Polydentate ligand construction: preparation of oxime–imine complexes via intramolecular condensation reactions

Complexes of tridentate ligands containing oxime, imine and amine donor groups have been prepared both by complexation of the preformed ligands and by condensation reactions between added dionemonoxime ligands and coordinated amine ligands. Higher yields of the bis(tridentate) complexes result from the former method, while the latter method produces other complexes that may prove synthetically useful as well. Many of the complexes have been characterised by X-ray crystallographic techniques.