Structural Lessons from Main-Group Metallocenes

Control of the stereochemical impact of the lone pair in lead(II) tris(pyrazolyl)methane complexes. Improved preparation of Na[B[3,5-(CF3)2C6H3]4]

The reaction of Pb(acac)2 with 2 equiv of [H(Et2O)2][B[3,5-(CF3)2C6H3]4] (HBAr(f)) in CH2Cl2 followed by addition of 2 equiv of either HC(pz)3 or HC(3,5-Me2pz)3 (pz = pyrazolyl ring) leads to the formation of [Pb[HC(pz)3]2][B[3,5-(CF3)2C6H3]4]2 (1) and [Pb[HC(3,5-Me2pz)3]2][B[3,5-(CF3)2C6H3]4]2 (2), respectively. The cation in 1 has a distorted octahedral structure with a stereochemically active lone pair on lead(II). In contrast, the cation in 2 is trigonally distorted octahedral with the lone pair on the lead(II) clearly stereochemically inactive. The driving force for this cation to have a stereochemically inactive lone pair is that in this geometric arrangement the interligand distances between adjacent 3-position methyl groups are close to 4.0 A, the sum of the van der Waals radii of two methyl groups. To facilitate this chemistry, the synthesis of Na[B[3,5-(CF3)2C6H3]4], needed to prepare HBAr(f), has been dramatically improved. The main change is to add NaBF4 to the reaction mixture before forming the Grignard from the reaction of magnesium and 3,5-(CF3)2C6H3Br. The Grignard reacts with the NaBF4 as it forms, reducing the danger of explosion and leading to a higher isolated yield of the product. Crystallographic information: 1 is triclinic, P1, a = 13.0133(6) A, b = 17.2210(7) A, c = 24.7634(11) A, alpha = 71.7300(10) degrees, beta = 82.3630(10) degrees, gamma = 70.5120(10) degrees, Z = 2; 2 is triclinic, P1, a = 12.756(4) A, b = 13.469(4) A, c = 17.160(5) A, alpha = 82.454(7) degrees, beta = 89.904(8) degrees, gamma = 72.995(7) degrees, Z = 1.

A Six-Coordinate Tris(3,5-dimethyl-1-pyrazolyl)methane-Thallium(I) Complex with a Stereochemically Inactive Lone Pair: Syntheses and Solid State Structures of {[HC(3,5-Me(2)pz)(3)](2)Tl}PF(6) and {[HC(3,5-Me(2)pz)(3)]Tl}PF(6) (pz = Pyrazolyl)

The addition of the tris(pyrazolyl)methane ligand HC(3,5-Me(2)pz)(3) (pz = pyrazolyl ring) to a THF solution of TlPF(6) results in the immediate precipitation of {[HC(3,5-Me(2)pz)(3)](2)Tl}PF(6). The structure has been determined crystallographically. The arrangement of the nitrogen donor atoms about the thallium is best described as a trigonally distorted octahedron. The thallium atom sits on a crystallographic center of inversion; thus the planes formed by the three nitrogen donor atoms of each ligand are parallel. The Tl-N bond distances range from 2.891(5) to 2.929(5) Å (average = 2.92) Å. The lone pair on thallium is clearly stereochemically inactive and does not appear to influence the structure. The pyrazolyl rings are planar, but are tilted with respect to the thallium atom so as to open up the N.N intraligand bite distances. The thallium(I) complex with a ligand to metal ratio of 1/1, {[HC(3,5-Me(2)pz)(3)]Tl}PF(6), is prepared in acetone by the reaction of equimolar amounts of HC(3,5-Me(2)pz)(3) and TlPF(6). The structure of the cation is a trigonal pyramid, with Tl-N bond distances that range from 2.64(1) to 2.70(1) Å (average = 2.67) Å. Pyrazolyl ring tilting is also observed in this complex, but the degree of tilting is smaller. Crystal data for {[HC(3,5-Me(2)pz)(3)](2)Tl}PF(6): monoclinic, P2(1)/c, a = 9.210(6) Å, b = 13.36(1) Å, c = 16.067(8) Å, beta = 92.48(5) degrees, V = 1975(2) Å(3), Z = 2, R = 0.029. For {[HC(3,5-Me(2)pz)(3)]Tl}PF(6): monoclinic, P2(1)/n, a = 10.685(2) Å, b = 16.200(5) Å, c = 13.028(3) Å, beta = 94.02(2) degrees, V = 2249.6(8) Å(3), Z = 4, R = 0.042.