Synthesis and X-ray structural characterization of tris(l-glycinato)vanadium(III) and trans-tetraquadichlorovanadium(III) chloride

Despite the importance of V^III in biology, only three V^III complexes of naturally occurring amino acids have been structurally characterized. We report the structure of the first vanadium complex incorporating a glycine ligand, [V(Gly)₃] · 2DMSO, which crystallizes in a monoclinic system with space group Cc, a = 8.9186(5) Å, b = 21.5347(9) Å, c = 9.9064(5) Å and β = 110.536(3)°. The X-ray structural data show the central V^III metal octahedrally coordinated by three bidentate glycinato ligands arranged a mer configuration, with both Δ and Λ enantiomers present in the unit cell. The bulk sample was isolated as [V(Gly)₃] · DMSO · NaCl. Structural comparisons are made with the corresponding homoleptic glycinato complexes of Co^III, Cr^III and Ni^II. The structure of trans-[V(OH₂)₄Cl₂]Cl · 2H₂O has also been re-determined. This latter complex crystallizes in a monoclinic system in the P2(1)/c space group, a = 6.4381(9) Å, b = 6.3843(9) Å, c = 11.7980(17) Å and β = 98.057(2)°. The vanadium atom lies at a crystallographic inversion centre within the distorted octahedron formed by the four water and two chloride ligands.