Nuclear magnetic resonance and optical absorption spectroscopic studies on paramagnetic praseodymium(III) complexes with β-diketone and heterocyclic amines

The optical absorption spectra of [Pr(acac) 3(H 2O) 2]·H 2O, [Pr(acac) 3phen·H 2O] and [Pr(acac) 3bpy] (where acac is the anion of acetylacetone, phen is 1,10-phenanthroline and bpy is 2,2′-bipyridyl) have been analyzed in the visible region in a series of non-aqueous solvents (methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, chloroform, acetonitrile and pyridine). The complexes display four non-hypersensitive 4f–4f transitions ( 3P 2, 3P 1 + 1I 6, 3P 0 and 1D 2) from the 3H 4 ground state. The band shape of the transitions shows remarkable changes upon dissolving in different solvents. Distinctively different band shapes have been observed for phen and bpy complexes. The phen is more effective in producing changes and the splitting of the bands is more pronounced in phen complex since it is a stronger ligand and leads to stronger Pr–N(phen) bond. The splitting of the bands is indicative of partaking of f-orbitals in bonding. The NMR signals of heterocyclic amines have been shifted to high fields while the resonances due to acetylacetone moiety have moved to low fields which is the consequence of change in geometry of the complexes upon coordination of the heterocyclic amines and reflects the importance of geometric factor (3 cos 2 θ − 1) in changing sign of the shift and to a good approximation the shifts arise predominantly from the dipolar mechanism. The phen complexes have narrower line width than bpy complexes. The line broadening in the case of bpy complexes is suggestive of exchange between inter-converting forms. The bpy possesses some degree of rotational freedom about C(6)–C(6′) bond and the two pyridine rings undergo scissoring motion with respect to each other.