ABSTRACT
Chemists have spent over a hundred years trying to make ambient temperature/pressure catalytic systems that can convert atmospheric dinitrogen into ammonia or directly into amines. A handful of successful d-block metal catalysts have been developed in recent years, but even binding of dinitrogen to an f-block metal cation is extremely rare. Here we report f-block complexes that can catalyse the reduction and functionalization of molecular dinitrogen, including the catalytic conversion of molecular dinitrogen to a secondary silylamine. Simple bridging ligands assemble two actinide metal cations into narrow dinuclear metallacycles that can trap the diatom while electrons from an externally bound group 1 metal, and protons or silanes, are added, enabling dinitrogen to be functionalized with modest but catalytic yields of six equivalents of secondary silylamine per molecule at ambient temperature and pressure.
ABSTRACT
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
ABSTRACT
The dinuclear SmII complex, [Sm2L4(dme)] (L = OSi(OtBu)3), is easily obtained from the protonolysis reaction of [Sm{N(SiMe3)2}(thf)2] with HOSi(OtBu)3. This complex reacts slowly with toluene, resulting in the isolation of the triple-decker arene-bridged SmII complex, [{Sm2L3}2(µ-η6:η6-C7H8)], in 44% yield. This reactivity provides the first example of unambiguous arene reduction by an isolated SmII species. In contrast, reduction of [SmL3]2 afforded the inverse sandwich complex, [{KSmL3}2(µ-η6:η6-C7H8)].
ABSTRACT
Herein, we report the synthesis and characterisation of the first terminal uranium(v) sulfide and a related UV trithiocarbonate complex supported by sterically demanding tris(tert-butoxy)siloxide ligands. The reaction of the potassium-bound UV imido complex, [U(NAd){OSi(OtBu)3}4K] (4), with CS2 led to the isolation of perthiodicarbonate [K(18c6)]2[C2S6] (6), with concomitant formation of the UIV complex, [U{OSi(OtBu)3}4], and S[double bond, length as m-dash]C[double bond, length as m-dash]NAd. In contrast, the reaction of the UV imido complex, [K(2.2.2-cryptand)][U(NAd){OSi(OtBu)3}4] (5), with one or two equivalents of CS2 afforded the trithiocarbonate complex, [K(2.2.2-cryptand)][U(CS3){OSi(OtBu)3}4] (7), which was isolated in 57% yield, with concomitant elimination of the admantyl thiocyanate product, S[double bond, length as m-dash]C[double bond, length as m-dash]NAd. Complex 7 is likely formed by fast nucleophilic addition of a UV terminal sulfide intermediate, resulting from the slow metathesis reaction of the imido complex with CS2, to a second CS2 molecule. The addition of a solution of H2S in thf (1.3 eq.) to 4 afforded the first isolable UV terminal sulfide complex, [K(2.2.2-cryptand)][US{OSi(OtBu)3}4] (8), in 41% yield. Based on DFT calculations, triple-bond character with a strong covalent interaction is suggested for the U-S bond in complex 7.
ABSTRACT
Organometallic multi-decker sandwich complexes containing f-elements remain rare, despite their attractive magnetic and electronic properties. The reduction of the CeIII siloxide complex, [KCeL4 ] (1; L=OSi(OtBu)3 ), with excess potassium in a THF/toluene mixture afforded a quadruple-decker arene-bridged complex, [K(2.2.2-crypt)]2 [{(KL3 Ce)(µ-η6 :η6 -C7 H8 )}2 Ce] (3). The structure of 3 features a [Ce(C7 H8 )2 ] sandwich capped by [KL3 Ce] moieties with a linear arrangement of the Ce ions. Structural parameters, UV/Vis/NIR data, and DFT studies indicate the presence of CeII ions involved in δ bonding between the Ce cations and toluene dianions. Complex 3 is a rare lanthanide multi-decker complex and the first containing non-classical divalent lanthanide ions. Moreover, oxidation of 1 by AgOTf (OTf=O3 SCF3 ) yielded the CeIV complex, [CeL4 ] (2), showing that siloxide ligands can stabilize Ce in three oxidation states.
ABSTRACT
Interesting reactivity was observed in reactions of SO2 with [Zn(Cp*)2] and [(Cp*)ZnI-ZnI(Cp*)]. These reactions proceeded with insertion of SO2 into the Zn-C bonds. Spectacularly, the lability of the C-S bond in the O2SCp* ligands led to the thermal decomposition of [Zn(O2SCp*)2(tmeda)] to afford [Zn2(µ-SO3)(µ-S2O4)(tmeda)2].
ABSTRACT
OH functionalized triarylphosphines were used to assemble zirconocene-based metalloligands with phosphine donor sites in varying positions. These complexes were subsequently treated with different gold precursors to obtain early-late heterometallic compounds in which the metal atoms exhibit different intermetallic distances. All compounds were fully investigated by spectroscopic techniques, photoluminescence measurements and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Quantum chemical calculations were also performed. Some compounds show bright emission even at room temperature with quantum yields of up to 19 % (excitation at 350â nm). Furthermore, the reactivity of dimethyl zirconocene derivatives towards gold complexes was investigated, revealing simultaneous ligand exchange and transmetallation reactions.
ABSTRACT
The divalent europium complexes, and (L(Me/Et) = p-HC6F4N(CH2)2NMe2/Et2), have been prepared from redox-transmetallation/protolysis (RTP) reactions between Eu metal, Hg(C6F5)2 and L(Me/Et)H in thf. The complexes exhibit close (C)F-Ln interactions and the amide ligands feature tridentate N,N',F chelation. The complexes are thermally robust but on exposure to light they undergo C-F activation. From exposure of to light, the Eu(III) mixed fluoride/oxide cluster, was isolated, but other well-defined C-F activation products have proven elusive due to the stability of Eu(II). Oxidation of [Ln(L(R))2(thf)2] (Ln = Eu, R = Me; Ln = Yb, R = Et) with I2 afforded the heteroleptic iodo complexes, [Ln(L(R))2I(thf)n] (Ln = Eu, n = 1; Ln = Yb, n = 0), and the homoleptic complexes, [Ln(L(R))3]. The formation of the iodo complexes and the heteroleptic complexes appear to occur by different routes. shows interesting structural differences from reported [Ln(L(Et))3] (Ln = La, Ce, Nd) complexes, and highlights an incomplete shift towards N,N' chelation to the much smaller Yb ion. was prepared from a protolysis reaction between [Sm(CH2C6H4-NMe2-o)3] and L(Me)H. Heating a solution of in toluene at 110 °C for three days did not afford any samarium fluoride complex. An RTP reaction with Sm afforded the heteroleptic samarium complex, , in very low yield. From an attempted protolysis reaction between [Sm(DippForm)2(thf)2] and L(Me)H, the mixed ligand samarium fluoride complex, , was isolated. Overall, the instability of Sm(II) precludes control over the C-F activation reactions.
ABSTRACT
A new class of homoleptic organoamido rare earth complexes [Ln(L(Me) or L(Et))(3)] (Ln = La, Ce, Nd; L(Me/Et) = p-HC(6)F(4)N(CH(2))(2)NMe(2)/Et(2)) exhibiting (Ar)CF-Ln interactions has been isolated from redox-transmetallation/protolysis (RTP) reactions between the free metals, Hg(C(6)F(5))(2) and L(Me/Et)H in tetrahydrofuran, together with low yields of [Ln(L(Me))(2)F](3) (Ln = La, Ce) or [Nd(L(Et))(2)F](2) species, resulting from C-F activation reactions. The structures of the homoleptic complexes have eight-coordinate Ln metals with two tridentate (N,N',F) amide ligands including (Ar)CF-Ln bonds and either a bidentate (N,F) ligand (Ln = La, Ce, Nd; L(Et)) or a bidentate (N,N') ligand (Ln = Nd; L(Me)), in an unusual case of linkage variation. All (Ar)CF-Ln bond lengths are shorter than or similar to the corresponding Ln-NMe(2)/Et(2) bond lengths. In [Ln(L(Me))(2)F](3) (Ln = La, Ce) complexes, there is a six-membered ring framework with alternating F and Ln atoms and the metal atoms are eight-coordinate with two tridentate (N,N',F) L(Me) ligands, whilst [Nd(L(Et))(2)F](2) is a fluoride-bridged dimer.
