Structural studies and photochromism of mercury(II)-iodo complexes of (arylazo)imidazoles

Neat reaction between HgI2 and 1-methyl-2-(phenylazo)imidazole (Pai-Me) under microwave irradiation has isolated a novel compound whose structure shows intercalated HgI2 in the layers of Pai-Me. They exist independently in interpenetrated arrays. In a solution phase study, the same reaction has synthesized an iodo-bridged azoimidazole-Hg(II) complex, [Hg(RaaiR')(mu-I)(I)](2) (RaaiR' = 1-alkyl-2-(arylazo)imidazole). The structures have been characterized by X-ray diffraction studies. Chloro-bridged Hg(II) complexes of azoimidazoles, [Hg(RaaiR')(mu-Cl)(Cl)](2), are also known. These complexes upon irradiation with UV light show trans-to-cis isomerization. The reverse transformation, cis-to-trans isomerization, is very slow with visible light irradiation. Quantum yields (phi(t -> c)) of trans-to-cis isomerization are calculated, and the free ligand shows higher phi than their Hg(II) complexes. The cis-to-trans isomerization is a thermally induced process. The activation energy (E-a) of cis-to-trans isomerization is calculated by controlled temperature reaction. The E-a's of free ligands are much higher than that of halo-bridged Hg(II)-azoimidazole complexes. Chloro-bridged Hg(II) complexes show lower E-a's than those of iodo-bridged complexes. DFT calculation has been adopted to rationalize the experimental results.