Stereochemistry of Cobalt(III) Complexes Containing (N,O)-Five and Six-membered Aminoalcohol Chelate Rings

59C q NMR (94.45 MHz) has been used to study Co III complexes formed by reaction of cobalt(II) chloride with 2- and 3-aminoalcohols; mononuclear molecular tris-O,N-chelate complexes of Co IIIL 3 (L = NH 2CH 2CH 2O – and NH 2CH 2CH 2CH 2O –) are produced in both geometric mer- and fac-forms, the mer-isomers being thermodynamically unstable and spontaneously rearranging to the fac-form in solution; the analogous complex L = NH 2CHEtCH 2O – exists only in the fac-form; 2-aminoalcohols also yield trinuclear complexes [Co II(Co IIIL 3) 2] 2+, in which pseudo-contact interaction of the Co II and Co III atoms occurs; the crystal structure of {Co II[Co III(NH 2CH 2CH 2O) 3] 2}·Cl 3(NH 3CH 2CH 2OH)·2H 2O has been determined.