Crystal structures of three sterically congested disilanes.

In the three sterically congested silanes, C24H38Si2 (1) (1,1,2,2-tetra-isopropyl-1,2-di-phenyl-disilane), C24H34Br4Si2 (2) [1,1,2,2-tetra-kis-(2-bromo-propan-2-yl)-1,2-di-phenyl-disilane] and C32H38Si2 (3) (1,2-di-tert-butyl-1,1,2,2-tetra-phenyl-disilane), the Si-Si bond length is shortest in (1) and longest in (2), with (3) having an inter-mediate value, which parallels the increasing steric congestion. A comparison of the two isopropyl derivatives, (1 and 2), shows a significant increase in the Si-C(ipso) distance with the introduction of bromine. Also, in the brominated compound 2, attractive inter-molecular Br⋯Br inter-actions exist with Br⋯Br separations ca 0.52 Šshorter than the sum of the van der Waals radii. In compound 2, one of the bromo-isopropyl groups is rotationally disordered in an 0.8812 (9):0.1188 (9) ratio. Compound 3 exhibits 'whole mol-ecule' disorder in a 0.9645 (7):0.0355 (7) ratio with the Si-Si bonds in the two components making an angle of ca 66°.

Mechanism of Me-Re Bond Addition to Platinum(II) and Dioxygen Activation by the Resulting Pt-Re Bimetallic Center.

Unusual cis-oxidative addition of methyltrioxorhenium (MTO) to [PtMe2(bpy)], (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) (1) is described. Addition of MTO to 1 first gives the Lewis acid-base adduct [(bpy)Me2Pt-Re(Me)(O)3] (2) and subsequently affords the oxidative addition product [(bpy)Me3PtReO3] (3). All complexes 1, MTO, 2, and 3 are in equilibrium in solution. The structure of 2 was confirmed by X-ray crystallography, and its dissociation constant in solution is 0.87 M. The structure of 3 was confirmed by extended X-ray absorption fine structure and X-ray absorption near-edge structure in tandem with one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy augmented by deuterium and 13C isotope-labeling studies. Kinetics of formation of compound 3 revealed saturation kinetics dependence on [MTO] and first-order in [Pt], complying with prior equilibrium formation of 2 with oxidative addition of Me-Re being the rate-determining step. Exposure of 3 to molecular oxygen or air resulted in the insertion of an oxygen atom into the platinum-rhenium bond forming [(bpy)Me3PtOReO3] (4) as final product. Density functional theory analysis on oxygen insertion pathways leading to complex 4, merited on the basis of Russell oxidation pathway, revealed the involvement of rhenium peroxo species.

Concurrent stabilization of π-donor and π-acceptor ligands in aromatized and dearomatized pincer [(PNN)Re(CO)(O)2] complexes.

Aromatized cationic [(PNN)Re(π acid)(O)2](+) (1) and dearomatized neutral [(PNN*)Re(π acid)(O)2] (2) complexes (where π acid=CO (a), tBuNC (b), or (2,6-Me2)PhNC (c)), possessing both π-donor and π-acceptor ligands, have been synthesized and fully characterized. Reaction of [(PNN)Re(O)2](+) (4) with lithiumhexamethyldisilazide (LiHMDS) yield the dearomatized [(PNN*)Re(O)2] (3). Complexes 1 and 2 are prepared from the reaction of 4 and 3, respectively, with CO or isocyanides. Single-crystal X-ray structures of 1 a and 1 b show the expected trans-dioxo structure, in which the oxo ligands occupy the axial positions and the π-acidic ligand occupies the equatorial plane in an overall octahedral geometry about the rhenium(V) center. DFT studies revealed the stability of complexes 1 and 2 arises from a π-backbonding interaction between the d(xy) orbital of rhenium, the π orbital of the oxo ligands, and the π* orbital of CO/isocyanide.

Synthesis of closo- and nido-biscarboranes with rigid unsaturated linkers as precursors to linear metallacarborane-based molecular rods.

Several biscarborane-type derivatives of 8-iodo-1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane (1), suitable as the precursors of linear metallacarborane-based molecular rods, were prepared. The synthesized closo-compounds contained two carborane moieties connected through a rigid linear unsaturated linker. The linkers were based on ethynylene and para-phenylene fragments and their combinations. The deboronation of all reported closo-compounds was selective and afforded nido-products with open pentagonal faces on opposite sides of the molecule, parallel to each other and perpendicular to the main molecular axis. All of the closo and nido products were characterized by a variety of physical methods (NMR, HRMS, IR). The structures of closo-carboranes 3, 6, 9, and 14 and nido-carboranes 15 and 17 were established by X-ray diffraction.