Syntheses are described for the blue/purple complexes of cobalt(II) chloride with the tetra-dentate ligands 1,4-bis-[2-(pyridin-2-yl)eth-yl]piperazine (Ppz), 1,4-bis-[2-(pyridin-2-yl)eth-yl]homopiperazine (Phpz),
-2,5-dimethyl-1,4-bis-[2-(pyridin-2-yl)eth-yl]piperazine (Pdmpz) and tridentate 4-methyl-1-[2-(pyridin-2-yl)eth-yl]homopiperazine (Pmhpz). The CoCl
complexes with Ppz, namely, {μ-1,4-bis-[2-(pyridin-2-yl)eth-yl]piperazine}bis-[di-chlorido-cobalt(II)], [Co
Cl
(C
H
N
)] or Co
(Ppz)Cl
, and Pdmpz (structure not reported as X-ray quality crystals were not obtained), are shown to be dinuclear, with the ligands bridging the two tetra-hedrally coordinated CoCl
units. Co
(Ppz)Cl
and {di-chlorido-{4-methyl-1-[2-(pyridin-2-yl)eth-yl]-1,4-di-aza-cyclo-hepta-ne}cobalt(II) [CoCl
(C
H
N
)] or Co(Pmhpz)Cl
, crystallize in the monoclinic space group
2
/
, while crystals of the penta-coordinate mono-chloro chelate 1,4-bis-[2-(pyr-id-in-2-yl)eth-yl]piperazine}chlorido-cobalt(II) perchlorate, [CoCl(C
H
N
)]ClO
or [Co(Ppz)Cl]ClO
, are also monoclinic (
2
). The complex {1,4-bis-[2-(pyridin-2-yl)eth-yl]-1,4-di-aza-cyclo-hepta-ne}di-chlorido-cobalt(II) [CoCl
(C
H
N
)] or Co(Phpz)Cl
(
) is mononuclear, with a penta-coordinated Co
ion, and entails a Phpz ligand acting in a tridentate fashion, with one of the pyridyl moieties dangling and non-coordinated; its displacement by Cl
is attributed to the solvophobicity of Cl
toward MeOH. The penta-coordinate Co atoms in Co(Phpz)Cl
, [Co(Ppz)Cl]
and Co(Pmhpz)Cl
have substantial trigonal-bipyramidal character in their stereochemistry. Visible- and near-infrared-region electronic spectra are used to differentiate the two types of coordination spheres. TDDFT calculations suggest that the visible/NIR region transitions contain contributions from MLCT and LMCT character, as well as their expected
nature. For Co(Pmhpz)Cl
and Co(Phpz)Cl
, variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility data were obtained, and the observed decreases in moment with decreasing temperature were modelled with a zero-field-splitting approach, the
values being +28 and +39 cm
, respectively, with the
= 1/2 state at lower energy.