Reactivity Study of Pyridyl-Substituted 1-Metalla-2,5-diaza-cyclopenta-2,4-dienes of Group 4 Metallocenes.

In this work the reactivity of 1-metalla-2,5-diaza-cyclopenta-2,4-dienes of group 4 metallocenes, especially of the pyridyl-substituted examples, towards small molecules is investigated. The addition of H2 , CO2 , Ph-C≡N, 2-py-C≡N, 1,3-dicyanobenzene or 2,6-dicyanopyridine results in exchange reactions, which are accompanied by the elimination of a nitrile. For CO2 , a coordination to the five-membered cycle occurs in case of Cp*2 Zr(N=C(2-py)-C(2-py)=N). A 1,4-diaza-buta-1,3-diene complex is formed by H-transfer in the conversion of the analogous titanocene compound with CH3 -C≡N, PhCH2 -C≡N or acetone. For CH3 -C≡N a coupling product of three acetonitrile molecules is established additionally. In order to split off the metallocene from the coupled nitriles, we examined reactions with HCl, PhPCl2 , PhPSCl2 and SOCl2 . In the last case, the respective thiadiazole oxides and the metallocene dichlorides were obtained. A subsequent reaction produced thiadiazoles.

Multiple and Highly Selective Alkyne-Isonitrile C-C and C-N Couplings at Group†4 Metallocenes.

Reactions of the group 4 metallocene alkyne complexes [Cp'2 M(η(2) -Me3 SiC2 SiMe3 )] [Cp'2 =rac-(ebthi)=rac-1,2-ethylene-1,1'-bis(η(5) -tetrahydroindenyl): M=Ti, Zr, Hf; Cp'2 =Cp*2 (Cp*=η(5) -pentamethylcyclopentadienyl): M=Zr] with 2,6-dimethylphenyl isocyanide (2-xylyl isonitrile, XyNC) were investigated. Depending on the metal, the Cp' ligand, and/or the stoichiometry, as well as the reaction temperature and time, different products were obtained. The products included simple end-on coordination compounds of XyNC in addition to those of the coupling of Me3 SiC2 SiMe3 with two, three, or four isonitriles to form enimine complexes, aza-metallacycloallenes, and fused heterocyclic systems, respectively. One example of the latter tricyclic compounds was subject to demetalation by using HCl. Molecular structures of the heterometallacycles were determined by X-ray crystallography. The interconversion of the products was investigated by (1) H NMR spectroscopy.

Reactions of 2-Substituted Pyridines with Titanocenes and Zirconocenes: Coupling versus Dearomatisation.

Reactions of group 4 metallocene sources with 2-substituted pyridines were investigated to evaluate their coordination type between innocent and reductive dearomatisation as well as to probe the possibility for couplings. A dependence on the cyclopentadienyl ligands (Cp, Cp*), the metals (Ti, Zr), and the substrates (2-phenyl-, 2-acetyl-, and 2-iminopyridine) was observed. While 2-phenylpyridine is barely reactive, 2-acetylpyridine reacts vigorously with the Cp-substituted complexes and selectively with their Cp* analogues. With 2-iminopyridine, in all cases selective reactions were observed. In the isolated [Cp2 Ti], [Cp2 Zr], and [Cp*2 Zr] compounds the substrate coordinates by its pyridyl ring and the unsaturated side-chain. Subsequently, the pyridine was dearomatised, which is most pronounced in the [Cp*2 Zr] compounds. Using [Cp*2 Ti] leads to the unexpected paramagnetic complexes [Cp*2 TiIII (N,O-acpy)] and [Cp*2 TiIII (N,N'-impy)]. This highlights the non-innocent character of the pyridyl substrates.

Formation of tri- and tetranuclear titanacycles through decamethyltitanocene-mediated intermolecular C-C coupling of dinitriles.

The reactions of [Cp*2 Ti(η(2) -Me3 SiC2 SiMe3 )] (Cp*=η(5) -pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) with various dicyano compounds were investigated. Nitrile-nitrile CC couplings result in multinuclear complexes owing to the bifunctionality of the substrates. Applying 1,3- or 1,4-dicyanobenzene led to tri- and tetranuclear complexes of the rare 1-metalla-2,5-diaza-cyclopenta-2,4-dienes. These are potential catalysts and were tested in the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone. The reaction with adiponitrile as alkyl dinitrile afforded a trinuclear 1-metalla-2,5-diaza-cyclopent-3-ene through additional protonation of the nitrogen atoms. The structure and bonding of the products were investigated by X-ray crystallography and DFT analysis to understand the molecular organization in the macrocycles.

Reactions of group 4 metallocenes with monosubstituted acetonitriles: keteniminate formation versus C-C coupling.

The reactions of the Group 4 metallocene dichlorides [Cp'2 MCl2 ] (1 a: M=Ti, Cp'=Cp*=η(5) -pentamethylcyclopentadienyl, 1 b: M=Zr, Cp'=Cp=η(5) -cyclopentadienyl) with lithiated MesCH2-C≡N gave [Cp*2 TiCl(N=C=C(HMes))] (3; Mes=mesityl) in the case of 1 a. For compound 1 b, a nitrile-nitrile coupling resulted in a five-membered bridge in 4. The reaction of the metallocene alkyne complex [Cp*2 Zr(η(2) -Me3 SiC2 SiMe3 )] (2) with PhCH2 C≡N led in the first step to the unstable product [Cp*2 Zr(η(2) -Me3 SiC2 SiMe3 )(NC=CH2 Ph)] (5). After the elimination of the alkyne, a mixture of products was formed. By variation of the solvent and the reaction temperature, three compounds were isolated: a diazadiene complex 6, a bis(keteniminate) complex 7, and 8 with a keteniminate ligand and a five-membered metallacycle. Subsequent variation of the Cp ligand and the metal center by using [Cp2 Zr] and [Cp*2 Ti] with Me3 SiC2 SiMe3 in the reactions with PhCH2-C≡N gave complex mixtures.

Crystal structure of bis-{µ2-[(2-imino-cyclo-pentyl-idene)methyl-idene]aza-nido-κ(2) N:N'}bis-[(η(5)-penta-methyl-cyclo-penta-dien-yl)zirconium(IV)] hexane monosolvate.

The title compound, [Zr2(C10H15)4(C6H6N2)2]·C6H14, was obtained by the stoichiometric reaction of adipo-nitrile with [Zr(C10H15)2(η(2)-Me3SiC2SiMe3)]. Intra-molecular nitrile-nitrile couplings and deprotonation of the substrate produced the (1-imino-2-enimino)-cyclo-pentane ligand, which functions as a five-membered bridge between the two metal atoms. The Zr(IV) atom exhibits a distorted tetra-hedral coordination sphere defined by two penta-methyl-cyclo-penta-dienyl ligands, by the imino unit of one (1-imino-2-enimino)-cyclo-pentane and by the enimino unit of the second (1-imino-2-enimino)-cyclo-pentane. The cyclo-pentane ring of the ligand shows an envelope conformation. The asymmetric unit contains one half of the complex and one half of the hexane solvent mol-ecule, both being completed by the application of inversion symmetry. One of the penta-methyl-cyclo-penta-dienyl ligands is disordered over two sets of sites with a refined occupancy ratio of 0.8111 (3):0.189 (3). In the crystal, the complex mol-ecules are packed into rods extending along [100], with the solvent mol-ecules located in between. The rods are arranged in a distorted hexa-gonal packing.

Reactions of rac-(ebthi)M(η(2) -Me3 SiC2 SiMe3 ) (M=Ti, Zr) with aryl nitriles.

The reactions of the Group 4 metallocene alkyne complexes rac-(ebthi)M(η(2) -Me3 SiC2 SiMe3 ) (1 a: M=Ti, 1 b: M=Zr; rac-(ebthi)=rac-1,2-ethylene-1,1'-bis(η(5) -tetrahydroindenyl)) with PhCN were investigated. For 1 a, an unusual nitrile-nitrile coupling to 1-titana-2,5-diazacyclopenta-2,4-diene (2) at ambient temperature was observed. At higher temperature, the CC coupling of two nitriles resulted in the formation of a dinuclear complex with a four-membered diimine bridge (3). The reaction of 1 b with PhCN afforded dinuclear compound 4 and 2,4,6-triphenyltriazine. Additionally, the reactivity of 1 b towards other nitriles was investigated.

(Cyanido-κC)(2,2-di-phenyl-acetamido-κ(2) N,O)bis-(η(5)-penta-methyl-cyclo-penta-dien-yl)zirconium(IV).

In the title compound, [Zr(C10H15)2(C14H12NO)(CN)], the Zr(IV) atom is coordinated by two penta-methyl-cyclo-penta-dienyl ligands, the amidate ligand via the N and O atoms, and an additional C N ligand. The four-membered metallacycle is nearly planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.008 Å). In the crystal, the mol-ecules are connected into centrosymmetric dimers via pairs of N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds.

Unusual nitrile-nitrile and nitrile-alkyne coupling of Fc-C≡N and FC-C≡C-C≡N.

The reactions of the Group 4 metallocene alkyne complexes, [Cp*2M(η2-Me3SiC2SiMe3)] (1 a: M=Ti, 1 b: M=Zr, Cp*=η5-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl), with the ferrocenyl nitriles, Fc-CN and Fc-C≡C-C≡N (Fc=Fe(η5-C5H5)(η5-C5H4)), is described. In case of Fc-C≡N an unusual nitrile­nitrile C-C homocoupling was observed and 1-metalla-2,5-diaza-cyclopenta-2,4-dienes (3 a, b) were obtained. As the first step of the reaction with 1 b, the nitrile was coordinated to give [Cp*2Zr(η2-Me3SiC2SiMe3)(N≡C-Fc)] (2 b). The reactions with the 3-ferrocenyl-2-propyne-nitrile FcC≡C-C≡N lead to an alkyne­nitrile C-C coupling of two substrates and the formation of 1-metalla-2-aza-cyclopenta-2,4-dienes (4 a, b). For M=Zr, the compound is stabilized by dimerization as evidenced by single-crystal X-ray structure analysis. The electrochemical behavior of 3 a, b and 4 a, b was investigated, showing decomposition after oxidation, leading to different redox-active products.

Nitrile-nitrile C-C coupling at group†4 metallocenes to form 1-metalla-2,5-diaza-cyclopenta-2,4-dienes: synthesis and reactivity.

The CC coupling of aryl nitriles at Group 4 metallocenes leads to unusual ring-strained 1-metalla-2,5-diaza-cyclopenta-2,4-dienes. The structural, energetic, and chemical properties of these complexes are described. The reactions of these compounds towards CH3 CN, H2 , CO2 , and HCl usually lead to the release of one nitrile and its replacement by different co-substrates.

Reactions of Group†4 metallocene complexes with mono- and diphenylacetonitrile: formation of unusual four- and six-membered metallacycles.

Reactions of Group 4 metallocene alkyne complexes [Cp'2M(η(2)-Me3SiC2SiMe3)] (1: M = Zr, Cp' = Cp* = η(5)-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl; 2 a: M = Ti, Cp' = Cp*, and 2 b: M = Ti, Cp'2 = rac-(ebthi) = rac-1,2-ethylene-1,1'-bis(η(5)-tetrahydroindenyl)) with diphenylacetonitrile (Ph2CHCN) and of the seven-membered zirconacyclocumulene 3 with phenylacetonitrile (PhCH2CN) were investigated. Different compounds were obtained depending on the metal, the cyclopentadienyl ligand and the reaction temperature. In the first step, Ph2CHCN coordinated to 1 to form [Cp*2Zr(η(2)-Me3SiC2SiMe3)(NCCHPh2)] (4). Higher temperatures led to elimination of the alkyne, coordination of a second Ph2CHCN and transformation of the nitriles to a keteniminate and an imine ligand in [Cp*2Zr(NC2Ph2)(NCHCHPh2)] (5). The conversion of 4 to 5 was monitored by using (1)H NMR spectroscopy. The analogue titanocene complex 2 a eliminated the alkyne first, which led directly to [Cp*2Ti(NC2Ph2)2] (6) with two keteniminate ligands. In contrast, the reaction of 2 b with diphenylacetonitrile involved a formal coupling of the nitriles to obtain the unusual four-membered titanacycle 7. An unexpected six-membered fused zirconaheterocycle (8) resulted from the reaction of 3 with PhCH2CN. The molecular structures of complexes 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 were determined by X-ray crystallography.