Donor‐Functionalised N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes of Group 9 and 10 Metals in Catalysis: Trends and Directions

The nature of Pd–carbene and Pd–halogen bonds in (bisNHC)PdX2 type catalysts: insights from density functional theory

Pd–carbene and Pd–halogen play a key role in the catalytic activity of (bisNHC)PdX₂ complexes and they can be fine-tuned with proper substitution in the carbene moiety and choosing a weakly coordinating halide ion.

Saturated N,X-Heterocyclic Carbenes (X=N, O, S, P, Si, C, and B): Stability, Nucleophilicity, and Basicity

Various saturated five-membered N,X-heterocyclic carbenes (X = N, O, S, P, Si, C, and B) have been studied by ab initio and density functional theory (DFT) methods. The substitutions alter the properties of the reference carbene from the viewpoint of electronic structure, stability, nucleophilicity, and basicity. Our study shows that the oxygen containing carbene (X = O) induces the highest HOMO–LUMO energy gap (ΔEHOMO–LUMO), while carbene with X = N has the widest singlet–triplet energy difference (ΔEs–t). The nucleophilicity of the carbene derivatives increased upon replacement of C, Si, and B, with the effect of the boron substituent being more pronounced. In addition, the basicity of the structure increased for the carbene derivatives with X = C and B with the latter substitution imposing a remarkably higher effect. Moreover, the substitution of boron at the α-position of the carbene increased the nucleophilicity and basicity, while inducing a reduction in the values of ΔEs–t and ΔEHOMO–LUMO.

Synthesis and electronic properties of N-heterocyclic carbene-containing conducting polymers with coinage metals

A series of bithiophene based N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) conducting polymers containing coinage metals (Cu, Ag, and Au) was designed and characterized.

Synthesis, structural studies and ligand influence on the stability of aryl-NHC stabilised trimethylaluminium complexes

Treatment of a series of aromatic NHCs with trimethylaluminium produced their corresponding NHC·AlMe₃ adducts displaying different stabilities. Their stabilities are rationalized using topographic steric maps and NHC % V Bur.

It's all about Me: methyl-induced control of coordination stereochemistry by a flexible tridentate N,C,N' ligand

A chiral, tridentate, pyridyl-functionalised NHC pro-ligand, S-L(Me)-H[PF₆], has been prepared diastereoselectively via a five step synthesis starting from 1R,3S-diamino-1,2,2-trimethylcyclopentane. The S prefix refers to the stereochemistry of a methyl substituted stereogenic carbon in one of the pyridyl arms which is generated by a stereoselective BH4(-) reduction of an imine precursor. The ligand has been coordinated to Rh(I) and Ir(I) to give trigonal bipyramidal complexes of the type [M(κ(3)-N,C,N'-S-L(Me))(1,5-COD)]PF6 (M = Rh, Ir) as single diastereomers. A combination of spectroscopic and X-ray techniques confirm the stereoselective formation of the thermodynamically preferred endo,endo isomer. Similar reactions with R,S-L(Me)-H[PF₆] gave a mixture of endo,endo-[M(κ(3)-N,C,N'-S-L(Me))(1,5-COD)](+) and exo,exo-[M(κ(3)-N,C,N'-R-L(Me))(1,5-COD)](+). The absolute configuration at the metal is, therefore, solely dictated by the stereochemistry of the single methylpyridyl carbon. The observation of stereoselection extends to the square planar Ni(II) complex [Ni(δ-κ(3)-N,C,N'-S-L(Me))Cl](+) which is isolated as one (δ) of the two possible conformational isomers. DFT studies have been employed to explain the observed stereoselectivity with the configurations observed in the solid state being confirmed as those of lowest energy.

Springloaded porphyrin NHC hybrid rhodium(III) complexes: carbene dissociation and oxidation catalysis

Porphyrin rhodium(III) complexes accommodate one or two NHC ligands in the apical position, which leads to severe porphyrin distortion and dearomatization. The strain in the bis(carbene) complex induces facile carbene dissociation and the formation of a catalytically active site for alcohol oxidation.

Hydroxyl and ester functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene complexes of iridium(i): efficient catalysts for transfer hydrogenation reactions

Iridium(i)–NHC catalyzed transfer hydrogenation reaction of aldehydes and ketones with up to 10 000 TON has been achieved.

N-Heterocyclic carbene rhodium(i) complexes containing an axis of chirality: dynamics and catalysis

Novel rhodium(i) complexes [RhCl(NBD)(NHC)] [NHC = 1-benzyl-3-R-imidazolin-2-ylidene; R = Me, Bz, Tr, ^tBu]: determination of the rotation barriers about the Rh-carbene and catalytic activity in the hydrosilylation of terminal alkynes.

1-Pentamethylbenzyl-3-(n)buthylbenzimidazolesilver(I)bromide complex: synthesis, characterization and DFT calculations

A novel NHC complex of silver(I) ion, 1-pentamethylbenzyl-3-(n)buthylbenzimidazolesilver(I)bromide, was prepared and fully characterized by single crystal X-ray structure determination. FT-IR, NMR and UV-vis spectroscopies were employed to investigate the electronic transition behaviors of the complex. Additionally, the molecular geometry, vibrational frequencies, gauge including atomic orbital (GIAO) (1)H and (13)C chemical shift and electronic transition values of silver(I) complex were calculated by using density functional theory levels (B3LYP and PBE1PBE) with LANL2DZ basis set. Also, the vibrational frequencies were supported on the basis of the potential energy distribution (PED) analysis calculated for PBE1PBE level. We were also investigated total static dipole moment (μ), the mean polarizability (〈α〉), the anisotropy of the polarizability (Δα), the mean first-order hyperpolarizability (〈β〉) of the title complex. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis was performed to determine the presence of hyperconjugative interactions, and charge distributions.

Hemilabile N-xylyl-N'-methylperimidine carbene iridium complexes as catalysts for C-H activation and dehydrogenative silylation: dual role of N-xylyl moiety for ortho-C-H bond activation and reductive bond cleavage

Direct dehydrogenative silylation of pyridyl and iminyl substrates with triethylsilane was achieved using (L)Ir(cod)(X) (1) (L = a perimidine-based carbene ligand, X = OAc and OCOPh) complexes as catalysts under toluene refluxing conditions in the presence of norbornene as a hydrogen scavenger, and the silylated products were obtained in good yields. The isolated bis(cyclometalated)iridium complexes, (C(∧)C:)(C(∧)N)IrOAc (2) (C(∧)C: = a cyclometalated perimidine-carbene ligand and C(∧)N = a cyclometalated pyridyl- and iminyl-ligated aromatic substrate), were key intermediates, where cyclometalated five-membered metallacycles of substrates such as phenylpyridine were selectively formed before yielding mono-ortho-silylation products. The bis(cyclometalated)iridium complex ((Xy)C(∧)C:)(C(∧)N)IrOAc (2d) ((Xy)C(∧)C: = a cyclometalated N-xylyl-N'-methylperimidine-carbene ligand and C(∧)N = a 2-pyridylphenyl ligand), reacted with 2 equiv of Et3SiH to give an iridium hydride complex, (L(4))(C(∧)N)Ir(H)(SiEt3) (8d) (L(4) = N-CH3, N-3,5-(CH3)2C6H3 perimidine), via demetalation of a N-3,5-xylyl ring of the carbene ligand of 2d. The formation of 8d was confirmed by isolating the corresponding chloro complex (L(4))(C(∧)N)Ir(Cl)(SiEt3) (8d-Cl) by treatment with CCl4. The N-methyl moiety of the carbene ligand coordinated to 8d was cyclometalated in the presence of norbornene at room temperature to afford ((Me)C(∧)C:)(C(∧)N)Ir(SiEt3) (10d) ((Me)C(∧)C: = a cyclometalated N-xylyl-N'-methylperimidine-carbene), while at high temperature 8d reacted with norbornene and Et3SiH to afford the silylated product, 2-(2-triethylsilyl)phenylpyridine (3a) and norbornane. A deuterium labeling experiment using 2d and Et3SiD (excess) revealed the incorporation of deuterium atoms at two ortho-positions of the N-xylyl group (>90%) and at the 3-position of 2-pyridylphenyl ligand (ca. 40%) within 3 h at room temperature, indicating that the cyclometalation/demetalation of the N-xylylperimidine carbene and 2-phenylpyridine ligands were reversible processes. Isolation of these cyclometalated iridium complexes under controlled conditions and D-labeling experiments thus revealed a dual function of the N-aryl group bound to the perimidine-carbene ligand, which acted as both a neutral carbene ligand and a monoanionic ortho-metalated aryl-carbene ligand through reversible C-H bond activation and Ir-C bond cleavage of the N-aryl group during the catalytic cycle.

Probing the utility of palladium complexes supported by morpholine-functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene ligands in Buchwald–Hartwig amination

Convenient and high-yielding syntheses of two new morpholine-substituted N-heterocyclic carbene ligands, 1-Ar-3-{2-(4-morpholinyl)phenyl}imidazolidin-2-ylidene (Ar = Dipp, Mes), are described. An investigation of corresponding palladium complexes reveals hemilability, and examples of both monodentate and bidentate coordination are observed. A preliminary investigation of the activity of these palladium complexes for Buchwald–Hartwig amination catalysis is presented.