First ICN Adduct with a Selenium Donor (R = Se): Is It an Ionic [RSeCN]+I− or a“T-Shaped” R(I)SeCN Hypervalent Compound?

Chelating Phosphorus-An O, C, O-Coordinating Pincer-Type Ligand Coordinating PIII and PV Centres

The sequence of reactions of the phosphorus-containing aryllithium compound 5-t-Bu-1,3-[(P(O)(O-i-Pr)₂ ]₂ C₆ H₂ Li (ArLi) with Ph₂ PCl, KMnO₄ , elemental sulfur and elemental selenium, respectively, gave the aryldiphenylphosphane chalcogenides 5-t-Bu-1,3-[(P(O)(O-i-Pr)₂ ]₂ C₆ H₂ P(E)Ph₂ (1, E=O; 2, E=S; 3, E=Se). Compound 1 partially hydrolysed giving [5-t-Bu-1-{(P(O)(O-i-Pr)₂ }-3-{(P(O)(OH)₂ }C₆ H₂ ]P(O)Ph₂ (4). The reaction of ArLi with PhPCl₂ provided the benzoxaphosphaphosphole [1(P), 3(P)-P(O)(O-i-Pr)OPPh-6-t-Bu-4-P(O)(O-i-Pr)₂ ]C₆ H₂ P (5i) as a mixture of the two diastereomers. The oxidation of 5i with elemental sulfur gave the benzoxaphosphaphosphole sulfide [1(P), 3(P)-P(O)(O-i-Pr)OP(S)Ph-6-t-Bu-4-P(O)(O-i-Pr)₂ ]C₆ H₂ (5) as pair of enantiomers P1(R), P3(S)/P1(S), P3(R) of the diastereomer (RS/SR)-5 (5b). The aryldiphenylphosphane 5-t-Bu-1,3-[(P(O)(O-i-Pr)₂ ]₂ C₆ H₂ PPh₂ (6) was obtained from the reaction of the corresponding aryldiphenylphosphane sulfide 2 with either sodium hydride, NaH, or disodium iron tetracarbonyl, Na₂ Fe(CO)₄ . The oxidation of the aryldiphenylphosphane 6 with elemental iodine and subsequent hydrolysis yielded the aryldiphenyldioxaphosphorane 9-t-Bu-2,6-(OH)-4,4-Ph₂ -3,5-O₂ -2,6-P₂ -4λ⁵ -P-[5.3.1.0]-undeca-1(10),7(11),8-triene (7). Both of its diastereomers, (RR/SS)-7 (7a) and (RS/SR)-7 (7b), were separated as their chloroform and i-propanol solvates, 7a⋅2CHCl₃ and 7b⋅i-PrOH, respectively. DFT calculations accompanied the experimental work.

Reaction of imidazoline-2-selone derivatives with mesityltellurenyl iodide: a unique example of a 3c-4e Se→Te←Se three-body system embedding a tellurenyl cation

1,2-Bis(3-methyl-4-imidazolin-2-selone)ethane was used to stabilize the first example of an authentic mesityltellurenyl cation, [MesTe]⁺, as a charge transfer adduct featuring a 3c-4e Se→Te←Se three-body system.

Regioselective Metal-Free Aza-Heck Reactions of Terminal Alkenes Catalyzed by Phosphine Selenides

Phosphine selenides are introduced as an alternate class of selenium-based catalysts for the aza-Heck reaction of alkenes. Using these catalysts, a range of terminal alkenes react with NFBS to give oxidative amination products. Judicious choice of phosphine ligand gives greater regio- and stereoselectivity than with diphenyl diselenide, enabling the selective formation of E terminal enimides in high yields. Isotope-labeling experiments and measurements of kinetic isotope effects reveal that the reaction occurs stereospecifically via irreversible anti addition, followed by rate-determining syn elimination.

A unique case of oxidative addition of interhalogens IX (X=Cl, Br) to organodiselone ligands: nature of the chemical bonding in asymmetric I-Se-X polarised hypervalent systems

The reactivity of the imidazoline-2-selone derivatives 1,1'-methylenebis(3-methyl-4-imidazoline-2-selone) (D1) and 1,2-ethylenebis(3-methyl-4-imidazoline-2-selone) (D2) towards the interhalogens IBr and ICl has been investigated in the solid state with the aim of synthesising "T-shaped" hypervalent chalcogen compounds featuring the extremely rare linear asymmetric I-E-X moieties (E=S, Se; X=Br, Cl). X-ray diffraction analysis and FT-Raman measurements provided a clear indication of the presence in the compounds obtained of discrete molecular adducts containing I-Se-Br and I-Se-Cl hypervalent moieties following a unique oxidative addition of interhalogens IX (X=Cl, Br) to the organoselone ligands. In all asymmetric hypervalent systems isolated, a strong polarisation was observed, with longer bond lengths at the selenium atom involving the most electronegative halogen. A topological electron density analysis on model compounds based on the quantum theory of atoms-in-molecules (QTAIM) and electron localisation function (ELF) established the three-centre-four-electron (3c-4e) nature of the bonding in these very polarised selenium hypervalent systems and new criteria were suggested to define and ascertain the hypervalency of the selenium atoms in these and related halogen and interhalogen adducts.

The nature of the chemical bond in linear three-body systems: from i3- to mixed chalcogen/halogen and trichalcogen moieties

The 3 centre-4 electrons (3c-4e) and the donor/acceptor or charge-transfer models for the description of the chemical bond in linear three-body systems, such as I(3) (-) and related electron-rich (22 shell electrons) systems, are comparatively discussed on the grounds of structural data from a search of the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD). Both models account for a total bond order of 1 in these systems, and while the former fits better symmetric systems, the latter describes better strongly asymmetric situations. The 3c-4e MO scheme shows that any linear system formed by three aligned closed-shell species (24 shell electrons overall) has reason to exist provided that two electrons are removed from it to afford a 22 shell electrons three-body system: all combinations of three closed-shell halides and/or chalcogenides are considered here. A survey of the literature shows that most of these three-body systems exist. With some exceptions, their structural features vary continuously from the symmetric situation showing two equal bonds to very asymmetric situations in which one bond approaches to the value corresponding to a single bond and the second one to the sum of the van der Waals radii of the involved atoms. This indicates that the potential energy surface of these three-body systems is fairly flat, and that the chemical surrounding of the chalcogen/halogen atoms can play an important role in freezing different structural situations; this is well documented for the I(3) (-) anion. The existence of correlations between the two bond distances and more importantly the linearity observed for all these systems, independently on the degree of their asymmetry, support the state of hypervalency of the central atom.

Interaction of anti-thyroid drugs with iodine: the isolation of two unusual ionic compounds derived from Se-methimazole

The inhibition of lactoperoxidase (LPO)-catalyzed iodination of l-tyrosine by the anti-thyroid drug methimazole (MMI) and its selenium analogue (MSeI) is described. MSeI inhibits LPO with an IC(50) value of 12.4 microM, and this inhibition could be completely reversed by increasing the peroxide concentration. In addition to the inhibition, MSeI reacts with molecular iodine to produce novel ionic diselenides, and the nature of the species formed in this reaction appear to be solvent-dependent. The formation of ionic species in the reaction is confirmed by single-crystal X-ray studies, FT-IR and FT-Raman spectroscopic investigations. This study provides the first experimental evidence that MSeI not only effectively inhibits the LPO-catalyzed iodination of tyrosine, but also reacts with I(2) to produce novel ionic diselenides. These results also suggest that MSeI reacts with iodine, even in its oxidized form, to form ionic diselenides containing iodide or polyiodide anions, which might be effective intermediates in the inhibition of thyroid hormones.

DFT calculations, structural and spectroscopic studies on the products formed between IBr and N,N′-dimethylbenzoimidazole-2(3H)-thione and -2(3H)-selone

The NBO charge distribution calculated at DFT level on the [LEX](+) species [LE=N,N'-dimethylbenzoimidazole-2(3H)-thione (3) and -2(3H)-selone (4)(Scheme 1); X=I, Br] suggests that the most likely products from the reaction 3 of 4 and with IBr are the 10-X-2 charge-transfer (CT) adduct and the 10-Se-3 "T-shaped" hypervalent adduct featuring a linear Br--Se--I system, respectively. This prediction is confirmed by the synthesis, and X-ray diffraction analysis of 3.IBr (I) and 4.I(0.72)Br(1.28)(II). In particular II, is a 10-Se-3 "T-shaped" hypervalent adduct containing an almost linear X--Se--X system [X--Se--X 179.07(3) degrees, X=I(0.36)/Br(0.64)], which is roughly perpendicular to the average plane of the benzoimidazole moiety. The FT-Raman spectra of I and II agree very well with their structural features. In particular, the complexity of the FT-Raman spectrum of II reflects the disorder in the X-ray crystal structure of this compound.