cis-[Pt(L-S,O)2] compounds in chloroform-d; both with and without light irradiation allows the δ(195Pt) chemical shifts cis/trans isomer pairs to be recorded. The cis/trans isomers appear to be in a photo-thermal equilibrium between the thermodynamically favored cis isomer and its trans counterpart. In the dark, the trans isomer reverts back to the cis complex in what is probably a thermal process. The light-induced cis/trans process is the key to preparing and isolating the rare trans complexes which cannot be prepared by conventional synthesis as confirmed by the first example of trans-[Pd(L-S,O)2] characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, deliberately prepared after photo-induced isomerization in acetonitrile solution.
