XeF2 Coordination Complexes of the [BrO2]+ Cation, [O2Br(FXeF)n][AsF6] (n = 1, 2) and [O2Br(FXeF)2][SbF6]; Their Syntheses and Structural Characterizations.

The syntheses and structural characterizations of the first XeF2 coordination complexes of the [BrO2]+ cation are described. The reactions of [BrO2][PnF6] (Pn = As, Sb) with XeF2 in anhydrous HF solvent yield the salts [O2Br(FXeF)n][AsF6] (n = 1, 2) and [O2Br(FXeF)2][SbF6], which were characterized by low-temperature (LT) Raman spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD). The XeF2 ligands and [PnF6]- coordinate to the Lewis acidic [BrO2]+ cation through primarily electrostatic BrV---FXe σ-hole bonds that result from coordination of the F atoms into regions of high positive electrostatic potential on the Br(V) atom and have bond trajectories that avoid the stereoactive valence electron lone-pair of Br(V). The complexes and their structural characterizations by LT Raman spectroscopy and SCXRD significantly extend the coordination chemistry of Br(V) and provide rare examples of a noble-gas difluoride coordinated to a strong oxidant main-group Lewis acid center.

Palladium-catalyzed ring-opening reactions of cyclopropanated 7-oxabenzonorbornadiene with alcohols.

Palladium-catalyzed ring-opening reactions of cyclopropanated 7-oxabenzonorbornadiene derivatives using alcohol nucleophiles were investigated. The optimal conditions were found to be 10 mol % PdCl2(CH3CN)2 in methanol, offering yields up to 92%. The reaction was successful using primary, secondary and tertiary alcohol nucleophiles and was compatible with a variety of substituents on cyclopropanated oxabenzonorbornadiene. With unsymmetrical C1-substituted cyclopropanated 7-oxabenzonorbornadienes, the regioselectivity of the reaction was excellent, forming only one regioisomer in all cases.

Nature of the Xe(VI)-N Bonds in F6 XeNCCH3 and F6 Xe(NCCH3)2 and the Stereochemical Activity of Their Xenon Valence Electron Lone Pairs.

The recently reported syntheses and X-ray crystal structures of the highly endothermic compounds F6XeNCCH3 and F6Xe(NCCH3)2 ⋅CH3CN provide the first, albeit weakly covalent, Xe(VI)-N bonds. The XeF6 unit of F6 XeNCCH3 possesses distorted octahedral (C3v ) symmetry similar to gas-phase XeF6 , whereas the XeF6 unit of F6 Xe(NCCH3)2 ⋅CH3CN possesses C2v symmetry. Herein, the natural bond orbital (NBO), atoms in molecules (AIM), electron localization function (ELF), and molecular electrostatic potential surface (MEPS) analyses show that the Xe valence electron lone pairs (VELPs) of both compounds are stereochemically active. The Xe VELPS are diffuse and ineffectively screen their Xe cores so that the Xe VELP positions correspond to the most electrophilic regions of the MEPS, which enables the opposing N VELP of CH3CN to coordinate to this region. These bonds are predominantly electrostatic in nature and are interpreted as σ-hole interactions.

Syntheses and Structures of F6 XeNCCH3 and F6 Xe(NCCH3)2.

Acetonitrile and the potent oxidative fluorinating agent XeF6 react at -40 °C in Freon-114 to form the highly energetic, shock-sensitive compounds F6XeNCCH3 (1) and F6Xe(NCCH3)2⋅CH3CN (2⋅CH3CN). Their low-temperature single-crystal X-ray structures show that the adducted XeF6 molecules of these compounds are the most isolated XeF6 moieties thus far encountered in the solid state and also provide the first examples of Xe(VI)-N bonds. The geometry of the XeF6 moiety in 1 is nearly identical to the calculated distorted octahedral (C3v) geometry of gas-phase XeF6. The C2v geometry of the XeF6 moiety in 2 resembles the transition state proposed to account for the fluxionality of gas-phase XeF6. The energy-minimized gas-phase geometries and vibrational frequencies were calculated for 1 and 2, and their respective binding energies with CH3CN were determined. The Raman spectra of 1 and 2⋅CH3CN were assigned by comparison with their calculated vibrational frequencies and intensities.

Xenon(IV)-carbon bond of [C6F5XeF2]+; structural characterization and bonding of [C6F5XeF2][BF4], [C6F5XeF2][BF4]·2HF, and [C6F5XeF2][BF4]·nNCCH3 (n = 1, 2); and the fluorinating properties of [C6F5XeF2][BF4].

The [C6F5XeF2](+) cation is the only example of a Xe(IV)-C bond, which had only been previously characterized as its [BF4](-) salt in solution by multi-NMR spectroscopy. The [BF4](-) salt and its new CH3CN and HF solvates, [C6F5XeF2][BF4]·1.5CH3CN and [C6F5XeF2][BF4]·2HF, have now been synthesized and fully characterized in the solid state by low-temperature, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Crystalline [C6F5XeF2][BF4] and [C6F5XeF2][BF4]·1.5CH3CN were obtained from CH3CN/CH2Cl2 solvent mixtures, and [C6F5XeF2][BF4]·2HF was obtained from anhydrous HF (aHF), where [C6F5XeF2][BF4]·1.5CH3CN is comprised of an equimolar mixture of [C6F5XeF2][BF4]·CH3CN and [C6F5XeF2][BF4]·2CH3CN. The crystal structures show that the [C6F5XeF2](+) cation has two short contacts with the F atoms of [BF4](-) or with the F or N atoms of the solvent molecules, HF and CH3CN. The low-temperature solid-state Raman spectra of [C6F5XeF2][BF4] and C6F5IF2 were assigned with the aid of quantum-chemical calculations. The bonding in [C6F5XeF2](+), C6F5IF2, [C6F5XeF2][BF4], [C6F5XeF2][BF4]·CH3CN, [C6F5XeF2][BF4]·2CH3CN, and [C6F5XeF2][BF4]·2HF was assessed with the aid of natural bond orbital analyses and molecular orbital calculations. The (129)Xe, (19)F, and (11)B NMR spectra of [C6F5XeF2][BF4] in aHF are reported and compared with the (19)F NMR spectrum of C6F5IF2, and all previously unreported J((129)Xe-(19)F) and J((19)F-(19)F) couplings were determined. The long-term solution stabilities of [C6F5XeF2][BF4] were investigated by (19)F NMR spectroscopy and the oxidative fluorinating properties of [C6F5XeF2][BF4] were demonstrated by studies of its reactivity with K[C6F5BF3], Pn(C6F5)3 (Pn = P, As, or Bi), and C6F5X (X = Br or I).

Type 1 ring-opening reactions of cyclopropanated 7-oxabenzonorbornadienes with organocuprates.

For the first time, nucleophilic ring-openings of cyclopropanated 7-oxabenzonorbornadiene were investigated, providing a novel approach to the preparation of 2-methyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalen-1-ols. Satisfactory yields (up to 95%) were achieved using n-Bu2CuCNLi2 as the nucleophile and Et2O as the solvent. The reaction demonstrated successful incorporation of primary, secondary, tertiary and aromatic nucleophiles, as well as ring-openings of substrates bearing arene substituents and C1-bridgehead substituents. A generalized mechanism for these transformations is also proposed.