Carbenerhodium complexes of the half-sandwich-type: synthesis, substitution, and addition reactions

Carbene-Like Reactivity in an Iron Azametallacyclobutene Complex: Insights from Electronic Structure

Herein we describe our investigation into the electronic structure of the first isolated monometallic iron azametallacyclobutene complex. Computational analysis through density functional theory calculations reveals electron delocalization throughout the four atoms of the ring system, in line with experimental observations and supporting the classification of this complex as a conjugated metallacycle. The results of this study also point to significant contribution from an imine-substituted iron carbene resonance structure to the overall bonding picture for the azametallacyclobutene. Accordingly, this complex participates in carbene-like reactivity in the presence of an isocyanide substrate to generate a ketenimine product. The related reaction with carbon monoxide leads to the isolation of a five-membered metallacycle that is analogous to the proposed intermediate in ketenimine formation, and confirms the α-carbon as the site of reactivity.

Two Amphoteric Silver Carbene Clusters

Two highly labile silver carbene cluster complexes are described, which are unique in that they mark the transition point at which the carbene center transmutes from a fairly common NHC-like nucleophilic behavior to an electrophilic character befitting reactive silver carbene intermediates of relevance in various catalytic transformations. This amphoteric character is the distinguishing attribute of a μ-bridged donor/donor carbene entity that connects two silver atoms of triangular or tetrahedral metallic core units.

Discrete Bridging and Terminal Copper Carbenes in Copper-Catalyzed Cyclopropanation

The Cu(I) beta-diketiminate [Me2NN]Cu(eta2-ethylene) (2) catalyzes the cyclopropanation of styrene with N2CPh2 to give 1,1,2-triphenylcyclopropane in 67% yield. Addition of N2CPh2 to 2 equiv of 2 allows for the isolation of the dicopper carbene [[Me2NN]Cu]2(mu-CPh2) (3) in which the diphenylcarbene moiety is symmetrically bound between two [Me2NN]Cu fragments (Cu-C = 1.922(4) and 1.930(4) A) with a Cu-Cu separation of 2.4635(7) A. In toluene-d8 solution, 3 reversibly dissociates a [Me2NN]Cu fragment to give [Me2NN]Cu(toluene) and the terminal carbene [Me2NN]Cu=CPh2. Dicopper carbene 3 reacts with 3 equiv of styrene to give 1,1,2-triphenylcyclopropane and 2 equiv of [Me2NN]Cu(eta2-styrene) within minutes. DFT studies with simplified ligands indicate a stronger Cu-C pi-back-bonding interaction from two Cu(I) centers to the carbene acceptor orbital in a dicopper carbene than that present in a monocopper carbene. Nonetheless, the terminal carbene [Me3NN]Cu=CPh2 (8) that possesses a p-methyl group on each beta-diketiminato N-aryl ring may be isolated and exhibits a shortened Cu-C distance of 1.834(3) A. The stoichiometric cyclopropanation of styrene by 8 in 1,4-dioxane is first-order in both copper carbene 8 and styrene with activation parameters DeltaH = 10.4(3) kcal/mol and DeltaS = -32.3(9) cal/mol.K. In 1,4-dioxane, 8 decomposes to Ph2C=CPh2 via first-order kinetics with activation parameters DeltaH = 21(1) kcal/mol and DeltaS = -8(3) cal/mol.K. Arene solutions of thermally sensitive terminal carbene 8 decompose to [Me3NN]Cu(arene), which reacts with 8 still present in solution to give the more thermally stable [[Me3NN]Cu]2(mu-CPh2).

The bridging function of an apparently nonbridging ligand: dinuclear rhodium complexes with Rh(mu-SbR3)Rh as a molecular unit

Novel dinuclear rhodium complexes of the general composition [Rh2Cl2(mu-CRR')2(mu-SbiPr3)] (4-6) were prepared by thermolysis of the mononuclear precursors trans-[RhCl(=CRR')(SbiPr3)2] in excellent yield. The X-ray crystal structure analysis of 4 (R = R' = Ph) confirms the symmetrical bridging position of the stibane ligand. Related compounds [Rh2Cl2(mu-CPh2)(mu-CRR')(mu-SbiPr3)] (7, 8) with two different carbene units were obtained either from trans-[RhCl(=CPh2)(SbiPr3)2] (1) and RR'CN2 or by a conproportionation of 4 and 5 (R = R' = p-Tol) or 4 and 6 (R= Ph, R' = p-Tol), respectively. While CO reacts with 4 to give the polymeric product [[RhCl(CPh2)(CO)]n] (9), tert-butyl isocyanide replaces the bridging stibane and yields [Rh2Cl2(mu-CPh2)2(mu-CNtBu)] (10). The reaction of 4 with tertiary phosphanes PR3 leads to complete bridge cleavage and affords the mononuclear compounds trans-[RhCl(=CPh2)(PR3)2] (11-15). In contrast, treatment of 4 with SbMe3 and SbEt3 yields the related triply bridged complexes [Rh2Cl2(mu-CPh2)2(mu-SbR3)] (16, 17) by substitution of SbiPr3 for the smaller stibanes. The displacement of the chloro ligands in 4-6 and 10 by n5-cyclopentadienyl gives the dinuclear complexes [(n5-C5H5)2Rh2(mu-CRR')2] (18-20) and [(n5-C5H5)2Rh2(mu-CPh2)2(mu-CNtBu)] (21), of which 18 (R = R' = Ph) was characterized crystallographically.