A Square-Planar Organoiron(III) Compound with a Spin-Admixed State

Synthesis and Characterization of Two Uranyl-Aryl "Ate" Complexes

Reaction of [UO₂ Cl₂ (THF)₃ ] with 3 equivalents of LiC₆ Cl₅ in Et₂ O resulted in the formation of first uranyl aryl complex [Li(Et₂ O)₂ (THF)][UO₂ (C₆ Cl₅ )₃ ] ([Li][1]) in good yields. Subsequent dissolution of [Li][1] in THF resulted in conversion into [Li(THF)₄ ][UO₂ (C₆ Cl₅ )₃ (THF)] ([Li][2]), also in good yields. DFT calculations reveal that the U-C bonds in [Li][1] and [Li][2] exhibit appreciable covalency. Additionally, the ¹³ C NMR chemical shifts for their C_ipso environments are strongly affected by spin-orbit coupling-a consequence of 5f orbital participation in the U-C bonds.

Electronic and Steric Effects on the Reductive Elimination of Anionic Arylferrate(III) Complexes

Arylferrate(III) complexes Ph₃ FeR^- (R=para- and ortho-substituted aryl) are proposed as model systems for the in-depth investigation of reductive eliminations from organoiron(III) species. Electrospray ionization transfers the arylferrate complexes prepared in situ from solution into the gas phase, where mass selection ensures a well-defined population of reactant ions. Upon gas-phase fragmentation, the arylferrate complexes undergo reductive elimination of the cross-coupling product PhR as well as the homo-coupling product Ph₂ . The measured branching ratios between the two competing reaction channels are used to construct a Hammett plot, which shows that electron-donating aryl groups R favor the formation of the cross-coupling product. In this way, the complexes avoid the build-up of too much electron density at the iron center during the reductive elimination. ortho Substitution in R increases the fraction of the homo-coupling product, presumably by hindering the approach between the two aryl groups participating in the reductive elimination. The obtained mechanistic insight substantially advances our understanding of one of the central elementary steps of transition-metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions.

Oxidation States, Stability, and Reactivity of Organoferrate Complexes

We have applied a combination of electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry, electrical conductivity measurements, and Mössbauer spectroscopy to identify and characterize the organoferrate species R _nFe _m^- formed upon the transmetalation of iron precursors (Fe(acac)₃, FeCl₃, FeCl₂, Fe(OAc)₂) with Grignard reagents RMgX (R = Me, Et, Bu, Hex, Oct, Dec, Me₃SiCH₂, Bn, Ph, Mes, 3,5-(CF₃)₂-C₆H₃; X = Cl, Br) in tetrahydrofuran. The observed organoferrates show a large variety in their aggregation (1 ≤ m ≤ 8) and oxidation states (I to IV), which are chiefly determined by the nature of their organyl groups R. In numerous cases, the addition of a bidentate amine or phosphine changes the distributions of organoferrates and affects their stability. Besides undergoing efficient intermolecular exchange processes, several of the probed organoferrates react with organyl (pseudo)halides R'X (R' = Et, ⁱPr, Bu, Ph, p-Tol; X = Cl, Br, I, OTf) to afford heteroleptic complexes of the type R₃FeR'^-. Gas-phase fragmentation of most of these complexes results in reductive eliminations of the coupling products RR' (or, alternatively, of R₂). This finding indicates that iron-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions may proceed via such heteroleptic organoferrates R₃FeR'^- as intermediates. Gas-phase fragmentation of other organoferrate complexes leads to β-hydrogen eliminations, the loss of arenes, and the expulsion of organyl radicals. The operation of both one- and two-electron processes is consistent with previous observations and contributes to the formidable complexity of organoiron chemistry.

Spin transitions in bis(amidinato)-N-heterocyclic carbene iron(ii) and iron(iii) complexes

In contrast to high spin pyridyl diimine iron(ii) dichloride complexes, analogous bis(amidinato)-N-heterocyclic carbene iron(ii) and iron(iii) complexes demonstrate complex magnetic behaviour.

Homoleptic organoderivatives of high-valent nickel(III)

Homoleptic perhalophenyl derivatives of divalent nickel complexes with the general formula [NBu(4)](2)[Ni(II)(C(6)X(5))(4)] [X=F (1), Cl (2)] have been prepared by low-temperature treatment of the halo-complex precursor [NBu(4)](2)[NiBr(4)] with the corresponding organolithium reagent LiC(6)X(5). Compounds 1 and 2 are electrochemically related by reversible one-electron exchange processes with the corresponding organometallate(III) compounds [NBu(4)][Ni(III)(C(6)X(5))(4)] [X=F (3), Cl (4)]. The potentials of the [Ni(III)(C(6)X(5))(4)](-)/[Ni(II)(C(6)X(5))(4)](2-) couples are +0.07 and -0.11 V for X=F or Cl, respectively. Compounds 3 and 4 have also been prepared and isolated in good yield by chemical oxidation of 1 or 2 with bromine or the amminium salt [N(C(6)H(4)Br-4)(3)][SbCl(6)]. The [Ni(III)(C(6)X(5))(4)](-) species have SP-4 structures in the salts 3 and 4, as established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods. The [Ni(II)(C(6)F(5))(4)](2-) ion in the parent compound 1 has also been found to exhibit a rather similar SP-4 structure. According to their SP-4 geometry, the Ni(III) compounds (d(7)) behave as S=1/2 systems both at microscopic (EPR) and macroscopic levels (ac and dc magnetization measurements). The spin Hamiltonian parameters obtained from the analysis of the magnetic behavior of 3 and 4 within the framework of ligand field theory show that the unpaired electron is centered mainly on the metal atom, with >97 % estimated d(z(2) ) contribution. Thermal decomposition of 3 and 4 proceeds with formation of the corresponding C(6)X(5)--C(6)X(5) coupling compounds.