Synthesis and solvent induced halide exchange of the electron rich, half sandwich complexes [FeI(dppe)Cp] and [MoX(dppe)(η7-C7H7)] (X = Br, Cl; dppe = Ph2PCH2CH2PPh2)

Ball-Milling toward Nickel(II) Diphosphine Complexes for Direct Use in Catalysis

Mechanochemistry turned out to be a powerful synthetic tool enabling the first efficient synthesis of nickel(II) complexes with diphosphines. It has been demonstrated that solventless ball-milling of nickel(II) halides with diphosphines leads to the [NiX2(diphosphine)] type compounds, which can be directly used in catalysis without any purification. Moreover, it was confirmed that despite the presence of impurities in the resulting complexes, their catalytic activity remains identical to those obtained via traditional solvent-based methods.

Syntheses and Characterization of the First Cycloheptatrienyl Transition-Metal Complexes with a M-CF3 Bond

The organometallic chemistry of metal complexes with organocyclic ligands of higher than five hapticity is much more lacking than the chemistry of metal complexes with η⁵-cyclopentadienyl ligands, which has been explored in considerable depth, resulting in novel advances. The main reason for this is stability. In particular, reports indicate that (η⁷-C₇H₇)ML_n complexes are considerably less stable than analogous (η⁵-C₅H₅)ML_n. In perfluoroalkyl metal chemistry, there is currently no reported (η⁷-C₇H₇)ML_n derivative, whereas a number of alkylated ones are known and important conclusions have been drawn about their stability. Responding to this void, and using Morrison’s trifluoromethylating reagent, the present study reports the synthesis and characterization of the first cycloheptatrienyl molybdenum complexes bearing the trifluoromethyl moiety; (η⁷-C₇H₇)Mo(CO)₂CF₃ (I), and (η⁷-C₇H₇)Mo(CO)(PMe₃)CF₃ (II) and discusses their low thermal instability.

Complexes of MN2S2·Fe(η5-C5R5)(CO) as platform for exploring cooperative heterobimetallic effects in HER electrocatalysis

The control of aggregation at sulfur by metallodithiolates (MN₂S₂) has made them prime candidates as building blocks for the synthesis of biomimetics of various bimetallic enzyme active sites, with reactivity consequences implicating redox control by both metal centers. Recent studies of MN₂S₂ (M = Ni²⁺, Fe(NO)²⁺) bound to [(η⁵-C₅H₅)Fe(CO)]⁺ as electrocatalysts for proton reduction, the hydrogen evolution reaction, demonstrated reduction-induced hemi-lability of the bridging cis-dithiolates as a key step in the electrochemical proton reduction process (Ding, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2016, 138, 12920-12927). The MN₂S₂·Fe(η⁵-C₅R₅)(CO) platform offers numerous possibilities for tuning the electronic character of the M(μ-S₂)Fe core. As well as modifying M within the metallodithiolate ligand, replacing H by CH₃ at the η⁵-C₅R₅ moiety increases the electron density at the Fe center, which might facilitate the reductive Fe-S bond cleavage. Although release of a free thiolate in these hemi-labile ligands creates a needed internal pendant base, this benefit might be countered by the increase in over-potential for addition of the first electron. Herein we report the preparation and characterization of four bimetallic aggregates with the (η⁵-C₅R₅)Fe(CO) (R = H, CH₃; Fe' or Fe*', respectively) or the dicarbonyl (η⁵-C₅R₅)Fe(CO)₂ scaffold (R = H, CH₃; Fe'' or Fe*'', respectively) bound to redox active MN₂S₂ ligands (M = Ni²⁺, Co(NO)²⁺; N₂S₂ = bismercaptoethane diazacycloheptane) Co-Fe*', Ni-Fe*', Co-Fe' and Co-Fe*'' complexes. The bidentate complexes were found to be electrocatalysts for proton reduction, although at high over-potential, especially for the derivatives of the electron-rich (η⁵-C₅(CH₃)₅)Fe(CO)⁺. The turnover (TON) and turnover frequencies (TOF) were determined and found to be comparable to the previously reported MN₂S₂·Fe(η⁵-C₅H₅)(CO)⁺ analogues.

Optimised Syntheses of the Half-Sandwich Complexes FeCl(dppe)Cp*, FeCl(dppe)Cp, RuCl(dppe)Cp*, and RuCl(dppe)Cp

Thanks to their synthetic versatility, the half-sandwich metal chlorides MCl(dppe)(η5-C5R5) [M = Fe, Ru; dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane, R = H (cyclopentadiene, Cp), CH3 (pentamethylcyclopentadiene, Cp*)] are staple starting materials in many organometallic laboratories. Here we present an overview of the synthetic methods currently available for FeCl(dppe)Cp*, FeCl(dppe)Cp, RuCl(dppe)Cp*, and RuCl(dppe)Cp, and describe in detail updated and optimised multigram syntheses of all four compounds.

Cyanide-bridged iron complexes as biomimetics of tri-iron arrangements in maturases of the H cluster of the di-iron hydrogenase

Concepts from organometallic chemistry are used to define possibilities of cyanide as a docking unit for bioassembly processes.

Developing from certain catalytic processes required for ancient life forms, the H₂ processing enzymes [NiFe]- and [FeFe]-hydrogenase (H₂ase) have active sites that are organometallic in composition, possessing carbon monoxide and cyanide as ligands. Simple synthetic analogues of the 2Fe portion of the active site of [FeFe]-H₂ase have been shown to dock into the empty carrier (maturation) protein, apo-Hyd-F, via the bridging ability of a terminal cyanide ligand from a low valent Fe^IFe^I unit to the iron of a 4Fe4S cluster of Hyd-F, with spectral evidence indicating CN isomerization during the coupling process (Berggren, et al., Nature, 2013, 499, 66–70). To probe the requirements for such cyanide couplings, we have prepared and characterized four cyanide-bridged analogues of 3-Fe systems with features related to the organoiron moiety within the loaded HydF protein. As in classical organometallic chemistry, the orientation of the CN bridge in the biomimetics is determined by the precursor reagents; no cyanide flipping or linkage isomerization was observed. Density functional theory computations evaluated the energetics of cyanide isomerization in such [FeFe]–CN–Fe ⇌ [FeFe]–NC–Fe units, and found excessively high barriers account for the failure to observe the alternative isomers. These results highlight roles for cyanide as an unusual ligand in biology that may stabilize low spin iron in [FeFe]-hydrogenase, and can act as a bridge connecting multi-iron units during bioassembly of the active site.

Synthesis and characterisation of halide, separated ion pair, and hydride cyclopentadienyl iron bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane derivatives

The synthesis and structures of 25 halide, separated ion pair, and hydride cyclopentadienyl iron bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane complexes are described.