Conformational dependence of through-space tellurium-tellurium spin-spin coupling in peri-substituted bis(tellurides)

Abstract

Three related series of peri-substituted bis(tellurides) bearing naphthalene, acenaphthene and acenaphthylene backbones [Nap/Acenap/Aceyl(TeY)2 (Nap = naphthalene-1,8-diyl N; Acenap = acenaphthene-5,6-diyl A; Aceyl = acenaphthylene-5,6-diyl Ay; Y = Ph 1; Fp 2; Tol 3; An-p 4; An-o 5; Tp 6; Mes 7; Tip 8] have been synthesised and their solid-state structures determined by X-ray crystallography. Molecular conformations were classified as a function of the two C9-C-Te-C(Y) dihedral angles (θ); in the solid all members adopt AB or CCt configurations, with larger Te(aryl) moieties exclusively imposing the CCt variant. Exceptionally large J(125Te,125Te) spin-spin coupling constants between 3289-3848 Hz were obtained for compounds substituted by bulky Te(aryl) groups, implying these species are locked in a CCt type conformation. In contrast, compounds incorporating smaller Te(aryl) moieties are predicted to be rather dynamic in solution and afford much smaller J values (2050-2676 Hz), characteristic of greater populations of AB conformers with lower couplings. This conformational dependence of through-space coupling is supported by DFT calculations.