Understanding the factors affecting the activation of alkane by Cp'Rh(CO)2 (Cp' = Cp or Cp*).

Fast time-resolved infrared spectroscopic measurements have allowed precise determination of the rates of activation of alkanes by Cp'Rh(CO) (Cp(') = Î·(5)-C(5)H(5) or η(5)-C(5)Me(5)). We have monitored the kinetics of C─H activation in solution at room temperature and determined how the change in rate of oxidative cleavage varies from methane to decane. The lifetime of CpRh(CO)(alkane) shows a nearly linear behavior with respect to the length of the alkane chain, whereas the related Cp*Rh(CO)(alkane) has clear oscillatory behavior upon changing the alkane. Coupled cluster and density functional theory calculations on these complexes, transition states, and intermediates provide the insight into the mechanism and barriers in order to develop a kinetic simulation of the experimental results. The observed behavior is a subtle interplay between the rates of activation and migration. Unexpectedly, the calculations predict that the most rapid process in these Cp'Rh(CO)(alkane) systems is the 1,3-migration along the alkane chain. The linear behavior in the observed lifetime of CpRh(CO)(alkane) results from a mechanism in which the next most rapid process is the activation of primary C─H bonds (─CH(3) groups), while the third key step in this system is 1,2-migration with a slightly slower rate. The oscillatory behavior in the lifetime of Cp*Rh(CO)(alkane) with respect to the alkane's chain length follows from subtle interplay between more rapid migrations and less rapid primary C─H activation, with respect to CpRh(CO)(alkane), especially when the CH(3) group is near a gauche turn. This interplay results in the activation being controlled by the percentage of alkane conformers.

A systematic approach to the generation of long-lived metal alkane complexes: combined IR and NMR study of (Tp)Re(CO)2(cyclopentane).

Short wavelength photolysis of (Tp)Re(CO)(3) (Tp = tris(pyrazol-1-yl)borate) at low-temperature in cyclopentane yielded (Tp)Re(CO)(2)(cyclopentane), an alkane complex with three nitrogen ligands that was characterised by NMR spectroscopy.

Time-resolved infrared (TRIR) study on the formation and reactivity of organometallic methane and ethane complexes in room temperature solution.

We have used fast time-resolved infrared spectroscopy to characterize a series of organometallic methane and ethane complexes in solution at room temperature: W(CO)5(CH4) and M(eta5-C5R5)(CO)2(L) [where M = Mn or Re, R = H or CH3 (Re only); and L = CH4 or C2H6]. In all cases, the methane complexes are found to be short-lived and significantly more reactive than the analogous n-heptane complexes. Re(Cp)(CO)2(CH4) and Re(Cp*)(CO)2(L) [Cp* = eta5-C5(CH3)(5) and L = CH4, C2H6] were found to be in rapid equilibrium with the alkyl hydride complexes. In the presence of CO, both alkane and alkyl hydride complexes decay at the same rate. We have used picosecond time-resolved infrared spectroscopy to directly monitor the photolysis of Re(Cp*)(CO)3 in scCH4 and demonstrated that the initially generated Re(Cp*)(CO)2(CH4) forms an equilibrium mixture of Re(Cp*)(CO)2(CH4)/Re(Cp*)(CO)2(CH3)H within the first few nanoseconds (tau = 2 ns). The ratio of alkane to alkyl hydride complexes varies in the order Re(Cp)(CO)2(C2H6):Re(Cp)(CO)2(C2H5)H > Re(Cp*)(CO)2(C2H6):Re(Cp*)(CO)2(C2H5)H approximately equal to Re(Cp)(CO)2(CH4):Re(Cp)(CO)2(CH3)H > Re(Cp*)(CO)2(CH4):Re(Cp*)(CO)2(CH3)H. Activation parameters for the reactions of the organometallic methane and ethane complexes with CO have been measured, and the DeltaH++ values represent lower limits for the CH4 binding enthalpies to the metal center of W-CH4 (30 kJ.mol(-1)), Mn-CH4 (39 kJ.mol(-1)), and Re-CH4 (51 kJ.mol(-1)) bonds in W(CO)5(CH4), Mn(Cp)(CO)2(CH4), and Re(Cp)(CO)2(CH4), respectively.