Latent Nucleophilic Carbenes.

Using DFT and ab initio calculations, we demonstrate that noncyclic formamidines can undergo thermal rearrangement into their isomeric aminocarbenes under rather mild conditions. We synthesized the silylformamidine, for which the lowest activation energy in this process was predicted. Experimental studies proved it to serve as a very reactive nucleophilic carbene. The reactions with acetylenes, benzenes, and trifluoromethane proceeded via insertion into sp, sp2, and sp3 CH bonds. The carbene also reacted with the functional groups, such as CHO, COR, and CN at double or triple bonds, displaying high mobility of the trimethylsilyl group. The obtained silylformamidine can be considered as a latent nucleophilic carbene. It can be prepared in bulk quantities, stored, and used when the need arises. Calculation results predict similar behavior for some other silylated formamidines and related compounds.

Dinuclear gold(I) complexes with N-phosphanyl, N-heterocyclic carbene ligands: synthetic strategies, luminescence properties and anticancer activity.

A small library of dinuclear gold(I) complexes with the title ligands has been prepared, encompassing neutral, mono- and dicationic complexes. The luminescence properties of the complexes in the solid state have been evaluated, and it turns out that neutral and monocationic complexes not presenting a rigid metallamacrocyclic structure can exhibit rather strong emissions that extend towards the red region of the visible spectrum. The in vitro anticancer activity of the complexes has been also preliminarly evaluated; cytotoxicity seems to correlate with complex lipophilicity, whereas selectivity towards cancer cells can be apparently enhanced upon a judicious choice of the ligands.

Ring Enlargement of N-Phosphanyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinazolines.

We found that 1-phosphanyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinazolines undergo ring enlargement. Their treatment with trifluoroacetic or hydrochloric acid afforded diazaphosphepinium salts. Deprotonation of these salts gave the corresponding neutral diazaphosphepines. The reaction of 1-phosphanyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinazolines with diazomethane or phenylazide afforded triazaphosphocine derivatives via insertion of P-N moiety. At the same time, an analogous hexahydropyrimidine derivative reacted with phenylazide in a normal manner at the phosphorus atom to afford the P(V) derivative.

Palladium(II) Complexes with N-Phosphanyl-N-heterocyclic Carbenes as Catalysts for Intermolecular Alkyne Hydroaminations.

The catalytic potential of palladium(II) complexes with chelating N-phosphanyl-N-heterocyclic carbenes featuring a saturated imidazolin-2-ylidene or tetrahydropyrimid-2-ylidene ring has been investigated in intermolecular alkyne hydroamination reactions. The complexes were found to be among the most active Pd-based catalysts for these processes and to enable the use of low reaction temperatures (40 °C) and of solventless conditions. The Pd complexes require activation by 2 equiv of a silver salt to remove chlorido ligands from the metal coordination sphere; they can however also be presynthesized in active form, which allows their use under silver-free conditions. The hydroamination reaction was found to efficiently proceed with terminal alkynes and different ring-substituted, primary arylamine substrates.

Palladium(II) complexes with chelating N-phosphanyl acyclic diaminocarbenes: synthesis, characterization and catalytic performance in Suzuki couplings.

Complexes of palladium(II) with newly disclosed, N-phosphanyl acyclic diaminocarbene ligands are synthesized for the first time and structurally characterized. The ligands coordinate palladium(II) in a chelating fashion, yielding remarkably stable complexes which can be stored without special precautions in the solid state. Related palladium(II) complexes with an isomerized chelating ligand, formed upon 1,2-migration of the phosphanyl group from the nitrogen to the adjacent carbon atom, have also been isolated in some instances and structurally characterized. The complexes efficiently act as precatalysts for Suzuki coupling reactions of aryl chlorides, where their productivity compares favourably with that of related palladium complexes with acyclic diaminocarbene ligands. In addition, the complexes show a distinct tendency to form as the byproduct the reductive homocoupling product of aryl chloride. This observation, together with ad hoc performed control tests, suggests that Pd colloids are involved in the formation of catalytically competent species.

Correction: Palladium(II) complexes with chelating N-phosphanyl acyclic diaminocarbenes: synthesis, characterization and catalytic performance in Suzuki couplings.

Correction for 'Palladium(ii) complexes with chelating N-phosphanyl acyclic diaminocarbenes: synthesis, characterization and catalytic performance in Suzuki couplings' by Anatoliy Marchenko et al., Dalton Trans., 2016, DOI: 10.1039/c5dt02250a.

A representative of p,p,p-trihalogenylides: synthesis and structure.

The representative of P,P,P-trichloroylides-5-methyl-2-phenyl-4-(trichlorophosphoranylidene)-2,4-dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-one-was synthesized. Its constitution was confirmed by 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR spectroscopy and by X-ray analysis. Some chemical properties were studied and compared with ones of P,P,P-trimethylylide-5-methyl-2-phenyl-4-(trimethylphosphoranylidene)-2,4-dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-one. DFT calculations of the model molecules were carried out.