Lewis Acid Stabilized Methylidene and Oxoscandium Complexes

Lutetium-methanediide-alkyl complexes: synthesis and chemistry

The first four-coordinate methanediide/alkyl lutetium complex (BODDI)Lu2 (CH2 SiMe3 )2 (μ2 -CHSiMe3 )(THF)2 (BODDI=ArNC(Me)CHCOCHC(Me)NAr, Ar=2,6-iPr2 C6 H3 ) (1) was synthesized by a thermolysis methodology through α-H abstraction from a Lu-CH2 SiMe3 group. Complex 1 reacted with equimolar 2,6-iPrC6 H3 NH2 and Ph2 C+O to give the corresponding lutetium bridging imido and oxo complexes (BODDI)Lu2 (CH2 SiMe3 )2 (μ2 -N-2,6-iPr2 C6 H3 )(THF)2 (2) and (BODDI)Lu2 (CH2 SiMe3 )2 (μ2 -O)(THF)2 (3). Treatment of 3 with Ph2 C=O (4 equiv) caused a rare insertion of Lu-μ2 -O bond into theC=O group to afford a diphenylmethyl diolate complex 4. Reaction of 1 with PhN=C=O (2 equiv) led to the migration of SiMe3 to the amido nitrogen atom to give complex (BODDI)Lu2 (CH2 SiMe3 )2 -μ-{PhNC(O)CHC(O)NPh(SiMe3 )-κ(3) N,O,O}(THF) (5). Reaction of 1 withtBuN=C formed an unprecedented product (BODDI)Lu2 (CH2 SiMe3 ){μ2 -[η(2) :η(2) -tBuN=C(=CH2 )SiMe2 CHC=NtBu-κ(1) N]}(tBuN=C)2 (6) through a cascade reaction of N=C bond insertion, sequential cyclometalative γ-(sp(3) )-H activation, C=C bond formation, and rearrangement of the newly formed carbene intermediate. The possible mechanistic pathways between 1, PhN=C=O, and tBuN=C were elucidated by DFT calculations.

A tetravalent cerium complex containing a Ce=O bond

Whereas terminal oxo complexes of transition and actinide elements are well documented, analogous lanthanide complexes have not been reported to date. Herein, we report the synthesis and structure of a cerium(IV) oxo complex, [CeO(LOEt )2 (H2 O)]⋅MeC(O)NH2 (1; LOEt (-) =[Co(η(5) -C5 H5 ){P(O)(OEt)2 }3 ](-) ), featuring a short CeO bond (1.857(3) Å). DFT calculations indicate that the hydrogen bond to cocrystallized acetamide plays a key role in stabilizing the CeO moiety of 1 in the solid state. Complex 1 exhibits oxidizing and nucleophilic reactivity.

M4(CH2)4 cubane-type rare-earth methylidene complexes: unique reactivity toward unsaturated C-O, C-N, and C-S bonds

The reactivity of the cubane-type rare-earth methylidene complex [Cp'Lu(μ(3)-CH(2))](4) (1, Cp' = C(5)Me(4)SiMe(3)) with various unsaturated electrophiles was investigated. The reaction of 1 with CO (1 atm) at room temperature gave the bis(ketene dianion)/dimethylidene complex [Cp'(4)Lu(4)(μ(3)-CH(2))(2)(μ(3),η(2)-O-C=CH(2))(2)] (2) in 86 % yield through the insertion of two molecules of CO into two of the four lutetium-methylidene units. In the reaction with the sterically demanding N,N-diisopropylcarbodiimide at 60 °C, only one of the four methylidene units in 1 reacted with one molecule of the carbodiimide substrate to give the mono(ethylene diamido)/trimethylidene complex [Cp'(4)Lu(4)(μ(3)-CH(2))(3) {iPrNC(=CH(2))NiPr}] (3) in 83% yield. Similarly, the reaction of 1 with phenyl isothiocyanate gave the ethylene amido thiolate/trimethylidene complex [Cp'(4)Lu(4)(μ(3)-CH(2))(3) {PhNC(S)=CH(2)}] (4). In the case of phenyl isocyanate, two of the four methylidene units in 1 reacted with four molecules of the substrate at ambient temperature to give the malonodiimidate/dimethylidene complex [Cp'(4)Lu(4)(μ(3)-CH(2))(2) {PhN=C(O)CH(2)(O)C=NPh}(2)] (5) in 87% yield. In this reaction, each of the two lutetium-methylidene bonds per methylidene unit inserted one molecule of phenyl isocyanate. All the products have been fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and microelemental analyses.

Synthesis and stability of homoleptic metal(III) tetramethylaluminates

Whereas a number of homoleptic metal(III) tetramethylaluminates M(AlMe(4))(3) of the rare earth metals have proven accessible, the stability of these compounds varies strongly among the metals, with some even escaping preparation altogether. The differences in stability may seem puzzling given that this class of metals usually is considered to be relatively uniform with respect to properties. On the basis of quantum chemically obtained relative energies and atomic and molecular descriptors of homoleptic tris(tetramethylaluminate) and related compounds of rare earth metals, transition metals, p-block metals, and actinides, multivariate modeling has identified the importance of ionic metal-methylaluminate bonding and small steric repulsion between the methylaluminate ligands for obtaining stable homoleptic compounds. Low electronegativity and a sufficiently large ionic radius are thus essential properties for the central metal atom. Whereas scandium and many transition metals are too small and too electronegative for this task, all lanthanides and actinides covered in this study are predicted to give homoleptic compounds stable toward loss of trimethylaluminum, the expected main decomposition reaction. Three of the predicted lanthanide-based compounds Ln(AlMe(4))(3) (Ln = Ce, Tm, Yb) have been prepared and fully characterized in the present work, in addition to Ln(OCH(2)tBu)(3)(AlMe(3))(3) (Ln = Sc, Nd) and [Eu(AlEt(4))(2)](n). At ambient temperature, donor-free hexane solutions of Ln(AlMe(4))(3) of the Ln(3+)/Ln(2+) redox-active metal centers display enhanced reduction to [Ln(AlMe(4))(2)](n) with decreasing negative redox potential, in the order Eu ≫ Yb ≫ Sm. Whereas Eu(AlMe(4))(3) could not be identified, Yb(AlMe(4))(3) turned out to be isolable in low yield. All attempts to prepare the putative Sc(AlMe(4))(3), featuring the smallest rare earth metal center, failed.

Ln4(CH2)4 cubane-type rare-earth methylidene complexes consisting of "(C5Me4SiMe3)LnCH2" units (Ln = Tm, Lu)

Tetranuclear cubane-type rare-earth methylidene complexes consisting of four "Cp'LnCH(2)" units, [Cp'Ln(μ(3)-CH(2))](4) (4-Ln; Ln = Tm, Lu; Cp' = C(5)Me(4)SiMe(3)), have been obtained for the first time through CH(4) elimination from the well-defined polymethyl complexes [Cp'Ln(μ(2)-CH(3))(2)](3) (2-Ln) or mixed methyl/methylidene precursors such as [Cp'(3)Ln(3)(μ(2)-Me)(3)(μ(3)-Me)(μ(3)-CH(2))] (3-Ln). The reaction of the methylidene complex 4-Lu with benzophenone leads to C═O bond cleavage and C═C bond formation to give the cubane-type oxo complex [Cp'Lu(μ(3)-O)](4) and CH(2)═CPh(2), while the methyl/methylidene complex 3-Tm undergoes sequential methylidene addition to the C═O group and ortho C-H activation of the two phenyl groups of benzophenone to afford the bis(benzo-1,2-diyl)ethoxy-chelated trinuclear complex [Cp'(3)Tm(3)(μ(2)-Me)(3){(C(6)H(4))(2)C(O)Me}] (6-Tm).

Early metal bis(phosphorus-stabilised)carbene chemistry

Since the discovery of covalently-bound mid- and late-transition metal carbenes there has been a spectacular explosion of interest in their chemistry, but their early metal counterparts have lagged behind. In recent years, bis(phosphorus-stabilised)carbenes have emerged as valuable ligands for metals across the periodic table, and their use has in particular greatly expanded covalently-bound early metal carbene chemistry. In this tutorial review we introduce the reader to bis(phosphorus-stabilised)carbenes, and cover general preparative methods, structure and bonding features, and emerging reactivity studies of early metal derivatives (groups 1-4 and the f-elements).

Regioselective C-H activation and sequential C-C and C-O bond formation reactions of aryl ketones promoted by an yttrium carbene

Rare earth carbenes exclusively exhibit Wittig-type reactivity with carbonyl compounds to afford alkenes. Here, we report that yttrium carbenes can effect regioselective ortho-C-H activation and sequential C-C and C-O bond formation reactions of aryl ketones to give iso-benzofurans and hydroxymethylbenzophenones. With MeCOPh, cyclotetramerization occurs giving a substituted cyclohexene. This demonstrates new rare earth carbene reactivity which complements existing Wittig-type reactivity.

Density functional theory for transition metals and transition metal chemistry

We introduce density functional theory and review recent progress in its application to transition metal chemistry. Topics covered include local, meta, hybrid, hybrid meta, and range-separated functionals, band theory, software, validation tests, and applications to spin states, magnetic exchange coupling, spectra, structure, reactivity, and catalysis, including molecules, clusters, nanoparticles, surfaces, and solids.