Salen is the abbreviation for a popular chelating ligand used in coordination chemistry and homogeneous catalysis. The name salen is a contraction for salicylaldehyde and ethylenediamine. The ligand is a bright yellow micaceous solid that is soluble in polar organic solvents.
Nomenclature
The diphenol H2salen is the conjugate acid of the ligand that logically is salen2-. But the terminology is used loosely. As an anionic tetradendate ligand, salen2- resembles tetradentate ligands including those that are macrocyclic, such as porphyrinate, corrin, bis(dimethylglyoximate), and some Schiff bases.
Preparation
SalenH2 is commercially available. It was first prepared by Pfeiffer.[1] It is often generated in situ followed by the addition of the metal salt, but the ligand is also easily prepared as a pure organic compound by the condensation of ethylenediamine and salicylaldehyde.[2]
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