Diamagnetic molybdenum nitride complexes supported by diligating tripodal triamido-phosphine ligands as precursors to paramagnetic phosphine donors.

The reaction of the ligand precursors P[CH2NHAr(R)]3 () with (Me2N)3Mo[triple bond, length as m-dash]N generated the complexes P(CH2NAr(R))3Mo[triple bond, length as m-dash]N (), where Ar(R) = 3,5-(CH3)2C6H3 (), Ph (), and 3,5-(CF3)2C6H3 (), with (Me2N)3Mo[triple bond, length as m-dash]N generated the complexes P(CH2NAr(R))3Mo[triple bond, length as m-dash]N (). Complex was obtained in poor yield, due to the formation of P(CH2N-3,5-(CF3)2C6H3)2(CH2NH-3,5-(CF3)2C6H3)(NMe2H)(NMe2)Mo[triple bond, length as m-dash]N () as the major product. Reaction of with VMes3THF generated the paramagnetic complexes P(CH2NAr(R))3Mo(µ-N)V(Mes)3 (). The reaction of with Ni(acac)2 generated the Ni(0) complexes Ni[P(CH2NAr(R))3Mo[triple bond, length as m-dash]N]4 () in poor yield. These complexes were synthesized in higher yields from the reaction of with Ni(COD)2, where COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene. Reaction of either with V(Mes)3THF or with Ni(COD)2 generated the paramagnetic nonanuclear complex Ni[P(CH2NAr(R))3Mo(µ-N)VMes3]4 ().

Imine hydrogenation by alkylaluminum catalysts.

Di-isobutylaluminum hydride and tri-iso-butylaluminum (DIBAL 1, TIBAL 2) are shown to be efficient hydrogenation catalysts for a variety of imines at 100 °C and 100 atm of H2, operating via a hydroalumination/hydrogenolysis mechanism.

C-H bond activation by radical ion pairs derived from R3P/Al(C6F5)3 frustrated Lewis pairs and N2O.

Al(C6F5)3/R3P [R = tert-butyl (tBu), mesityl (Mes), naphthyl (Nap)] frustrated Lewis pairs react with N2O to form species having the formula R3P(N2O)Al(C6F5)3, which react with additional alane to generate proposed frustrated radical ion pairs formulated as [R3P·][(µ-O·)(Al(C6F5)3)2] that can activate C-H bonds. For R = tBu, C-H activation of a tBu group affords [tBu2PMe(C(CH2)Me)][(µ-OH)(Al(C6F5)3)2]. In the case of R = Mes, the radical cation salt [Mes3P·][(µ-HO)(Al(C6F5)3)2] is isolated, while for R = Nap, the activation of toluene and bromobenzene gives [(Nap)3PCH2Ph][(µ-OH)(Al(C6F5)3)2] and [(Nap)3PC6H4Br][(µ-HO)(Al(C6F5)3)2], respectively.

Synthesis and chemistry of bis(triisopropylphosphine) nickel(I) and nickel(0) precursors.

High yield syntheses of ((i)Pr(3)P)(2)NiX (3a-c), (where X = Cl, Br, I) were established by comproportionation of ((i)Pr(3)P)(2)NiX(2) (1a-c) with ((i)Pr(3)P)(2)Ni(η(2)-C(2)H(4)) (2). Reaction of 1a with either NaH or LiHBEt(3) provided ((i)Pr(3)P)(2)NiHCl (4), along with 3a as a side-product. Reduction of ((i)Pr(3)P)(2)NiCl (3a-c) with Mg in presence of nitrogen saturated THF solutions provided the dinitrogen complex [((i)Pr(3)P)(2)Ni](2)(µ-η(1):η(1)-N(2)) (5). In aromatic solvents such as benzene and toluene a thermal equilibrium exists between 5 and the previously reported monophosphine solvent adducts ((i)Pr(3)P)Ni(η(6)-arene) (6a,b). Reaction of 5 with carbon dioxide provided ((i)Pr(3)P)(2)Ni(η(2)-CO(2)) (7). Thermolysis of 9 at 60 °C provided a mixture of products that included the reduction product ((i)Pr(3)P)(2)Ni(CO)(2) (8) along with (i)Pr(3)P=O, as identified by NMR spectroscopy. Complex 8 was also prepared in high yield from the reaction of 5 with CO. Reaction of 5 with CS(2) gave the dimeric carbon disulfide complex [((i)Pr(3)P)Ni(µ-η(1):η(2)-CS(2))](2) (9). Diphenylphosphine reacts with 5 to form the dinuclear Ni(I) complex [((i)Pr(3)P)Ni(µ(2)-PPh(2))](2) (10). Complex 5 reacts with PhSH to form ((i)Pr(3)P)(2)Ni(SPh)(H) (11), which slowly loses H(2) and (i)Pr(3)P to form the dimeric Ni(I) complex [((i)Pr(3)P)Ni(µ(2)-SPh)](2) (12) at room temperature. Complex 12 was also accessed by salt metathesis from the reaction of ((i)Pr(3)P)(2)NiCl (3a) with PhSLi, which demonstrates the utility of 3a as a Ni(I) precursor. With the exception of 6a,b, all compounds were structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography.

Activation of hydrogen and hydrogenation catalysis by a borenium cation.

The readily prepared borenium salt [(IiPr(2))(BC(8)H(14))][B(C(6)F(5))(4)] (2) [IiPr(2) = C(3)H(2)(NiPr)(2)] is shown to activate H(2) heterolytically in the presence of tBu(3)P. Compound 2 also acts as a catalyst for the metal-free hydrogenation of imines and enamines at room temperature.

A mechanistic investigation of carbon-hydrogen bond stannylation: synthesis and characterization of nickel catalysts.

The complex ((i)Pr(3)P)Ni(η(2)-Bu(3)SnCH=CH(2))(2) (1a) was characterized by NMR spectroscopy and was identified as the active species for catalytic C-H bond stannylation of partially fluorinated aromatics, for example in the reaction between pentafluorobenzene and Bu(3)SnCH=CH(2), which generates C(6)F(5)SnBu(3) and ethylene. The crystalline complex ((i)Pr(3)P)Ni(η(2)-Ph(3)SnCH=CH(2))(2) (1b) provides a more easily handled analogue, and is also capable of catalytic stannylation with added Ph(3)SnCH=CH(2) and C(6)F(5)H. Mechanistic studies on 1b show that the catalytically active species remains mononuclear. The rate of catalytic stannylation is proportional to [C(6)F(5)H] and inversely proportional to [Ph(3)SnCH=CH(2)]. This is consistent with a mechanism where reversible Ph(3)SnCH=CH(2) dissociation provides ((i)Pr(3)P)Ni(η(2)-Ph(3)SnCH=CH(2)), followed by a rate-determining reaction with C(6)F(5)H to generate the stannylation products. Kinetic competition reactions between the fluorinated aromatics pentafluorobenzene, 1,2,4,5-tetrafluorobenzene, 1,2,3,5-tetrafluorobenzene, 1,2,4-trifluorobenzene, 1,3,5-trifluorobenzene and 1,3-difluorobenzene all suggest significant Ni-aryl bond formation in the rate-determining step under catalytic conditions. Labelling studies are consistent with an insertion of the hydrogen of the arene into the vinyl group, followed by ß-elimination or ß-abstraction of the SnPh(3) moiety.

Catalytic C-H bond stannylation: a new regioselective pathway to C-Sn bonds via C-H bond functionalization.

The ubiquitous Stille coupling reaction utilizes Sn-C bonds and is of great utility to organic chemists. Unlike the B-C bonds used in the Miyaura-Suzuki coupling reaction, which are readily obtained via direct borylation of C-H bonds, routes to organotin compounds via direct C-H bond functionalization are lacking. Here we report that the nickel-catalyzed reaction of fluorinated arenes and pyridines with vinyl stannanes does not provide the expected vinyl compounds via C-F activation but rather provides new Sn-C bonds via C-H functionalization with the loss of ethylene. This mechanism provides a new unanticipated methodology for the direct conversion of C-H bonds to carbon-heteroatom bonds.

Assembly of triangular trimetallic complexes by triamidophosphine ligands: spin-frustrated Mn2+ plaquettes and diamagnetic Mg2+ analogues with a combined through-space, through-bond pathway for 31P-31P spin-spin coupling.

The reactions of 2 equiv of the ligand precursor P(CH2NHPh)3 or P[CH2NH-3,5-(CF3)2C6H3]3 with 3 equiv of Mn[N(SiMe3)2]2 provide high-yielding routes to the triangular trinuclear Mn(II) complexes [P(CH2NPh)3]2Mn3(THF)3.1.5THF and [P(CH2N-3,5-(CF3)2C6H3)3]2Mn3(THF)3. The solid-state structures of these paramagnetic complexes have approximate C3 symmetry. The magnetic moments from 300 to 1.8 K could be fit as a magnetic Jahn-Teller distorted isosceles triangle. These complexes exhibit spin frustration and possess an S = 1/2 ground state, as revealed by a plot of magnetization versus field at 1.8 K; at fields above 3.8 T, the occupation of an excited state with S = 3/2 becomes significant. The diamagnetic magnesium analogues were prepared by the reaction of the ligand precursor P(CH2NHPh)3, P[CH2NH-3,5-(CF3)2C6H3]3, or P(CH2NH-3,5-Me2C6H3)3 with nBu2Mg. The solid-state structures of [P(CH2NPh)3]2Mg3(THF)3.1.5THF and [P(CH2N-3,5-(CF3)2C6H3)3]2Mg3(THF)3 were determined. Solution 1H NMR spectroscopy was used to demonstrate that the solid-state structures are maintained in solution. The aryl group of the terminal amido donor exhibits slow rotation on the NMR time scale, and this was found to be an electronic effect. Solution 31P{1H} NMR spectroscopy revealed an unexpected 15 Hz coupling between phosphorus nuclei in these complexes. Calculations on a model complex using density functional theory demonstrates that this coupling occurs via a combined through-space, through-bond pathway.