Chemical and Electrochemical Oxidation of Tris (3,5-di-tert -butylphenyl)phosphine - High Z′ Crystal Structures and Conformational Effects Associated with Bulky meta Substituents

On the Edge of the Known: Extremely Electron-Rich (Di)Carboranyl Phosphines

The syntheses of the first B9-connected carboranylphosphines (B9-Phos) featuring two carboranyl moieties as well as access to B9-Phos ligands with bulky electron-donating substituents, previously deemed unattainable, is reported. The electrochemical properties of the B9-Phos ligands were investigated, revealing the ability of the mesityl derivatives to form stabilized phosphoniumyl radical cations. The B9-Phos ligands display an extremely electron-releasing character surpassing that of alkyl phosphines and commonly used N-heterocyclic carbenes. This is demonstrated by their very small Tolman electronic parameters (TEPs) as well as extremely low P-Se coupling constants. Cone angles and buried volumes attest to the high steric demand exerted by the (di)carboranyl phosphines. The dicarboranyl phosphine Au^I complexes show superior catalytic performance in the hydroamination of alkynes compared to the monocarboranyl phosphine analogs.

Heterobimetallic Pd/Mn and Pd/Co complexes as efficient and stereoselective catalysts for sequential Cu-free Sonogashira coupling-alkyne semi-hydrogenation reactions

A series of heterobimetallic Pd^II/M^II complexes (M^II = Mn, Co) were synthesised and tested as precatalysts for sequential Sonogashira coupling-alkyne semi-hydrogenation reactions to form Z-aryl alkenes. The carbometalated heterobimetallic Pd^II/Co^II complex CoPdL3' demonstrated an apparent cooperative effect compared to the corresponding monometallic counterparts. This compound was identified as a potent single-molecule catalyst for the one-pot Cu-free Sonogashira coupling of aryl bromides with terminal alkynes followed by chemo- and stereoselective semi-hydrogenation of the alkyne intermediate using NH₃·BH₃ as a hydrogen source. Furthermore, different aromatic substrates have been tested to show the generality of the reaction for the synthesis of Z-alkenes, including biologically active combretastatin A-4. In addition, the homogeneous nature of the catalytically active species was demonstrated.

Sterically Crowded Tris(2-(trimethylsilyl)phenyl)phosphine - Is it Still a Ligand?

Tris(2-(trimethylsilyl)phenyl)phosphine, P( o -TMSC 6 H 4 ) 3 , was synthesised and characterised in solution and in the solid state. The large steric bulk prevents most reactions of the phosphorus donor and makes the compound air stable both in the solid state as well as in solution. This shielded phosphine can still undergo three reactions, namely protonation, oxidation to the phosphine oxide under harsh conditions and complexation to Au I , thus forming a complex with linear coordination. Unexpectedly, complexation was unsuccessful with a range of other metal cations. Neither Pd II , Pt II , Zn II nor Hg II reacted and even the remaining coinage metal cations Cu I and Ag I could not be coordinated. Both the parent molecule as well as the reaction products were structurally characterised by single crystal X-ray di raction, and the conformational change of geometry required to accommodate the additional atoms was analysed in detail. Apart from chemical oxidation with H 2 O 2 , P( o -TMSC 6 H 4 ) 3 displays reversible electrochemical oxidation with a potential not unlike the one of sterically unencumbered phosphines for which the oxidation is usually not reversible. P( o -TMSC 6 H 4 ) 3 can thus be considered a model compound for the investigation of the electronic properties of sterically unencumbered phosphines.

Frustrated Radical Pairs: Insights from EPR Spectroscopy

Progress in frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) chemistry has revealed the importance of the main group elements in catalysis, opening new avenues in synthetic chemistry. Recently, new reactivities of frustrated Lewis pairs have been uncovered that disclose that certain combinations of Lewis acids and bases undergo single-electron transfer (SET) processes. Here an electron can be transferred from the Lewis basic donor to a Lewis acidic acceptor to generate a reactive frustrated radical pair (FRP). This minireview aims to showcase the recent advancements in this emerging field covering the synthesis and reactivities of frustrated radical pairs, with extensive highlights of the results from Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to explain the nature and stability of the different radical species observed.