Titanium "constrained geometry" complexes with pendant arene groups.

The synthesis of the proligands C(5)Me(4)HSiMe(2)N(H)R) (R = CMe(2)Ph 1, 2-C(6)H(4)Ph 2) was accomplished via a straightforward salt metathesis reaction of the appropriate lithium amide and ClSiMe(2)(C(5)Me(5)H). Generation of the dilithio salt and reaction with TiCl(3)·(THF)(3) followed by oxidation gave C(5)Me(4)SiMe(2)N(C(6)H(4)Ph)TiCl(2) (3) in low yield. In contrast, deprotonation of 1 and 2 and reaction with (Me(2)N)(2)TiCl(2) afforded C(5)Me(4)(SiMe(2)NR)Ti(NMe(2))(2) (R = CMe(2)Ph 4, 2-C(6)H(4)Ph 5), respectively, in good yields Treatment with MeI gave the analogs C(5)Me(4)(SiMe(2)NR)TiI(2) (R = CMe(2)Ph 6, 2-C(6)H(4)Ph 7). Reduction of 7 with potassium graphite afforded C(5)Me(4)(SiMe(2)NC(6)H(4)Ph)Ti 8. Treatment of 6 and 7 with MeMgBr afforded C(5)Me(4)(SiMe(2)NR)TiMe(2) (R = CMe(2)Ph 9, 2-C(6)H(4)Ph 10). Complexes 9 and 10 in combination with the activator [Ph(3)C][B(C(6)F(5))(4)] catalyzed the polymerization of styrene and ethylene. Copolymerization was also investigated. While the catalyst derived from 10 showed poor activity, compound 9 showed markedly higher activity than 10 and (C(5)Me(4))SiMe(2)(NtBu)]TiMe(2).

Ring-opening of cyclopropanes by "frustrated Lewis pairs".

Reactions of phosphine/borane frustrated Lewis pairs with cyclopropanes result in the ring opening, yielding phosphonium borate products.

Reactions of boron amidinates with CO2 and CO and other small molecules.

Reaction of Piers' borane, HB(C(6)F(5))(2), with either tert-butyl or isopropyl carbodiimide cleanly affords the boron amidinates HC(RN)(2)B(C(6)F(5))(2) [R = iPr (1), tBu (2)]. These species undergo a variety of insertion reactions. For example, treatment of 1 with CO(2) or excess carbodiimide gives HC(iPrN)(2)(CO(2))B(C(6)F(5))(2) (3) or HC(iPrN)(2)C(iPrN)(2)B(C(6)F(5))(2) (4), respectively. Similarly, exposure of 1 or 2 to 1 atm CO gives HC(RN)(2)(CO)B(C(6)F(5))(2) [R = iPr (5), tBu (6)], while reaction of 1 with CNtBu gives HC(RN)(2)(CNtBu)B(C(6)F(5))(2) [R = iPr (7), tBu (8)]. Compounds 1 and 2 also react with benzaldehyde, resulting in the formation of HC(RN)(2)(PhHCO)B(C(6)F(5))(2) [R = iPr (9), tBu (10)]. Compound 1 also reacts with MeCN to give HC(iPrN)(2)(MeCN)B(C(6)F(5))(2) (11) and effects heterolytic C-H cleavage to afford HC(iPrN)(iPrNH)(PhCC)B(C(6)F(5))(2) (12). In contrast, the species PhC(iPrN)(2)B(C(6)F(5))(2) (14) derived from PhC(iPrN)(2)BCl(2) (13) failed to react with any of the above substrates. These data, in addition to the isolation of HC(iPrN)(2)(C(6)F(4))BF(C(6)F(5)) (15), the product of thermolysis of 1, provide further support for the notion that the transient "open-chain" form of these amidinates is present in solution.

New strategies to phosphino-phosphonium cations and zwitterions.

By employing strategies based on frustrated Lewis pair chemistry, new routes to phosphino-phosphonium cations and zwitterions have been developed. B(C(6)F(5))(3) is shown to react with H(2) and P(2)tBu(4) to effect heterolytic hydrogen activation yielding the phosphino-phosphonium borate salt [(tBu(2)P)PHtBu(2)] [HB(C(6)F(5))(3)] (1). Alternatively, alkenylphosphino-phosphonium borate zwitterions are accessible by reaction of B(C(6)F(5))(3) and PhC[triple chemical bond]CH with P(2)Ph(4), P(4)Cy(4), or P(5)Ph(5) affording the species [(Ph(2)P)P(Ph)(2)C(Ph)=C(H)B(C(6)F(5))(3)] (2), [(P(3)Cy(3))P(Cy)C(Ph)=C(H)B(C(6)F(5))(3)] (3), and [(P(4)Ph(4))P(Ph)C(Ph)=C(H)B(C(6)F(5))(3)] (4). A related phosphino-phosphonium borate species-[(Ph(4)P(4))P(Ph)C(6)F(4)B(F)(C(6)F(5))(2)] (5) is also isolated from the thermolysis of B(C(6)F(5))(3) and P(5)Ph(5).

Heterolytic cleavage of disulfides by frustrated Lewis pairs.

The addition of diphenyl disulfide (PhSSPh) to tBu(2)P(C(6)F(4))B(C(6)F(5))(2) (1) affords the zwitterionic phosphonium borate [tBu(2)P(SPh)(C(6)F(4))B(SPh)(C(6)F(5))(2)] (2), while the addition of a base or donor solvent to 2 effected the liberation of disulfide and the formation of [tBu(2)P(C(6)F(4))B(donor)(C(6)F(5))(2)]. The reaction of 1 with S(8) gave tBu(2)P(S)(C(6)F(4))B(C(6)F(5))(2) (3). In a similar fashion, the frustrated Lewis pair of tBu(3)P/B(C(6)F(5))(3) reacts with RSSR to give [tBu(3)P(SR)][(RS)B(C(6)F(5))(3)] (R = Ph (4), p-tolyl (5), iPr (6)). In contrast, the corresponding reaction of BnSSBn yields a 1:1:1 mixture of tBu(3)P horizontal lineS, Bn(2)S, and B(C(6)F(5))(3). Species 4 reacts with p-tolylSSp-tolyl to give a mixture of 4, 5, PhSSPh, and p-tolylSS p-tolyl, while treatment of 5 with PhSSPh afforded a similar mixture. To probe this, a crossover experiment between [tBu(3)P(SPh)][B(C(6)F(5))(4)] (7) and [NBu(4)][(p-tolylS)B(C(6)F(5))(3)] (9) was performed. The former species was prepared by a reaction of 4 with [Ph(3)C][B(C(6)F(5)) (4)], while cation exchange of [(Et(2)O)(2)Li( p-tolylS)B(C(6)F(5))(3)] (8) with [NBu(4)]Br gave 9. The reaction of compounds 7 and 9 gave a statistical mixture of the cations [tBu(3)P(SR)](+) and anions [(RS)B(C(6)F(5))(3)](-), R = Ph, Sp-tolyl. The mechanism of this exchange process was probed and is proposed to be an equilibrium involving disulfide and the frustrated Lewis pair. Crystallographic data are reported for compounds 4-8, and the natures of the P-S cations are examined via DFT calculations.

Terminal alkyne activation by frustrated and classical Lewis acid/phosphine pairs.

Frustrated and classical Lewis pairs arising from combinations of Lewis acids and phosphines react with terminal alkynes either via C-H activation forming an alkynylborate salt or by addition to alkyne giving a zwitterionic phosphonium borate.

Reactions of phosphines with electron deficient boranes.

A series of classical B(C(6)F(5))(3)-phosphine adducts are shown to be reactive molecules. Reaction of (THF)B(C(6)F(5))(3) with phosphines are shown to effect ring-opening of THF affording the zwitterionic phosphonium-borate species of the form R(2)PH(C(4)H(8)O)B(C(6)F(5))(3) and R(3)P(C(4)H(8)O)B(C(6)F(5))(3). Alternatively, treatment of (THF)B(C(6)F(5))(3) with a lithium phosphide (R(2)PLi, R = tBu, Ph Mes) affords species of the form [Li(THF)(x)][R(2)P(C(4)H(8)O)B(C(6)F(5))(3)]. Additionally, double THF ring-opening is also demonstrated to give species of the form [Li(THF)(x)][R(2)P(C(4)H(8)OB(C(6)F(5))(3))(2)]. In addition a series of classical borane-phosphine adducts are also shown to undergo thermal rearrangement reactions to give the zwitterionic products of aromatic substitution R(2)PH(C(6)F(4))BF(C(6)F(5))(2) and R(3)P(C(6)F(4))BF(C(6)F(5))(2). The mechanism of these substitutions is considered. A series of crystallographic studies of phosphine-borane adducts, THF ring-opened zwitterions and para-attack zwitterionic phosphonium borates are reported and discussed.

B-H activation by frustrated Lewis pairs: borenium or boryl phosphonium cation?

Catechol borane reacts with the frustrated Lewis pairs tBu2RP (R = tBu, 2-C6H4(C6H5)) and B(C6F5)3 to give the species [(C6H4O2)BPtBu2R][HB(C6F5)3] that can formally be described as either borenium cation or boryl-phosphonium salts; the nature of these species was probed with DFT calculations.

Biphenylamide ligand complexes of Li and Al: hemilabile arene donors?

Biphenylamide ligands were employed to prepare a series of Li and Al derivatives in which the ligand binds through N. Such species include: (2-C(6)H(4)Ph)Bu(t)NLi (3), (2-C(6)H(4)Ph)Bu(t)NLi(THF)(2) (4), (2-C(6)H(4)Ph)Bu(t)NLi.OEt(2) (5), [(mu-(2-C(6)H(4)Ph)(2)N)Li](2) (6), (2-C(6)H(4)Ph)(2)NLi(THF)(2) (7), (2-C(6)H(4)Ph)(2)NLi.OEt(2) (8) amd (2-C(6)H(4)Ph)(2)NAlX(2) (X = Cl (9), Me (10), Et (11)). Structural and spectroscopic data show that these species exhibit weak arene to metal donation. This donor is hemilabile being readily displaced by other stronger donors to give such species as (2-C(6)H(4)Ph)(2)NAlMe(2)(THF) (12) and (2-C(6)H(4)Ph)(2)NAlMe(2)(CH(2)PPh(3)) (13). Reactions of 10 with B(C(6)F(5))(3) results in methyl for C(6)F(5) exchange and isolation of (2-C(6)H(4)Ph)(2)NAl(C(6)F(5))(2) (14). The presence the electron withdrawing groups in 14 further strengthens the hemilabile interaction.