A Low-Valent Iron Imido Heterocubane Cluster: Reversible Electron Transfer and Catalysis of Selective C-C Couplings.

Enzymes and cofactors with iron-sulfur heterocubane core structures, [Fe4 S4 ], are often found in nature as electron transfer reagents in fundamental catalytic transformations. An artificial heterocubane with a [Fe4 N4 ] core is reported that can reversibly store up to four electrons at very negative potentials. The neutral [Fe4 N4 ] and the singly reduced low-valent [Fe4 N4 ](-) heterocubanes were isolated and fully characterized. The low-valent species bears one unpaired electron, which is localized predominantly at one iron center in the electronic ground state but fluctuates with increasing temperatures. The electrons stored or released by the [Fe4 N4 ]/[Fe4 N4 ](-) redox couple can be used in reductive or oxidative CC couplings and even allow catalytic one-pot reactions, which show a remarkably enhanced selectivity in the presence of the [Fe4 N4 ] heterocubanes.

Biomimetic [2Fe-2S] clusters with extensively delocalized mixed-valence iron centers.

A complete series of biomimetic [2Fe-2S] clusters, [(L(Dep) Fe)2 (µ-S)2 ] (3, L(Dep) =CH[CMeN(2,6-Et2 C6 H3 )]2 ), [(L(Dep) Fe)2 (µ-S)2 K] (4), [(L(Dep) Fe)2 (µ-S)2 ][Bu4 N] (5, Bu=n-butyl), and [(L(Dep) Fe)2 (µ-S)2 K2 ] (6), could be synthesized and characterized. The all-ferric [2Fe-2S] cluster 3 is readily accessible through the reaction of [(L(Dep) Fe)2 (µ-H)2 ] (2) with elemental sulfur. The chemical reduction of 3 with one molar equivalent of elemental potassium affords the contact ion pair K(+) [2Fe-2S](-) (4) as a one-dimensional coordination polymer, which in turn reacts with [Bu4 N]Cl to afford the separate ion pair [Bu4 N](+) [2Fe-2S](-) (5). Further reduction of 4 with potassium furnishes the super-reduced all-ferrous [2Fe-2S] cluster 6. Remarkably, complexes 4 and 5 are [2Fe-2S] clusters with extensively delocalized Fe(2+) Fe(3+) pairs as evidenced by (57) Fe Mössbauer, X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy (XAS, XES) and in accordance with DFT calculations.

Reactivity of an All-Ferrous Iron-Nitrogen Heterocubane under Reductive and Oxidative Conditions.

The reactivity of the all-ferrous FeN heterocubane [Fe4 (Ntrop)4 ] (1) with i) Brønsted acids, ii) σ-donors, iii) σ-donors/π-acceptors, and iv) one-electron oxidants has been investigated (trop = 5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclo-hepten-5-yl). 1 showed self-re-assembling after reactions with i) and proved surprisingly inert in reactions with ii) and iii), with the exception of CO. Reductive and oxidative cluster degradation was observed in reactions with CO and TEMPO, respectively. These reactions yielded new cluster compounds, namely a trinuclear bis(µ3 -imido) 48 electron complex in the former case and a tetranuclear all ferric µ-oxo-µ-imido species in the latter case. Characterization techniques include NMR and in situ IR spectroscopy, single crystal X-ray analysis, Mössbauer spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, magnetic susceptibility measurements, and DFT calculations.

Reductive cleavage of P4 by iron(I) centres: synthesis and structural characterisation of Fe2(P2)2 complexes with two bridging P2(2-) ligands.

The selective transformation of white phosphorus with a ß-diketiminato iron(I) toluene complex under mild reaction conditions is reported which furnishes a new dinuclear iron(III) Fe2(P2)2 complex with two bridging P2(2-) ligands. Its reduction with potassium results in the formation of the first delocalised mixed-valent bis-diphosphido iron(II,III) complex which is isostructural with the neutral Fe2P4 precursor.

Low-valent iron(i) amido olefin complexes as promotors for dehydrogenation reactions.

Fe(I) compounds including hydrogenases show remarkable properties and reactivities. Several iron(I) complexes have been established in stoichiometric reactions as model compounds for N2 or CO2 activation. The development of well-defined iron(I) complexes for catalytic transformations remains a challenge. The few examples include cross-coupling reactions, hydrogenations of terminal olefins, and azide functionalizations. Here the syntheses and properties of bimetallic complexes [MFe(I) (trop2 dae)(solv)] (M=Na, solv=3 thf; M=Li, solv=2 Et2 O; trop=5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclo-hepten-5-yl, dae=(N-CH2 -CH2 -N) with a d(7) Fe low-spin valence-electron configuration are reported. Both compounds promote the dehydrogenation of N,N-dimethylaminoborane, and the former is a precatalyst for the dehydrogenative alcoholysis of silanes. No indications for heterogeneous catalyses were found. High activities and complete conversions were observed particularly with [NaFe(I) (trop2 dae)(thf)3 ].

Fe(iv) alkylidenes via protonation of Fe(ii) vinyl chelates and a comparative Mössbauer spectroscopic study.

Treatment of cis-Me2Fe(PMe3)4 with di-1,2-(E-2-(pyridin-2-yl)vinyl)benzene ((bdvp)H2), a tetradentate ligand precursor, afforded (bdvp)Fe(PMe3)2 (1-PMe3) and 2 equiv. CH4, via C-H bond activation. Similar treatments with tridentate ligand precursors PhCH[double bond, length as m-dash]NCH2(E-CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CHPh) ((pipp)H2) and PhCH[double bond, length as m-dash]N(2-CCMe-Ph) ((pipa)H) under dinitrogen provided trans-(pipp)Fe(PMe3)2N2 (2) and trans-(pipvd)Fe(PMe3)2N2 (3), respectively; the latter via one C-H bond activation, and a subsequent insertion of the alkyne into the remaining Fe-Me bond. All three Fe(ii) vinyl species were protonated with H[BArF 4] to form the corresponding Fe(iv) alkylidene cations, [(bavp)Fe(PMe3)2][BArF 4] (4-PMe3), [(piap)Fe(PMe3)3][BArF 4] (5), and [(pipad)Fe(PMe3)3][BArF 4] (6). Mössbauer spectroscopic measurements on the formally Fe(ii) and Fe(iv) derivatives revealed isomer shifts within 0.1 mm s-1, reflecting the similarity in their bond distances.

A neutral tetraphosphacyclobutadiene ligand in cobalt(I) complexes.

The unusual reactivity of the newly synthesized ß-diketiminato cobalt(I) complexes, [(L(Dep)Co)2] (2 a, L(Dep)=CH[C(Me)N(2,6-Et2C6H3)]2) and [L(Dipp)Co⋅toluene] (2 b, L(Dipp)=CH[CHN(2,6-(i)Pr2C6H3)]2), toward white phosphorus was investigated, affording the first cobalt(I) complexes [(L(Dep)Co)2(µ2:η(4),η(4)-P4)] (3 a) and [(L(Dipp)Co)2(µ2:η(4),η(4)-P4)] (3 b) bearing the neutral cyclo-P4 ligand with a rectangular-planar structure. The redox chemistry of 3 a and 3 b was studied by cyclic voltammetry and their chemical reduction with one molar equivalent of potassium graphite led to the isolation of [(L(Dep)Co)2(µ2:η(4),η(4)-P4)][K(dme)4] (4 a) and [(L(Dipp)Co)2(µ2:η(4),η(4)-P4)][K(dme)4] (4 b). Unexpectedly, the monoanionic Co2P4 core in 4 a and 4 b, respectively, contains the two-electron-reduced cyclo-P4(2-) ligand with a square-planar structure and mixed-valent cobalt(I,II) sites. The electronic structures of 3 a, 3 b, 4 a, and 4 b were elucidated by NMR and EPR spectroscopy as well as magnetic measurements and are in agreement with results of broken-symmetry DFT calculations.

Reusable oxidation catalysis using metal-monocatecholato species in a robust metal-organic framework.

An isolated metal-monocatecholato moiety has been achieved in a highly robust metal-organic framework (MOF) by two fundamentally different postsynthetic strategies: postsynthetic deprotection (PSD) and postsynthetic exchange (PSE). Compared with PSD, PSE proved to be a more facile and efficient functionalization approach to access MOFs that could not be directly synthesized under solvothermal conditions. Metalation of the catechol functionality residing in the MOFs resulted in unprecedented Fe-monocatecholato and Cr-monocatecholato species, which were characterized by X-ray absorption spectroscopy, X-band electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and (57)Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. The resulting materials are among the first examples of Zr(IV)-based UiO MOFs (UiO = University of Oslo) with coordinatively unsaturated active metal centers. Importantly, the Cr-metalated MOFs are active and efficient catalysts for the oxidation of alcohols to ketones using a wide range of substrates. Catalysis could be achieved with very low metal loadings (0.5-1 mol %). Unlike zeolite-supported, Cr-exchange oxidation catalysts, the MOF-based catalysts reported here are completely recyclable and reusable, which may make them attractive catalysts for 'green' chemistry processes.

Synthesis and characterization of iron trisphenolate complexes with hydrogen-bonding cavities.

A new family of C3-symmetric ligands, featuring phenolate donors and a secondary coordination sphere, have been synthesized. We report the synthesis and subsequent coordination chemistry of these new tripodal N-anchored tris(phenolate) chelates, [tris(5-tert-butyl-3-N-carboxamide-2-hydroxybenzyl)amines] (H3(R)SalAmi), to iron(II), iron(III), and zinc(II). These electron-rich complexes have intramolecular hydrogen bonds, and therefore the potential to stabilize biologically relevant substrates in small-molecule activation chemistry.

Synthesis and characterization of divalent manganese, iron, and cobalt complexes in tripodal phenolate/N-heterocyclic carbene ligand environments.

Two novel tripodal ligands, (BIMPN(Mes,Ad,Me))(-) and (MIMPN(Mes,Ad,Me))(2-), combining two types of donor atoms, namely, NHC and phenolate donors, were synthesized to complete the series of N-anchored ligands, ranging from chelating species with tris(carbene) to tris(phenolate) chelating arms. The complete ligand series offers a convenient way of tuning the electronic and steric environment around the metal center, thus, allowing for control of the complex's reactivity. This series of divalent complexes of Mn, Fe, and Co was synthesized and characterized by (1)H NMR, IR, and UV/vis spectroscopy as well as by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Variable-temperature SQUID magnetization measurements in the range from 2 to 300 K confirmed high-spin ground states for all divalent complexes and revealed a trend of increasing zero-field splitting |D| from Mn(II), to Fe(II), to Co(II) complexes. Zero-field (57)Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy of the Fe(II) complexes 3, 4, 8, and 11 shows isomer shifts δ that increase gradually as carbenes are substituted for phenolates in the series of ligands. From the single-crystal structure determinations of the complexes, the different steric demand of the ligands is evident. Particularly, the molecular structure of 1-in which a pyridine molecule is situated next to the Mn-Cl bond-and those of azide complexes 2, 4, and 6 demonstrate the flexibility of these mixed-ligand derivatives, which, in contrast to the corresponding symmetrical TIMEN(R) ligands, allow for side access of, e.g., organic substrates, to the reactive metal center.

One-pot synthesis of an Fe(II) bis-terpyridine complex with allosterically regulated electronic properties.

Herein we report the one-pot synthesis of Fe(II) bis-terpyridine complexes with two peripheral square-planar Pt(II) bis-phosphinoalkylthioether moieties. These novel structures, which exhibit allosterically controllable electronic properties, are made by taking advantage of two orthogonal and high-yielding reactions. The prototypical complex can be structurally regulated through the reversible abstraction and introduction of chloride ions to the Pt(II) centers. This moves the Fe(II) center and two Pt(II) metal centers into and out of communication with each other, causing changes in the electronic structure of the complex and its corresponding optical and redox properties. The start and end points of the allosterically regulated system have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and NMR, UV-vis, and (57)Fe Mößbauer spectroscopy.