S,O or S,N Coordination? Unraveling the Coordination Modes of Arenesulfonylthiourea Ligands

Two arenesulfonylthioureas were prepared and reacted with a variety of transition-metal salts, including Ni(OAc)2, Co(OAc)2, Cu(OAc)2, CuCl2, AgNO3, and Zn(OAc)2. In all cases, complexes containing the arenesulfonylthioureas acting as monoanionic [S,N]-chelating ligands were isolated and characterized by X-ray diffraction, NMR spectroscopy, and magnetic measurements. Copper(I) and silver(I) complexes exist as hexanuclear [M6L6] clusters, which are luminescent in the solid state and solution.