Zerovalent Rhodium and Iridium Silatranes Featuring Two‐Center, Three‐Electron Polar σ Bonds

Light-Driven Hydrodefluorination of Electron-Rich Aryl Fluorides by an Anionic Rhodium-Gallium Photoredox Catalyst

An anionic Rh-Ga complex catalyzed the hydrodefluorination of challenging C-F bonds in electron-rich aryl fluorides and trifluoromethylarenes when irradiated with violet light in the presence of H₂ , a stoichiometric alkoxide base, and a crown-ether additive. Based on theoretical calculations, the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO), which is delocalized across both the Rh and Ga atoms, becomes singly occupied upon excitation, thereby poising the Rh-Ga complex for photoinduced single-electron transfer (SET). Stoichiometric and control reactions support that the C-F activation is mediated by the excited anionic Rh-Ga complex. After SET, the proposed neutral Rh⁰ intermediate was detected by EPR spectroscopy, which matched the spectrum of an independently synthesized sample. Deuterium-labeling studies corroborate the generation of aryl radicals during catalysis and their subsequent hydrogen-atom abstraction from the THF solvent to generate the hydrodefluorinated arene products. Altogether, the combined experimental and theoretical data support an unconventional bimetallic excitation that achieves the activation of strong C-F bonds and uses H₂ and base as the terminal reductant.

Heterometallic d8 -d10 Coupling of Rh(I) and M(0) (M=Pd, Pt) in a Sandwich Framework of π-Conjugated Ligands

A heterometallic M-M' bond formation is a key to construct atomically precise bimetallic clusters and materials. However, it is sometimes not straightforward to construct a heterometallic M-M' bond through conventional methods including redox condensation. Here, we found that a sandwich framework of π-conjugated unsaturated hydrocarbon ligands provides a unique coordination environment that facilitates unusual coupling of d⁸ Rh^I and d¹⁰ M⁰ (M=Pd, Pt). The molecular orbital analysis showed that the electron-accepting ability of the sandwich framework through back-donation allows the formation of a dσ-type Rh-Pd bond in a (d-d)¹⁸ electron system.

Computational Study of spx (x=1-3)-Hybridized Be-Be Bonds Stabilized by Amidinate Ligands

Complexes containing odd-electron Be-Be bonds are still rare until now. Hereby, a series of neutral di-beryllium amidinate complexes containing a Be-Be bond were explored theoretically. The complexes with direct chelation with the Be₂ dimer by the bidentate amidinate (AMD) ligands are always corresponding to their global minimum structures. The detailed bonding analyses reveal that the localized electrons of the Be-Be fragment can be adjusted by the amount of AMD ligands because each AMD ligand only takes one electron from the Be₂ fragment. Meanwhile, the hybridization of the central Be atom also changes as the number of AMD ligands increases. In particular, the sp³ -hybridized single-electron Be-Be bond is firstly identified in the tri-AMD-ligands-chelated neutral D_3h -Be₂ (AMD)₃ complex, which also possesses the higher stability compared to its monoanionic D_3h -Be₂ (AMD)₃ ^- and monocationic C₃ -Be₂ (AMD)₃ ⁺ analogues. Importantly, our study provides a new approach to obtain a neutral odd-electron Be-Be bond, namely by the use of radical ligands through side-on chelation.

Three-Coordinate Rhodium Complexes in Low Oxidation States

The isolation of simultaneously low-coordinate and low-valent compounds is a timeless challenge for preparative chemists. This work showcases the preparation and full characterization of tri-coordinate rhodium(-I) and rhodium(0) complexes as well as a rare rhodium(I) complex. Reduction of [{Rh(μ-Cl)(IPr)(dvtms)}₂ ] (1, IPr=1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazolyl-2-ylidene; dvtms=divinyltetramethyldisiloxane) with KC₈ gave the trigonal complexes K[Rh(IPr)(dvtms)] and [Rh(IPr)(dvtms)], whereas the cation [Rh(IPr)(dvtms)]⁺ results from their oxidation or by abstraction of chloride from 1 with silver salts. The paramagnetic Rh⁰ complex is a unique fully metal-centered radical with the unpaired electron in the d_z2 orbital. The Rh(-I) complex reacts with PPh₃ with replacement of the NHC ligand, and behaves as a nucleophile, which upon reaction with [AuCl(PPh₃ )] generates the trigonal pyramidal complex [(IPr)(dvtms)Rh-Au(PPh₃ )] with a metal-metal bond between two d¹⁰ metal centers.