Combination of EXAFS and electronic spectroscopy to determine the structure of nickel(IV) complexes

Abstract

The structure of a transition metal complex may, in favourable cases, be determined by combining the information obtained from d–d spectroscopy, which indicates the nature of the ligand field, and metal (K)-edge EXAFS, from which the metal–ligand distances may be obtained; the approach is illustrated for tetragonally distorted, pseudo-octahedral Ni^IV complexes: [NiCl₂{o-C₆H₄(PMe₂)₂}₂]²⁺(Ni–Cl = 2.26, Ni–P = 2.22 Å), [NiCl₂{o-C₆H₄(AsMe₂)₂}₂]²⁺(Ni–Cl = 2.27, Ni–As = 2.36 Å).