Metal-radical coordination complexes of thiazyl and selenazyl ligands

• Published in: Coordination chemistry reviews 2015-04, Vol.289-290, p.49-61
• Main Author: Preuss, Kathryn E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Coordination; Magnetism; Materials; Radical ligand; Selenazyl; Thiazyl
• ISSN: 0010-8545; 1873-3840
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2014.09.016

•A review of thia/selenazyl radical coordination chemistry is presented.•S-coordination, N-coordination and π-coordination complexes are possible.•Complexes include main group metal ions, transition metals and lanthanides.•Magnetic and other unique materials’ properties have been reported.•There are still many research avenues as yet unexplored. The so-called “metal-radical approach” to the design of molecule-based magnetic materials relies on the availability of paramagnetic ligands that can reliably form coordination complexes with paramagnetic metal ions. While the most common radical ligands are based on nitroxides, other paramagnetic building blocks are also gaining attention. Thiazyls and their related selenazyls are promising candidates for the development of radical ligands and, because they have inherently interesting materials’ properties, their use as ligands has the potential to generate novel materials with unprecedented properties. Significant progress has been made in this field in the past ten years. This review is a timely look back at the development of the field, highlighting the diversity of complexes and designs, and a look forward to a promising future.