Inner-Sphere Oxygen Activation Promoting Outer-Sphere Nucleophilic Attack on Olefins

Oxygen transfer reactivity mediated by nickel perfluoroalkyl complexes using molecular oxygen as a terminal oxidant

Nickel perfluoroethyl and perfluoropropyl complexes supported by naphthyridine-type ligands show drastically different aerobic reactivity from their trifluoromethyl analogs resulting in facile oxygen transfer to perfluoroalkyl groups or oxygenation of external organic substrates (phosphines, sulfides, alkenes and alcohols) using O₂ or air as a terminal oxidant. Such mild aerobic oxygenation occurs through the formation of spectroscopically detected transient high-valent Ni^III and structurally characterized mixed-valent Ni^II-Ni^IV intermediates and radical intermediates, resembling O₂ activation reported for some Pd dialkyl complexes. This reactivity is in contrast with the aerobic oxidation of naphthyridine-based Ni(CF₃)₂ complexes resulting in the formation of a stable Ni^III product, which is attributed to the effect of greater steric congestion imposed by longer perfluoroalkyl chains.

Beyond Continuum Solvent Models in Computational Homogeneous Catalysis

In homogeneous catalysis solvent is an inherent part of the catalytic system. As such, it must be considered in the computational modeling. The most common approach to include solvent effects in quantum mechanical calculations is by means of continuum solvent models. When they are properly used, average solvent effects are efficiently captured, mainly those related with solvent polarity. However, neglecting atomistic description of solvent molecules has its limitations, and continuum solvent models all alone cannot be applied to whatever situation. In many cases, inclusion of explicit solvent molecules in the quantum mechanical description of the system is mandatory. The purpose of this article is to highlight through selected examples what are the reasons that urge to go beyond the continuum models to the employment of micro-solvated (cluster-continuum) of fully explicit solvent models, in this way setting the limits of continuum solvent models in computational homogeneous catalysis. These examples showcase that inclusion of solvent molecules in the calculation not only can improve the description of already known mechanisms but can yield new mechanistic views of a reaction. With the aim of systematizing the use of explicit solvent models, after discussing the success and limitations of continuum solvent models, issues related with solvent coordination and solvent dynamics, solvent effects in reactions involving small, charged species, as well as reactions in protic solvents and the role of solvent as reagent itself are successively considered.

Iridium Complex of N-Fused Bilatrienone: Oxidative Cleavage of N-Fused Porphyrin Induced by Iridium-Cyclooctadiene Complexation

N-fused porphyrin (NFP) is a unique class of photostable near-infrared dyes with an 18π aromatic tetrapyrrole macrocyclic skeleton containing a tri-fused pentacyclic moiety. Here, the synthesis of an iridium complex of N-fused bilatrienone is reported as the degradation product of Ir-cyclooctadiene (cod)-induced oxidative cleavage of NFP under aerobic conditions. Similar to the native bilin chromophores, the ring-opened complex featured a broken π-conjugation circuit and exhibited a broad visible absorption band. In contrast, metalation of NFP using an iridium(I)(cod) complex under an inert atmosphere resulted in the formation of a cod-isomerized (κ¹ ,η³ -C₈ H₁₂ )-Ir complex.