Ring-Opening Protonolysis of Sila[1]ferrocenophanes as a Route to Stabilized Silylium Ions

Isolation and Structures of Polyarene Palladium Nanoclusters

We report that surrounding coordination of neutral six-membered arene rings affords molecularly well-defined organotransition metal nanoclusters. With the use of [2.2]paracyclophane as the face-capping arene ligand, we have isolated two polyarene palladium nanoclusters, one consisting of a hexakis-arene ligand shell and a hexagonal close-packed Pd₁₃ anticuboctahedron trichloride core, and the other consisting of an octakis-arene ligand shell and a non-close-packed Pd₁₇ square gyrobicupola dichloride core, both with Pd-Pd direct bonding. The μ₄-facial coordination mode of arene was discovered through the structural characterization of the Pd₁₃ cluster. Their Pd₁₃ and Pd₁₇ cores, which are distinct from the previously identified face-centered-cubic Pd₁₃ core surrounded by seven-membered cycloheptatrienyl, are explained by stereochemical and theoretical analyses.

The Power of the Proton: From Superacidic Media to Superelectrophile Catalysis

Superacidic media became famous in connection with carbocations. Yet not all reactive intermediates can be generated, characterized, and eventually isolated from these Brønsted acid/Lewis acid cocktails. The counteranion, that is the conjugate base, in these systems is often too nucleophilic and/or engages in redox chemistry with the newly formed cation. The Brønsted acidity, especially superacidity, is in fact often not even crucial unless protonation of extremely weak bases needs to be achieved. Instead, it is the chemical robustness of the aforementioned counteranion that determines the success of the protolysis. The advent of molecular Brønsted superacids derived from weakly coordinating, redox-inactive counteranions that do withstand the enormous reactivity of superelectrophiles such as silicon cations completely changed the whole field. This Perspective summarizes general aspects of medium and molecular Brønsted acidity and shows how applications of molecular Brønsted superacids have advanced from stoichiometric reactions to catalytic processes involving protons and in situ generated superelectrophiles.

Silylium Ions: From Elusive Reactive Intermediates to Potent Catalysts

The history of silyl cations has all the makings of a drama but with a happy ending. Being considered reactive intermediates impossible to isolate in the condensed phase for decades, their actual characterization in solution and later in solid state did only fuel the discussion about their existence and initially created a lot of controversy. This perception has completely changed today, and silyl cations and their donor-stabilized congeners are now widely accepted compounds with promising use in synthetic chemistry. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the fundamental facts and principles of the chemistry of silyl cations, including reliable ways of their preparation as well as their physical and chemical properties. The striking features of silyl cations are their enormous electrophilicity and as such reactivity as super Lewis acids as well as fluorophilicity. Known applications rely on silyl cations as reactants, stoichiometric reagents, and promoters where the reaction success is based on their steady regeneration over the course of the reaction. Silyl cations can even be discrete catalysts, thereby opening the next chapter of their way into the toolbox of synthetic methodology.

Tris(dimethylamino)silylium ion: structure and reactivity of a dimeric silaguanidinium

The formal dimer of an elusive silaguanidinium ion is described. It undergoes spontaneous electrophilic aromatic silylation of electron rich π-systems.

New reactivity at the silicon bridge in sila[1]ferrocenophanes

We describe two new types of reactivity involving silicon-bridged [1]ferrocenophanes. In an attempt to form a [1]ferrocenophane with a bridging silyl cation, the reaction of sila[1]ferrocenophane [Fe(η-C₅H₄)₂Si(H)TMP] (12) (TMP = 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidyl) towards the hydride-abstraction reagent trityl tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate ([CPh₃][B(C₆F₅)₄]) was explored. This yielded the unusual dinuclear species [Fe(η-C₅H₄)₂Si(TMP·H)(η-C₅H₃)Fe(η-C₅H₄)Si(H)TMP][B(C₆F₅)₄] [13][B(C6F5)4] in low yield. The formation of [13]+ is proposed to involve abstraction of hydride from the silicon bridge in 12 with subsequent C-H bond cleavage of a cyclopentadienyl group by the resulting electrophilic transient silyl cation intermediate. We also explored the reaction of dimethylsila[1]ferrocenophane [Fe(η-C₅H₄)₂SiMe₂] (1) with the Au(i) species AuCl(PMe₃). This was found to result in addition of the Au-Cl bond across the Cp_ipso-Si bond to yield the ring-opened species [1'-(chlorodimethylsilyl)-ferrocenyl](trimethylphosphine)gold(i), [Fe(C₅H₄SiMe₂Cl){C₅H₄Au(PMe₃)}] (14). This represents the first example of ring-opening addition of a metallocenophane with a reagent possessing a transition metal-halogen bond.

Reactive p-block cations stabilized by weakly coordinating anions

The chemistry of the p-block elements is a huge playground for fundamental and applied work. With their bonding from electron deficient to hypercoordinate and formally hypervalent, the p-block elements represent an area to find terra incognita. Often, the formation of cations that contain p-block elements as central ingredient is desired, for example to make a compound more Lewis acidic for an application or simply to prove an idea. This review has collected the reactive p-block cations (rPBC) with a comprehensive focus on those that have been published since the year 2000, but including the milestones and key citations of earlier work. We include an overview on the weakly coordinating anions (WCAs) used to stabilize the rPBC and give an overview to WCA selection, ionization strategies for rPBC-formation and finally list the rPBC ordered in their respective group from 13 to 18. However, typical, often more organic ion classes that constitute for example ionic liquids (imidazolium, ammonium, etc.) were omitted, as were those that do not fulfill the - naturally subjective -"reactive"-criterion of the rPBC. As a rule, we only included rPBC with crystal structure and only rarely refer to important cations published without crystal structure. This collection is intended for those who are simply interested what has been done or what is possible, as well as those who seek advice on preparative issues, up to people having a certain application in mind, where the knowledge on the existence of a rPBC that might play a role as an intermediate or active center may be useful.

Silylium ion-catalyzed challenging Diels-Alder reactions: the danger of hidden proton catalysis with strong Lewis acids

The pronounced Lewis acidity of tricoordinate silicon cations brings about unusual reactivity in Lewis acid catalysis. The downside of catalysis with strong Lewis acids is, though, that these do have the potential to mediate the formation of protons by various mechanisms, and the thus released Brønsted acid might even outcompete the Lewis acid as the true catalyst. That is an often ignored point. One way of eliminating a hidden proton-catalyzed pathway is to add a proton scavenger. The low-temperature Diels-Alder reactions catalyzed by our ferrocene-stabilized silicon cation are such a case where the possibility of proton catalysis must be meticulously examined. Addition of the common hindered base 2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine resulted, however, in slow decomposition along with formation of the corresponding pyridinium ion. Quantitative deprotonation of the silicon cation was observed with more basic (Mes)(3)P to yield the phosphonium ion. A deuterium-labeling experiment verified that the proton is abstracted from the ferrocene backbone. A reasonable mechanism of the proton formation is proposed on the basis of quantum-chemical calculations. This is, admittedly, a particular case but suggests that the use of proton scavengers must be carefully scrutinized, as proton formation might be provoked rather than prevented. Proton-catalyzed Diels-Alder reactions are not well-documented in the literature, and a representative survey employing TfOH is included here. The outcome of these catalyses is compared with our silylium ion-catalyzed Diels-Alder reactions, thereby clearly corroborating that hidden Brønsted acid catalysis is not operating with our Lewis acid. Several simple-looking but challenging Diels-Alder reactions with exceptionally rare dienophile/enophile combinations are reported. Another indication is obtained from the chemoselectivity of the catalyses. The silylium ion-catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction is general with regard to the oxidation level of the α,β-unsaturated dienophile (carbonyl and carboxyl), whereas proton catalysis is limited to carbonyl compounds.

Synthesis, electronic structure, and reactivity of strained nickel-, palladium-, and platinum-bridged [1]ferrocenophanes

The group 10 bis(phosphine)metalla[1]ferrocenophanes, [{Fe(η(5)-C(5)H(4))(2)}M(Pn-Bu(3))(2)] [M = Ni (4a), Pd (4b), and Pt (4c)], have been prepared by the reaction of Li(2)[Fe(η(5)-C(5)H(4))(2)]·tmeda (5, tmeda = N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine) with trans-[MCl(2)(Pn-Bu(3))(2)] [M = Ni (trans-6a) and Pd (trans-6b)] and cis-[PtCl(2)(Pn-Bu(3))(2)] (cis-6c), respectively. Single crystal X-ray diffraction revealed highly tilted, strained structures as characterized by α angles of 28.4° (4a), 24.5° (4b), and 25.2° (4c) and a distorted square planar environment for the group 10 metal center. UV/visible spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry indicated that all three compounds had smaller HOMO-LUMO gaps and were more electron-rich in nature than ferrocene and other comparable [1]ferrocenophanes. DFT calculations suggested that these differences were principally due to the electron-releasing nature of the M(Pn-Bu(3))(2) metal-ligand fragments. Attempts to induce thermal or anionic ring-opening polymerization of 4a-c were unsuccessful and were complicated by, for example, competing ligand dissociation processes or unfavorable chain propagation. In contrast, these species all reacted rapidly with acids effecting clean extrusion of the bis(phosphine)metal fragment. Carbon monoxide inserted cleanly into one of the palladium-carbon bonds of 4b to afford the ring-expanded, acylated product [{Fe(η(5)-C(5)H(4))(η(5)-C(5)H(4))(CO)}Pd(Pn-Bu(3))(2)] (10). The nickel analogue 4a, however, afforded [Ni(CO)(2)(Pn-Bu(3))(2)] whereas the platinum-bridged complex 4c was inert. Remarkably, all compounds 4a-c were readily oxidized by elemental sulfur to afford the [5,5']bicyclopentadienylidene (pentafulvalene) complexes [{η(4):η(0)-C(5)H(4)(C(5)H(4))}M(Pn-Bu(3))(2)] [M = Ni (11a)] and [(η(2)-C(10)H(8))M(Pn-Bu(3))(2)] [M = Pd (11b) and Pt (11c)] by a formal 4-electron oxidation of the carbocyclic ligands. Compounds 11b and 11c represent the first examples of [5,5']bicyclopentadienylidene as a neutral η(2)-ligand. The relative energies of η(2)-coordination with respect to that of η(4):η(0) bonding were investigated for 11a-c by DFT calculations.

Synthesis and cyclic voltammetric studies of diiron complexes, ER(2)[(eta-C(5)H(4))Fe(L(2))Me](2) (E = C, Si, Ge, Sn; R = H, alkyl; L(2) = diphosphine] and (eta-C(5)H(5))Fe(L(2))ER(2)Fc [Fc = (eta-C(5)H(4))Fe(eta-C(5)H(5))]

The cyclic voltammetric studies on ER(2)[(eta(5)-C(5)H(4))Fe(L(2))Me](2) (L(2) = dppe; ER(2) = CH(2) (1a), SiMe(2) (2a), GeMe(2) (3a), SnMe(2) (4a) revealed two well resolved reversible waves [(1)E(1/2) = -0.33 V, (2)E(1/2) = -0.20 V (for 1a); (1)E(1/2) = -0.35 V, (2)E(1/2) = -0.21 V (for 2a);(1)E(1/2) = -0.36 V, (2)E(1/2) = -0.23 V (for 3a);(1)E(1/2) = -0.36 V, (2)E(1/2) = -0.22 V (for 4a)] in CH(2)Cl(2) suggesting electronic communication between two iron centers which is seen for the first time in this family of organometallic complexes. The resolution between two reversible waves increases in the order of 1a < 2a < 3a < 4a; however, coordinating solvents such as pyridine, PhCN, DMSO and DMF decreased these interactions attributable to the stabilization of cationic species formed after the first oxidation. UV/Vis spectroelectrochemistry of 1a-4a revealed two distinct absorbance patterns for both redox processes and reflected the stepwise oxidation. Homobimetallic complexes containing ferrocenyl groups, (eta(5)-C(5)H(5))Fe(L(2))ER(2)Fc [ER(2) = none, L(2) = cis-dppen (5a), ER(2) = SiMe(2), L(2) = cis-dppen (6a), dppm (6b); ER(2) = GeMe(2), L(2) = cis-dppen (7a), dppm (7b); ER(2) = Sn(t)Bu(2), L(2) = dmpe (8a); Fc = (eta(5)-C(5)H(4))Fe(eta(5)4-C(5)H(5))] were prepared and studied in terms of electrochemistry. The cyclic voltammogram of 5a exhibited two well resolved one electron reversible waves at (1)E(1/2) = -0.21 V and (2)E(1/2) = 0.58 V corresponding to oxidation of the Fe(P-P) and Fc iron atoms respectively. Other complexes in this series (6a/6b, 7a/7b, 8a) containing direct Fe-E-Fc (E = Si, Ge and Sn) bridging units were not stable under electrochemical conditions and rupture of the Fe-E bonds was observed.

Synthesis and reactivity of functionalized cycloheptatrienyl-cyclopentadienyl sandwich complexes

This feature article provides an overview of the synthesis and reactivity of functionalized cycloheptatrienyl-cyclopentadienyl transition metal sandwich complexes of the type [(eta(7)-C(7)H(7))M(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))] (M = group 4, 5 or 6 metal), which can be used as building blocks for the preparation of metallopolymers and polymetallic complexes. Emphasis is placed on 16-electron group 4 complexes (M = Ti, Zr, Hf) and their reactivity towards sigma-donor/pi-acceptor ligands, which indicates that these complexes bear a close resemblance to Lewis acidic M(+IV) complexes. Based on theoretical calculations, this behavior can be mainly attributed to the strong and appreciably covalent metal-cycloheptatrienyl interaction with the cycloheptatrienyl ring acting more as a -3 ligand than as a +1 ligand in these mixed ring complexes.

Strained metallocenophanes and related organometallic rings containing pi-hydrocarbon ligands and transition-metal centers

The structures, bonding, and ring-opening reactions of strained cyclic carbon-based molecules form a key component of standard textbooks. In contrast, the study of strained organometallic molecules containing transition metals is a much more recent development. A wealth of recent research has revealed fascinating nuances in terms of structure, bonding, and reactivity. Building on initial work on strained ferrocenophanes, a broad range of strained organometallic rings composed of a variety of different metals, pi-hydrocarbon ligands, and bridging elements has now been developed. Such strained species can potentially undergo ring-opening reactions to functionalize surfaces and ring-opening polymerization to form easily processed metallopolymers with properties determined by the presence of the metal and spacer. This Review summarizes the current state of knowledge on the preparation, structural characterization, electronic structure, and reactivity of strained organometallic rings with pi-hydrocarbon ligands and d-block metals.