Rydberg state mediated multiphoton ionization of (η7-C7H7)(η5-C5H5)Cr: DFT-supported experimental insights into the molecular and electronic structures of excited sandwich complexes.

The resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) of a mixed sandwich complex has been achieved for the first time when exciting (η7-C7H7)(η5-C5H5)Cr via the Rydberg 4pz state. The REMPI spectrum is indicative of unexpectedly small changes of the sandwich geometry on excitation. Time-dependent DFT calculations reveal fine effects of the ligand nature on the molecular and electronic structure variations accompanying electronic excitation. Different trends are predicted for the sandwich geometry transformations in the mixed sandwich complex and its symmetric isomer, (η6-C6H6)2Cr, both on Rydberg excitation and ionization.

Ansa-Complexes of [Mn(η(5) -C5 H5 )(η(6) -C6 H6 )]: Preparation, Characterization, and Reactivity of [n]Manganoarenophanes (n=1, 2, 3).

We report the synthesis of [n]manganoarenophanes (n=1, 2) featuring boron, silicon, germanium, and tin as ansa-bridging elements. Their preparation was achieved by salt-elimination reactions of the dilithiated precursor [Mn(η(5) -C5 H4 Li)(η(6) -C6 H5 Li)]⋅pmdta (pmdta=N,N,N',N',N''-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine) with corresponding element dichlorides. Besides characterization by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis, the identity of two single-atom-bridged derivatives, [Mn(η(5) -C5 H4 )(η(6) -C6 H5 )SntBu2 ] and [Mn(η(5) -C5 H4 )(η(6) -C6 H5 )SiPh2 ], could also be determined by X-ray structural analysis. We investigated for the first time the reactivity of these ansa-cyclopentadienyl-benzene manganese compounds. The reaction of the distannyl-bridged complex [Mn(η(5) -C5 H4 )(η(6) -C6 H5 )Sn2 tBu4 ] with elemental sulfur was shown to proceed through the expected oxidative addition of the Sn-Sn bond to give a triatomic ansa-bridge. The investigation of the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) capability of [Mn(η(5) -C5 H4 )(η(6) -C6 H5 )SntBu2 ] with [Pt(PEt3 )3 ] showed that an unexpected, unselective insertion into the Cipso -Sn bonds of [Mn(η(5) -C5 H4 )(η(6) -C6 H5 )SntBu2 ] had occurred.

Heteroleptic [n]chromoarenophanes: ansa complexes derived from [Cr(η(5)-C5H5)(η(6)-C6H6)].

The synthesis of ansa complexes has been studied intensively owing to their importance as homogeneous catalysts and as precursors of metal-containing polymers. However, paramagnetic non-metallocene derivatives are rare and have been limited to examples with vanadium and titanium. Herein, we report an efficient procedure for the selective dilithiation of paramagnetic sandwich complex [Cr(η(5)-C(5)H(5))(η(6)-C(6)H(6))], which allows the preparation of a series of [n]chromoarenophanes (n = 1, 2, 3) that feature silicon, germanium, and tin atoms at the bridging positions. The electronic and structural properties of these complexes were probed by X-ray diffraction analysis, cyclic voltammetry, and by UV/Vis and EPR spectroscopy. The spectroscopic parameters for the strained and less strained complexes (i.e., with multiple-atom linkers) indicate that the unpaired electron resides primarily in a d(z)2 orbital on chromium(I); this result was also supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We did not observe a correlation between the experimental UV/Vis and EPR data and the degree of molecular distortion in these ansa complexes. The treatment of tin-bridged complex [Cr(η(5)-C(5)H(4))(η(6)-C(6)H(5))SntBu(2)] with [Pt(PEt(3))(3)] results in the non-regioselective insertion of the low-valent Pt(0) fragment into the C(ipso)-Sn bonds in both the five- and six-membered rings, thereby furnishing a bimetallic complex. This observed reactivity suggests that ansa complexes of this type are promising starting materials for the synthesis of bimetallic complexes in general and also underline their potential to undergo ring-opening processes to yield new metal-containing polymers.

Syntheses of Group 4 ansa-trovacene complexes and conversion of [1]silatrovacenophanes into paramagnetic metallopolymers by ring-opening polymerization.

An improved protocol for the selective dilithiation of [V(η(5)-C(5)H(5))(η(7)-C(7)H(7))] has been developed, which afforded [V(η(5)-C(5)H(4)Li)(η(7)-C(7)H(6)Li)]·PMDTA (5; PMDTA=N,N,N',N'',N''-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine) in almost quantitative yield (98%). In the solid state, the species features a dimeric structure with two terminal and two bridging lithium atoms, with the latter connecting both sandwich subunits. Reaction with suitable Group 4 dihalide compounds enabled the isolation of highly strained silicon- and germanium-bridged [1]trovacenophanes 6 and 7. Similarly, reaction of 5 with Cl(2)Sn(2)tBu(4) afforded the rather unstrained complex [V(η(5)-C(5)H(4))(η(7)-C(7)H(6))Sn(2)tBu(4)] (8), which together with 7 represent the first trovacenophanes to incorporate heavier analogues of silicon in the ansa-bridge. Ring-opening polymerization reactions of [V(η(5)-C(5)H(4))(η(7)-C(7)H(6))SiRR'] (2a: R=R'=Me; 6: R=Me, R'=iPr) were performed by heating in a solution of toluene in the presence of the Karstedt catalyst, which resulted in the formation of the corresponding soluble poly(trovacenylsilanes) in yields of 41 and 33%, respectively. As estimated by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), the macromolecules possess molecular weights of M(n)=10,010 and 5580 g mol(-1) with polydispersity indices of 2.31 and 1.64 for 9 and 10, respectively. ESR spectroscopic studies on 9 and 10 revealed only a single broad resonance in each case without any identifiable (51)V hyperfine coupling.

Selective dilithiation of [Ti(η(5)-C5H5)(η(8)-C8H8)] and subsequent conversion into neutral and cationic ansa-complexes.

Selective dimetalation of a sandwich complex featuring the cyclooctatetraene ligand has been accomplished for the first time. The isolation of the dilithiated species 1 subsequently enabled the isolation of a paramagnetic [2]stannatitanoarenophane (2) via salt elimination reaction. Chemical oxidation resulted in the formation of a rare example of a cationic ansa-complex (3).

Synthesis and reactivity of boron-, silicon-, and tin-bridged ansa-cyclopentadienyl-cycloheptatrienyl titanium complexes (troticenophanes).

A novel one-pot method was developed for the preparation of [Ti(η(5)-C(5)H(5))(η(7)-C(7)H(7))] (troticene, 1) by reaction of sodium cyclopentadienide (NaCp) with [TiCl(4)(thf)(2)], followed by reduction of the intermediate [(η(5)-C(5)H(5))(2)TiCl(2)] with magnesium in the presence of cycloheptatriene (C(7)H(8)). The [n]troticenophanes 3 (n=1), 4, 8, 10 (n=2), and 11 (n=3) were synthesized by salt elimination reactions between dilithiated troticene, [Ti(η(5)-C(5)H(4)Li)(η(7)-C(7)H(6)Li)]⋅pmdta (2) (pmdta = N,N',N',N'',N''-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine), and the appropriate organoelement dichlorides Cl(2)Sn(Mes)(2) (Mes = 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl), Cl(2)Sn(2)(tBu)(4), Cl(2)B(2)(NMe(2))(2), Cl(2)Si(2)Me(4), and (ClSiMe(2))(2)CH(2), respectively. Their structural characterization was carried out by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. The stanna[1]- and stanna[2]troticenophanes 3 and 4 represent the first heteroleptic sandwich complexes bearing Sn atoms in the ansa bridge. The reaction of 3 with [Pt(PEt(3))(3)] resulted in regioselective insertion of the [Pt(PEt(3))(2)] fragment into the Sn-C(ipso) bond between the tin atom and the seven-membered ring, which afforded the platinastanna[2]troticenophane 5. Oxidative addition was also observed upon treatment of 4 with elemental sulfur or selenium, to produce the [3]troticenophanes [Ti(η(5)-C(5)H(4)SntBu(2))(η(7)-C(7)H(6)SntBu(2))E] (6: E=S; 7: E=Se). The B-B bond of the bora[2]troticenophane 8 was readily cleaved by reaction with [Pt(PEt(3))(3)] to form the corresponding oxidative addition product [Ti(η(5)-C(5)H(4)BNMe(2))(η(7)-C(7)H(6)BNMe(2))Pt(PEt(3))(2)] (9). The solid-state structures of compounds 5, 6, and 9 were also determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.