Synthesis of Hybrid Ligands with Nitrile and Cage Phosphane Donor Groups and their Applications in Gold-Mediated Reactions

Altering the donor properties of phosphane ligands through substituent variation is an established tool in coordination chemistry and catalysis. This contribution describes the synthesis of two new hybrid donors (L) combining 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-2,4,6-trioxa-8-phosphaadamantane-8-yl (PCg) and nitrile donor groups at different molecular scaffolds, viz. ferrocene-1,1'-diyl (fc) and 1,2-phenylene. These ligands were used to prepare dimeric Au(I) complexes [Au2 (μ(P,N)-L)2 ][SbF6 ]2 , which were evaluated as silver-free, preformed catalysts in Au-mediated cycloisomerization of (Z)-3-methylpent-2-en-4-yn-1-ol to 2,3-dimethylfuran. The catalyst featuring the ferrocene-based ligand, viz., [Au2 (μ(P,N)-CgPfcCN)2 ][SbF6 ]2 , showed the best catalytic performance at low catalyst loading (0.5 or 0.15 mol.%), which exceeded that of its diphenylphosphanyl analog [Au2 (μ(P,N)-Ph2 PfcCN)2 ][SbF6 ]2 studied earlier and the prototypical Au(I) precatalyst [Au(PPh3 )(MeCN)][SbF6 ].

Beyond phosphorus: synthesis, reactivity, coordination behaviour and catalytic properties of 1,1'-bis(diphenylstibino)ferrocene

Compared to their widely studied phosphine counterparts, ferrocene stibines have received only marginal attention thus far. This paper describes the synthesis of 1,1'-bis(diphenylstibino)ferrocene (1*), which is an antimony analogue of the ubiquitous dppf, and our investigations into the reactivity and coordination behaviour of this compound. Thus, distibine 1 was oxidised to stiboranes fc(SbPh₂X₂)₂ (X = Cl, 2*; F, 6*; fc = ferrocene-1,1'-diyl) and to stibine-stiborane Ph₂SbfcSbPh₂F₂ (5*). Compounds 2 and 6 were easily hydrolysed to produce ferrocenophanes fc[SbPh₂XOSbPh₂X] (X = Cl, 3*; F, 7*). Removing the halogen from 3 with silver(I) salts afforded the corresponding ferrocenophanes with O-bound oxyanions, fc[SbPh₂ZOSbPh₂Z] (Z = NO₃, 4a*; ClO₄, 4b*), which were alternatively prepared from 2 and also converted back to 2 by adding a chloride source. Through investigations into the coordination behaviour of distibine 1, the following compounds were isolated and characterised: [(μ-ClO₄)₂{Ag(1-κ²Sb,Sb')}₂] (8*), [Ag(1-κ²Sb,Sb')₂]X (X = ClO₄, 9a; SbF₆, 9b*), [(μ(Sb,Sb')-1){(arene)MCl₂}₂] (10*, 11*) and [(arene)MCl(1-κ²Sb,Sb')][PF₆] (12*, 13*; 10, 12: M/arene = Ru/η⁶-p-cymene, 11, 13; Rh/η⁵-C₅Me₅), [(η⁵-C₅Me₅)RuCl(1-κ²Sb,Sb')] (14), [MCl₂(1-κ²Sb,Sb')] (M = Pd, 15*; Pt, 16*), [Pd(1-κ²Sb,Sb')₂]X₂ (X = BF₄, 17a; SbF₆, 17b*), [Pd(η²-ma)(1-κ²Sb,Sb')] (18*; ma = maleic anhydride), [(μ(Sb,Sb')-1)(AuCl)₂] (19*), and [Au(1-κ²Sb,Sb')₂]X (X = AuCl₂, 20a*; SbF₆, 20b*). Inspection of the structural parameters suggested that complexes featuring 1 exhibit less sterically strained structures than their dppf analogues due to longer M-Sb and Sb-C bonds, which reduce crowding around the ligated metal centre. Cyclic voltammetry and DFT calculations revealed that the primary electrochemical oxidation of 1 is reversible and occurs at the ferrocene unit. Based on preliminary catalytic tests in Suzuki-Miyaura biaryl coupling, Pd-1 complexes exhibited a lower efficiency than their respective Pd-dppf analogues. (An asterisk indicates that the crystal structure has been determined.).

Forever young: the first seventy years of ferrocene

The discovery of ferrocene, [Fe(η5-C5H5)2], seventy years ago has significantly influenced chemical research and provided a key impetus for establishing and rapidly expanding organometallic chemistry, which has continued at a...

Synthesis, coordination behavior, and catalytic properties of dppf congeners with an inserted carbonyl moiety

Dppf-type ligands, desymmetrized by an inserted carbonyl group coordinate Pd(ii) and Pd(0). Among the air-stable Pd(0) complexes, the compound containing the least electron-donating ligand gives the best catalytic results in the Stille reaction.

K2S2O8-promoted rearrangement of nitrones for the synthesis of benzo[d]oxazoles

An efficient route for the synthesis of valuable benzoxazoles has been developed through self-oxidative cyclization with N–O bond cleavage.