Guanidinates as Alternative Ligands for Organometallic Complexes

For decades, ligands such as phosphanes or cyclopentadienyl ring derivatives have dominated Coordination and Organometallic Chemistry. At the same time, alternative compounds have emerged that could compete either for a more practical and accessible synthesis or for greater control of steric and electronic properties. Guanidines, nitrogen-rich compounds, appear as one such potential alternatives as ligands or proligands. In addition to occurring in a plethora of natural compounds, and thus in compounds of pharmacological use, guanidines allow a wide variety of coordination modes to different metal centers along the periodic table, with their monoanionic chelate derivatives being the most common. In this review, we focused on the organometallic chemistry of guanidinato compounds, discussing selected examples of coordination modes, reactivity and uses in catalysis or materials science. We believe that these amazing ligands offer a new promise in Organometallic Chemistry.

Arene-Osmium(II) Complexes in Homogeneous Catalysis

Although the application of arene-osmium(II) complexes in homogeneous catalysis has been much less studied than that of their ruthenium analogues, different works have shown that, in some instances, a comparable or even superior effectiveness can be achieved with this particular class of compounds. This review article focuses on the catalytic applications of arene-osmium(II) complexes. Among others, transfer hydrogenation, hydrogenation, oxidation, and nitrile hydration reactions, as well as different C-C bond forming processes, are comprehensively discussed.

Half-sandwich complexes of osmium containing guanidine-derived ligands

Pyridinyl- and phosphano-guanidino complexes of formula [(η6-p-cymene)OsCl(H2L)][SbF6] (cymene = MeC6H4iPr; H2L = N,N'-bis(p-Tolyl)-N''-(2-pyridinylmethyl)guanidine, H2L1 (1) and N,N'-bis(p-Tolyl)-N''-(2-diphenylphosphanoethyl)guanidine, H2L2 (2)) have been prepared from the dimer [{(η6-p-cymene)OsCl}2(μ-Cl)2] and H2L in the presence of NaSbF6. Treatment of complex 2 with HCl renders the phosphano-guanidinium complex [(η6-p-cymene)OsCl2(H3L2)][SbF6] (3). Compounds 1 and 2 react with AgSbF6 rendering the cationic aqua complexes [(η6-p-cymene)Os(H2L)(OH2)][SbF6]2 (H2L = H2L1 (4), H2L2 (5)). Addition of monodentate ligands L to compound 4 affords complexes of formula [(η6-p-cymene)Os(H2L1)L][SbF6]2 (L = py (6), 4-(NHMe)py (7), CO (8), P(OMe)3 (9)). Treatment of complexes 4 and 5 with NaHCO3 renders the monocationic complexes [(η6-p-cymene)Os(κ3N,N',N''-HL1)][SbF6] (10) and [(η6-p-cymene)Os(κ3N,N',P-HL2)][SbF6] (11), respectively, in which the HL ligand adopts a fac-κ3 coordination mode. The new complexes have been characterised by analytical and spectroscopic means, including the determination of the crystal structures of the compounds 1-4, 6, 8, and 11, by X-ray diffractometric methods. The phosphano-guanidino complexes 2 and 5 exhibit a temperature dependent fluxional process in solution. The new 18 electron complexes 1, 2, 6, and 8-10 are active catalysts for the Friedel-Crafts reaction between trans-β-nitrostyrene and N-methyl-2-methylindole. Conversions greater than 90% were obtained. Proton NMR studies support a mechanism involving the Brønsted-acid activation of trans-β-nitrostyrene through the NH functionalities of the coordinated guanidine ligands.

Direct Transformation of Nitroalkanes to Nitriles Enabled by Visible-Light Photoredox Catalysis and a Domino Reaction Process

A mild and convenient process for direct transformation of nitroalkanes to the corresponding nitriles was developed using a visible-light photoredox catalysis strategy with household decorative blue LEDs and the additives of Et₃N and DIPIBA (or DIPEA). Application of the process in secondary nitroalkanes bearing a β-alcohol resulted in a domino process of the retro-Henry reaction and the subsequent acetalization, aldol, cyanohydrin, and ring-contraction reactions with stereoselectivities. The photocatalytic reaction was demonstrated by a continuous flow method.

The chemistry of guanidinate complexes of the platinum group metals

In this Perspective article, recent advances in the chemistry of platinum group metal complexes containing mono- and dianionic guanidinate ligands, i.e. [(RN)2C-NR2]- and [(RN)2C[double bond, length as m-dash]NR]2-, respectively, are presented. Synthetic and structural aspects, reactivity studies, and applications of these compounds are discussed.

Unusual ligand rearrangement: from N-phosphinoguanidinato to phosphinimine-amidinato compounds

Novel N-phosphinoguanidines (HNiPr)(Ph2PNiPr)C(NAr) (Ar = 2,6-iPr2C6H3, 2,4,6-Me3C6H2) react with AlMe3 to afford phosphinimine-amidinato derivatives, via an unprecedented rearrangement of an initial N-phosphinoguanidinato intermediate. A reasonable mechanism has been proposed for this transformation, supported by DFT calculations, involving carbodiimide de-insertion followed by a [3+2] cycloaddition.

Cu(OAc)2/Malononitrile/Water: A Simple Reaction System for Synthesis of Aromatic Nitriles from Aldoximes

A simple method for the preparation of nitriles in moderate to good yield has been achieved by treatment of aromatic and heterocyclic aldoximes with malononitrile in water at reflux in the presence of copper acetate as catalyst. Arylaldoximes with an electron-donating group showed the highest reactivity, their conversion being achievable at room temperature.

Metal-Involving Synthesis and Reactions of Oximes

This review classifies and summarizes the past 10-15 years of advancements in the field of metal-involving (i.e., metal-mediated and metal-catalyzed) reactions of oximes. These reactions are diverse in nature and have been employed for syntheses of oxime-based metal complexes and cage-compounds, oxime functionalizations, and the preparation of new classes of organic species, in particular, a wide variety of heterocyclic systems spanning small 3-membered ring systems to macroheterocycles. This consideration gives a general outlook of reaction routes, mechanisms, and driving forces and underlines the potential of metal-involving conversions of oxime species for application in various fields of chemistry and draws attention to the emerging putative targets.

Insertion reactions of small unsaturated molecules in the N-B bonds of boron guanidinates

We report here 1,1- and 1,2-insertion reactions of small unsaturated molecules in the N-B bonds of two boron guanidinates, (Me₂N)C(NⁱPr)₂BCy₂ (1) and {ⁱPr(H)N}C(NⁱPr){N(p-^tBu-C₆H₄)}BCy₂ (2), and two bisboron guanidinates(2-), {ⁱPr(BCy₂)N}C(NⁱPr){N(p-^tBu-C₆H₄)}BCy₂ (3) and {ⁱPr(C₈H₁₄B)N}C(NⁱPr){N(p-Me-C₆H₄)}BC₈H₁₄ (4), the latter being prepared for the first time by double deprotonation of the corresponding guanidine with the 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane dimer, (H-BC₈H₁₄)₂. Compounds 1-4 easily insert aromatic isonitriles, XylNC (Xyl = 2,6-Me₂-C₆H₃) and (p-MeO-C₆H₄)NC, to give the expected diazaboroles 5-12, some of them being structurally characterised by X-ray diffraction. Interestingly, the BC₈H₁₄ derivatives 11 and 12 are in a fast temperature-dependent equilibrium with the de-insertion products, whose thermodynamic parameters are reported here. A correlation between these equilibria and the puckered heterocyclic structure found in the solid state for 11, and confirmed by DFT calculations, is also established. Reactions of the aforementioned guanidinates with CO are more sluggish or even precluded, and only one product, {ⁱPr(H)N}C{N(p-^tBu-C₆H₄)}(NⁱPr)(CO)BCy₂ (13), could be isolated in moderate yields. The 1,2-insertions of benzaldehyde in compounds 1, 2 and 4 are reversible reactions in all cases, and only one of the insertion products, {ⁱPr(H)N}C{N(p-^tBu-C₆H₄)}(NⁱPr)(PhHCO)BCy₂ (16a), was isolated and diffractrometrically characterised. Likewise, CO₂ reversibly inserts into a N-B bond of 2 to give {ⁱPr(H)N}C{N(p-^tBu-C₆H₄)}(NⁱPr)(CO₂)BCy₂ (19) with a conversion of ca. 9%. In all these equilibria, de-insertion is always favoured upon increasing the temperature.

Dialkylboron guanidinates: syntheses, structures and carbodiimide de-insertion reactions

Solutions of some of the title compounds reached an equilibrium with the aminoboranes and the corresponding carbodiimides at room temperature.