pi-Bonding and the Lone Pair Effect in Multiple Bonds between Heavier Main Group Elements

A Kinetically Stabilized Ferrocenyl Diphosphene: Synthesis, Structure, Properties, and Redox Behavior

A new, stable ferrocenyl diphosphene [Tbt-P==P-Fc] (1) (Tbt=2,4,6-tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]phenyl, Fc = ferrocenyl) was synthesized by the dehydrochlorination reaction of the corresponding diphosphane, [Tbt-P(H)-P(Cl)-Fc] (8), with 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) in good yield. Diphosphene 1 is very stable in the solid state and also in solution. In the 31P NMR spectrum (C6D6), diphosphene 1 showed a low-fielded AB quartet at delta 501.7 and 479.5 ppm with the coupling constant 1J(PP)=546 Hz, which is characteristic of an unsymmetrically substituted trans-diphosphene. The molecular structure of 1 was established by X-ray crystallographic analysis, which showed a trans-diphosphene with a C-P-P-C torsion angle of 177.86(17) degrees . The phosphorus-phosphorus bond length of 1 [2.0285(15) A] which is considerably shorter than the typical P-P single-bond lengths (ca. 2.22-2.24 A) and within the range of reported P=P double-bond lengths (1.985-2.051 A) for diaryl diphosphenes, evidenced the P=P double-bond character of 1 in the solid state. In addition, the cyclic voltammograms of 1 showed reversible reduction and oxidation couples at -1.95 and +0.34 V versus SCE, respectively. The electrochemical results for 1 were reasonably supported by the DFT calculations, which suggested that the LUMO and HOMO orbitals should be mainly pi* orbital of the diphosphene moiety and d orbitals of the iron(II) atom, respectively.

C?C Double- and Triple-Bond Formation from Reactions of B Atoms with CO: Experimental and Theoretical Characterization of OBBCCO and OBCCBO Molecules in Solid Argon

Reactions of boron atoms with CO molecules in solid argon form the following boron carbonyl species (which have been reported earlier): BCO, BBCO, OCBBCO, B(CO)2, and B4(CO)2. The OCBBCO molecule underwent a photochemical rearrangement where CO was activated to form the OBBCCO and OBCCBO molecules. The new molecules were identified on the basis of isotopic IR studies with 10B, 11B, 13C16O, 12C18O, and carbon dioxide mixtures in addition to comparison with quantum-chemical calculations of isotopic frequencies. Theoretical analyses showed that the OBBCCO and OBCCBO molecules are linear with C-C double and triple bonding, respectively, and lie at a much lower energy than the linear OCBBCO structure.

Stabilized arsenic(i) iodide: a ready source of arsenic iodide fragments and a useful reagent for the generation of clusters

The new stable low oxidation state arsenic(I) iodide reagent [(dppe)As][I] (dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) exhibits chemistry that is considerably different from its AsIII analogues. While [(dppe)As][I] is not crystalline, the crystal structure of the derivative salt [(dppe)As][(dppe)As2I7] is reported and is compared to that of [(dppe)As]2[SnCl6] x 2CH2Cl2. The air oxidation of [(dppe)As][I] produces crystals of the salt [Ph2P(O)CH2CH2P(OH)Ph2]2[As6I8] x 2CH2Cl2 and suggests that, in contrast to previous studies, the reaction of the univalent arsenic iodide salt with certain oxidants results in the oxidation of the dppe ligand and the release of "AsI-I" fragments that oligomerize to form AsI clusters. Such reactivity is confirmed by the reaction of 6[(dppe)As][I] with 12Me3NO and 2[PPh4][I] to produce [PPh4]2[As6I8] and 6dppeO2. The reactivity is rationalized using density functional theory calculations.

Terphenyl Ligand Stabilized Lead(II) Derivatives: Steric Effects and Lead−Lead Bonding in Diplumbenes

The reaction of PbBr(2) with the lithium reagents LiC(6)H(3)-2,6-(C(6)H(3)-2,6-Pr(i)(2))(2) (LiArPr(i)(2)) and Et(2)O.LiC(6)H(3)-2,6-(2,6-Pr(i)-4-Bu(t)C(6)H(2))(2) (Et(2)O.LiArPr(i)(2)Bu(t)) furnished the bromide bridged organolead(II) halides [Pb(mu-Br)ArPr(i)(2)](2) (1) and[Pb(mu-Br)ArPr(i)(2)Bu(t)](2) (2) as orange crystals. Treatment of 1 with a stoichiometric amount of methylmagnesium bromide resulted in the "diplumbene" Pr(i)(2)Ar(Me)PbPb(Me)ArPr(i)(2) (3). The addition of 1 equiv of 4-tert-butylphenylmagnesium bromide to 1 afforded the feebly associated, Pb-Pb bonded species [Pb(C(6)H(4)-4-Bu(t))ArPr(i)(2)](2) (4), whereas the corresponding reaction of tert-butylmagnesium chloride and 1 afforded the monomer Pb(Bu(t))ArPr(i)(2) (5). The reaction of the more crowded aryl lead(II) bromide [Pb(mu-Br)ArPr(i)(3)](2) (Ar = C(6)H(3)-2,6(C(6)H(2)-2,4,6-Pr(i)(3))(2)) with 4-isopropyl-benzylmagnesium bromide or LiSi(SiMe(3))(3) yielded the monomers 6, [Pb(CH(2)C(6)H(4)-4-Pr(i))ArPr(i)(3)], or 7, [Pb(Si(SiMe(3))(3))ArPr(i)(3)]. All compounds were characterized with use of X-ray crystallography, (1)H, (13)C, and (207)Pb NMR (3-7), and UV-vis spectroscopy. The dimeric Pb-Pb bonded (Pb-Pb = 3.1601(6) A) structure of 3 may be contrasted with the previously reported monomeric structure of Pb(Me)ArPr(i)(3), which differs from 3 only in that it has para Pr(i) substituents on the flanking aryl rings. The presence of these groups is sufficient to prevent the weak Pb-Pb bonding seen in 3. The dimer 4 displays a Pb-Pb distance of 3.947(1) A, which indicates a very weak lead-lead interaction, and it is possible that this close approach could be caused by packing effects. The monomeric structures of 6 and 7 are attributable to steric effects and, in particular, to the large size of ArPr(i)(3).

A stable compound containing a silicon-silicon triple bond

The reaction of 2,2,3,3-tetrabromo-1,1,4,4-tetrakis[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]-1,4-diisopropyltetrasilane with four equivalents of potassium graphite (KC8) in tetrahydrofuran produces 1,1,4,4-tetrakis[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]-1,4-diisopropyl-2-tetrasilyne, a stable compound with a silicon-silicon triple bond, which can be isolated as emerald green crystals stable up to 100 degrees C in the absence of air. The SiSi triple-bond length (and its estimated standard deviation) is 2.0622(9) angstroms, which shows half the magnitude of the bond shortening of alkynes compared with that of alkenes. Unlike alkynes, the substituents at the SiSi group are not arranged in a linear fashion, but are trans-bent with a bond angle of 137.44(4) degrees.

Tetrakis(di-tert-butylmethylsilyl)distannene and Its Anion Radical

Tetrakis(di-tert-butylmethylsilyl)distannene 1 was synthesized by the coupling reaction of tBu2MeSiNa with SnCl2-diox in THF and isolated as dark-green crystals. X-ray analysis of 1 showed the shortest Sn=Sn double bond (2.6683(10) A) among all acyclic distannenes, an almost planar geometry around the Sn atoms, and a highly twisted Sn=Sn double bond. The reaction of distannene 1 with CCl4 produced 1,2-dichlorodistannane 2, implying that 1 does not dissociate into stannylenes, both in the solid state and in solution. The one-electron reduction of 1 with potassium furnished the corresponding distannene anion radical 3, the stable ion radical of the heavy alkene analogues, which has been fully characterized by X-ray crystallography and ESR spectroscopy.

Synthesis and structural characterization of m-terphenyl Schiff base ligands and their aluminum complexes

2,4,6-Triphenylbenzaldehyde 1 undergoes a condensation reaction with 2-aminophenol to give N-(2′,4′,6′-triphenylbenzylidene)-2-iminophenol (TPIP) 2. The imine 2 can be reduced with NaBH4 in ethanol to form N-(2′,4′,6′-triphenylbenzyl)-2-aminophenol (TPAP) 3. Addition of trimethylaluminum to 2 or 3 results in the formation of the complexes TPIP-AlMe2·AlMe3 (4) or TPAP-AlMe2 (5). Compounds 2, 3, and 4 have been crystallographically characterized.Key words: N,O ligands, aluminum, m-terphenyl, Schiff bases, X-ray crystallography.

Isolable Anion Radical of Blue Disilene (tBu2MeSi)2SiSi(SiMetBu2)2 Formed upon One-Electron Reduction: Synthesis and Characterization

The highly twisted tetrakis(di-tert-butylmethylsilyl)disilene 4 was prepared and reacted with (t)BuLi in THF, producing disilene anion radical 5 upon one-electron reduction. The anion radical 5 was isolated in the form of its lithium salt as extremely air- and moisture-sensitive red crystals. The molecular structure of 5 was established by X-ray crystallography, which showed a nearly orthogonal structure (twisting angle of 88 degrees ) along the central Si-Si bond, with a length of 2.341(5) A, which is 3.6% elongated relative to that of 4. The interesting feature of 5 is that one of the central Si atoms has radical character, whereas the other Si atom has silyl anion character. An electron spin resonance (ESR) study of the hyperfine coupling constants of the (29)Si nuclei indicates that rapid spin exchange occurs between these central Si atoms on the ESR time scale.

Preparation and Properties of Phosphaethynes Bearing Bulky Aryl Groups with Electron-Donating Substituents at the Para Position

Phosphaethynes bearing a 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-(dimethylamino)phenyl, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methoxyphenyl, or 2,6-di-tert-butylphenyl group were prepared. A (31)P NMR spectroscopic investigation of the chemical shifts indicated that electron-donating groups at the para position cause shifts to a higher field. Bathochromic shifts caused by the electron-donating groups were apparently observed in UV-vis spectra. The structure of 2-[2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]-1-phosphaethyne was analyzed by X-ray crystallography.

Characterization of Ar‘Sn(μ-Br)Sn(Ar‘)CH2C6H4-4-Pri (Ar‘ = C6H3-2,6-Dipp2; Dipp = C6H3-2,6-Pri2): A Stable Structural Analogue for a Heavier Group 14 Element Monobridged Alkene Isomer HM(μ-H)MH2 (M = Sn or Pb)

The title compound is the first stable structural analogue for the monobridged isomer of a heavier group 14 alkene analogue.

Unprecedented insertion reaction of a silylene into a B–B bond and generation of a novel borylsilyl anion by boron–metal exchange reaction of the resultant diborylsilane

A kinetically stabilized diarylsilylene, Tbt(Mes)Si: (1, Tbt = 2,4,6-tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]phenyl, Mes = mesityl), thermally generated from overcrowded disilene Tbt(Mes)Si=Si(Mes)Tbt (2) or stable silylene-isocyanide complex (3a), was found to insert into a B-B bond of bis(pinacolato)diboron, B2(pin)2 (4), and the boron-lithium exchange reaction of the resulting diborylsilane gave the first borylsilyl anion.

Nonplanarity at Tri-coordinated Aluminum and Gallium: Cyclic Structures for X3Hnm (X = B, Al, Ga)

Structures and energies of X3H3(2-), X3H4-, X3H5, and X3H6+ (X = B, Al and Ga) were investigated theoretically at B3LYP/6-311G(d) level. The global minimum structures of B are not found to be global minima for Al and Ga. The hydrides of the heavier elements Al and Ga have shown a total of seven, six and eight minima for X3H3(2-), X3H(4-), and X3H5, respectively. However, X3H(6+) has three and four minima for Al and Ga, respectively. The nonplanar arrangements of hydrogens with respect to X3 ring is found to be very common for Al and Ga species. Similarly, species with lone pairs on heavy atoms dominate the potential energy surfaces of Al and Ga three-ring systems. The first example of a structure with tri-coordinate pyramidal arrangement at Al and Ga is found in X3H(4-) (2g), contrary to the conventional wisdom of C3H3+, B3H3, etc. The influence of pi-delocalization in stabilizing the structures decreases from X3H3(2-) to X3H6+ for heavier elements Al and Ga. In general, minimum energy structures of X3H4-, X3H5, and X3H6+ may be arrived at by protonating the minimum energy structures sequentially starting from X3H3(2-). The resonance stabilization energy (RSE) for the global minimum structures (or nearest structures to global minimum which contains pi-delocalization) is computed using isodesmic equations.

Pi Bonding and Negative Hyperconjugation in Mono-, Di-, and Triaminoborane, -alane, -gallane, and -indane

A systematic quantum chemical investigation of mono-, di-, and triaminoborane, -alane, -gallane, and -indane is carried out to determine quantitatively the effects of pi bonding and negative hyperconjugation on structures, energetics, and rotational barriers in these systems. Pi bonding plays a significant role in the aminoborane compounds, but becomes rapidly less significant in the aminoalanes, -gallanes, and -indanes. For each main-group metal X investigated, X-N rotational barriers are found to be essentially equal depending only on the number of remaining in-plane amino groups. The contribution of negative hyperconjugation to reducing rotational barriers, as assessed from natural bond orbital (NBO) delocalization energies, is independent of the pyramidalization of the out-of-plane amino group, and is also dependent only on the number of rotated groups. Optimized tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)amino]-substituted structures of boron, aluminum, gallium, and indium are found to compare quite well with available experimental structural data, and exhibit X-N torsion angles that are independent of the central metal atom.

A reversible valence equilibrium in a heavier main group compound

The addition of LiPh to Ar*SnCl (Ar* = C6H3-2,6-Trip2; Trip = C6H2-2,4,6-iPr3) at low temperature afforded the Sn(1)-Sn(III) species Ar*SnSnPh2Ar*, which exists in equilibrium with the Sn(II) compound Ar*SnPh. It is the first example of a room-temperature equilibrium of compounds involving main group elements in different oxidation states.