Generating and Trapping Metalla-N-Heterocyclic Carbenes

Ag2O versus Cu2O in the Catalytic Isomerization of Coordinated Diaminocarbenes to Formamidines: A Theoretical Study

DFT theoretical calculations for the Ag₂O-induced isomerization process of diaminocarbenes to formamidines, coordinated to Mn(I), have been carried out. The reaction mechanism found involves metalation of an N-H residue of the carbene ligand by the catalyst Ag₂O and the formation of a key transition state showing a μ-η²:η² coordination of the formamidinyl ligand between manganese and silver, which allows a translocation process of Mn(I) and silver(I) ions between the carbene carbon atom and the nitrogen atom, before the formation of the formamidine ligand is completed. Calculations carried out using Cu₂O as a catalyst instead of Ag₂O show a similar reaction mechanism that is thermodynamically possible, but highly unfavorable kinetically and very unlikely to be observed, which fully agrees with experimental results.

A 2,2'-diphosphinotolane as a versatile precursor for the synthesis of P-ylidic mesoionic carbenes via reversible C-P bond formation

A metal-templated synthetic route to cyclic (aryl)(ylidic) mesoionic carbenes (CArY-MICs) featuring an endocyclic P-ylide is presented. This approach, which requires metal templates with two cis-positioned open coordination sites, is based on the controlled cyclisation of a P,P'-diisopropyl-substituted 2,2'-diphosphinotolane (1) and leads to chelate complexes coordinated by a phosphine donor and the CArY-MIC carbon atom. The C-P bond formation involved in the former partial cyclisation of 1 proceeds under mild conditions and was shown to be applicable all over the d-block. In the presence of a third fac-positioned open coordination site, the P-C bond formation was found to be reversible, as shown for a series of molybdenum complexes. DFT modelling studies are in line with an interpretation of the target compounds as CArY-MICs.

Probing the potential of metalla-N-heterocyclic carbenes towards activation of enthalpically strong bonds

Density functional theory calculations are employed to explore the reactivity of metalla-N-heterocyclic carbenes (MNHCs) towards activation of a variety of small molecules (H2, NH3, PH3, SiH3Ph and CH4). All the MNHCs considered are found to have a stable singlet ground state and possess suitable electronic properties for their application in small molecule activation. The calculated energy barriers of E-H (E = H, C, N, Si, P) activation for the MNHCs are found to be in agreement with those of the experimentally evaluated cyclic alkyl(amino)carbene (CAAC) and diamidocarbenes (DACs), thereby indicating the activating effect of the incorporation of an ancillary metal center within a cyclic NHC, and highlighting a new, underexplored strategy in achieving difficult bond activations with carbenes.

In search of stable singlet metalla-N-heterocyclic carbenes (MNHCs): a contribution from theory

Theoretical studies predict that the stability of the singlet state of metalla-N-heterocyclic carbenes (MNHCs) is strongly influenced not only by the substituents at the α-nitrogen atoms and the nature of ligands at the transition metal center but also by the substituents at the carbenic backbone. All the MNHCs were found to have a stable singlet ground state and the computed ΔE_S-T values for some of the MNHCs were found to be significantly large and lie within the range of experimentally known carbenes (31.0-84.0 kcal mol^-1). Furthermore, they were found to have superior σ-donation ability to conventional NHCs. The calculated proton affinities, gallium pyramidalization, pK_a and nucleophilicity index values for the MNHCs were found to be in good agreement with their calculated electron donation ability.

Cleavage of acyclic diaminocarbene ligands at an iridium(iii) center. Recognition of a new reactivity mode for carbene ligands

A new reactivity mode for acyclic diaminocarbene ligands, viz. competitive cleavage of either C–NH₂ or C–NHR bonds in the aminocarbene fragment, is recognized.

Selective formation of formamidines, carbodiimides and formimidates from isocyanide complexes of Mn(i) mediated by Ag2O

The easily accessible cation [Mn(bipy)(CO)₃]⁺ induces transformations of isocyanides into a variety of organic functionalities with the mediation of Ag₂O.

Half-sandwich iron(ii) complexes with protic acyclic diaminocarbene ligands: synthesis, deprotonation and metalation reactions

A variety of half-sandwich iron(ii) complexes with diprotic acyclic diaminocarbene ligands (pADCs) have been obtained by reaction of the cationic complexes [Fe(Cp)(CO)₂(CNR)]⁺ and [Fe(Cp)(CO)(CNR)₂]⁺ with methylamine, and their acid-base behaviour was studied, revealing an easy reversible deprotonation reaction of both N-H moieties of the carbene ligands. The deprotonation process is frequently followed by a nucleophilic attack of the nitrogen atom on a vicinal carbonyl or isocyanide ligand, affording the corresponding metallacycles. Metalation of one or two N-H groups of the pADC ligands can be accomplished by reaction of the carbene complexes with either [AuCl(PPh₃)] or [Ru(p-cym)Cl₂]₂ in the presence of KOH or LiHMDS as deprotonating agents. A number of Fe(ii)/Au(i) and Fe(ii)/Ru(ii) heterometallic complexes have been prepared in this way, some of them formally containing unique metalla-N-heterocyclic carbene ligands.