The chemistry of the carbon-transition metal double and triple bond: Annual survey covering the year 2011

Electronic effect of ligands vs. reduction potentials of Fischer carbene complexes of chromium: a molecular electrostatic potential analysis

Molecular electrostatic potential at the chromium centre (V_Cr) emerges as a powerful predictor of reduction potential (E⁰).

Carbon-rich cyclopentadienyl ruthenium allenylidene complexes

Ruthenium allenylidene complexes based on carbon-rich polyaromatic moieties have been synthesized with interesting intermolecular π-interactions.

Synthesis and properties of mono- and dimetal Fischer multicarbene complexes derived from thiophene and thieno[2,3-b]thiophene

Access to multicarbene complexes of a fused thienothiophene substrate was obtained by the use of the tetrabrominated thieno[2,3-b]thiophene precursor in a lithium-bromide exchange reaction, followed by nucleophilic attack on metal hexacarbonyls (M = Cr, W). Subsequent alkylation afforded unique triscarbene complexes [M(CO)4{{C(OEt)}2C6H1S2C(OEt)}M(CO)5] (M = Cr 12, W 13) featuring three non-equivalent carbene ligands on a single thiophene linker, as well as the bischelated tetracarbene complexes [M(CO)4{{C(OEt)}2C6S2{C(OEt)}2}M(CO)4] (M = Cr 14, W 15). The triscarbene complexes 12 and 13 are the first examples of multi-alkoxycarbene complexes featuring three non-equivalent carbene ligands. The reaction also afforded the chelated mononuclear biscarbene complexes [M(CO)4{C(OEt)}2C6H2S2] (M = Cr 10, W 11) in low yields. Similarly, employing tetrabromothiophene as precursor yielded the mononuclear chelate biscarbene complexes [M(CO)4{C(OEt)}2C4H2S] (M = Cr 6, W 7) and the dinuclear tetracarbene complexes [M(CO)4{{C(OEt)}2C4S{C(OEt)}2}M(CO)4] (M = Cr 8, W 9). Modification of the classic Fischer carbene synthetic methodology to a process of stepwise additions of lithiating agent and metal carbonyls to thieno[2,3-b]thiophene, facilitates the formation of the mixed metal biscarbene complex [W(CO)5C(OEt){C6H2S2}C(OEt)Cr(CO)5] 5, as analogue of the homonuclear biscarbene complexes [M(CO)5C(OEt){C6H2S2}C(OEt)M(CO)5], (M = Cr 3, W 4). The monocarbene complexes [M(CO)5{C(OEt)C6H3S2}], (M = Cr 1, W 2) were also obtained in high yields, and the molecular structures of the tungsten complexes, with the exception of 9 and 11, were confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies.

Halogenation of carbyne complexes: isolation of unsaturated metallaiodirenium ion and metallabromirenium ion

The halogenation of metallapentalyne led to the formation of metallapentalenes. Experimental and computational studies indicate that four resonance structures, including the first examples of metallaiodirenium and metallabromirenium ions, contribute to the overall structure of the complexes.

The halogenation of metallapentalyne led to the formation of metallapentalenes, which were fully characterized and studied by DFT calculations. The experimental and computational studies indicate that four resonance forms contribute to the overall structure of the metallapentalenes, and one resonance form could be viewed as the first examples of metallaiodirenium and metallabromirenium ions.

Nucleophilic substitution in ionizable Fischer thiocarbene complexes: steric effect of the alkyl substituent on the heteroatom

A detailed kinetic study has been carried out for the aminolysis of ionizable Fischer thiocarbene complexes (CO)5M[double bond, length as m-dash]C(SR)CH3 (M = Cr, W; R = iPr, nBu, cHex, tBu) with five primary amines and one secondary amine in aqueous acetonitrile solutions (50% MeCN-50% water (v/v)). The observed rate constants for the reaction with primary amines showed a first-order dependence on the amine concentration, while with morpholine, the rate constant has second-order dependence. The general base catalysis process was confirmed by the variation of the rate constants with the concentration of an external catalyst and the pH. The results agree with a stepwise mechanism where the nucleophilic addition to the carbene carbon to produce a tetrahedral intermediate (T±) is the first step, followed by a rapid deprotonation of to form the anion T- which leads to the products by general-acid catalysed leaving group (-SR) expulsion. In general, it was found that the chromium complexes are less reactive than the tungsten analogues. The obtained Brønsted parameters for the nucleophilic addition (βnuc) indicate that C-N bond formation has made little progress at the transition state. By using Charton's correlation, the role that the steric factor plays throughout the mechanism has been unraveled. The nucleophilic addition to the thiocarbenes is less sensitive to steric effects than the alkoxycarbenes regardless of the nature of the metal centre. Conversely, the steric effects on the general-base catalysis can be strong depending on the volume of the catalyst and the metal centre. On the basis of the structure-reactivity coefficients β and ψ and comparison with alkoxycarbene complexes, esters and thiolesters, insights into the main factors ruling the reactivity in terms of transition state imbalances are discussed.