Platinum complexes with NNC ligands. Syntheses, electrochemical and spectroscopic characterisations of platinum(II) and relevant electroreduced species

Multicenter interactions and ligand field effects in platinum(II) tripyrrindione radicals

The tripyrrin-1,14-dione biopyrrin, which shares the scaffold of several naturally occurring heme metabolites, is a redox-active platform for metal coordination. We report the synthesis of square planar platinum(II) tripyrrindiones, in which the biopyrrin binds as a tridentate radical and the fourth coordination position is occupied by either aqua or tert-butyl isocyanide ligands. These complexes are stable through chromatographic purification and exposure to air. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) data and density functional theory (DFT) analysis confirm that the spin density is located predominantly on the tripyrrindione ligand. Pancake bonding in solution between the Pt(II) tripyrrindione radicals leads to the formation of diamagnetic π dimers at low temperatures. The identity of the monodentate ligand (i.e., aqua vs. isocyanide) affects both the thermodynamic parameters of dimerization and the tripyrrindione-based redox processes in these complexes. Isolation and structural characterization of the oxidized complexes revealed stacking of the diamagnetic tripyrrindiones in the solid state as well as a metallophilic Pt(II)-Pt(II) contact in the case of the aqua complex. Overall, the properties of Pt(II) tripyrrindiones, including redox potentials and intermolecular interactions in solution and in the solid state, are modulated through easily accessible changes in the redox state of the biopyrrin ligand or the nature of the monodentate ligand.

Classical vs. Non-Classical Cyclometalated Pt(II) Complexes

Rollover cyclometalated complexes constitute a family of derivatives which differ from classical cyclometalated species in certain aspects. Various potential application fields have been developed for both classes of compounds, which have both similarities and differences. In order to uncover the relationships and distinctions between these two families of compounds, four Pt(II) cyclometalated complexes derived from 2-phenylpyridine (ppy) and 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy), assumed as prototypical ligands, were compared. For this study, an electron rich isostructural and isoelectronic pair of compounds, [Pt(N^C)Me(PPh3)], and an electron-poorer compound, [Pt(N^C)Cl(PPh3)] were chosen (N^C = ppy or bpy). DFT calculations, cyclic voltammetry, and UV-Vis spectra also helped to shed light into these species. Due to the presence of the more electronegative nitrogen in place of a C-H group, the rollover bpy-H ligand becomes a slightly weaker donor than the classical ppy-H ligand, and hence, generates (slightly) more stable cyclometalated complexes, lower energy frontier molecular orbitals, and electron-poorer platinum centers. On the whole, it was revealed that classical and rollover complexes have overall structural similarity, which contrasts to their somewhat different chemical behavior.

Rollover Cyclometalation as a Valuable Tool for Regioselective C-H Bond Activation and Functionalization

Rollover cyclometalation constitutes a particular case of cyclometallation reaction. This reaction occurs when a chelated heterocyclic ligand loses its bidentate coordination mode and undergoes an internal rotation, after which a remote C-H bond is regioselectively activated, affording an uncommon cyclometalated complex, called "rollover cyclometalated complex". The key of the process is the internal rotation of the ligand, which occurs before the C-H bond activation and releases from coordination a donor atom. The new "rollover" ligand has peculiar properties, being a ligand with multiple personalities, no more a spectator in the reactivity of the complex. The main reason of this peculiarity is the presence of an uncoordinated donor atom (the one initially involved in the chelation), able to promote a series of reactions not available for classic cyclometalated complexes. The rollover reaction is highly regioselective, because the activated C-H bond is usually in a symmetric position with respect to the donor atom which detaches from the metal stating the rollover process. Due to this novel behavior, a series of potential applications have appeared in the literature, in fields such as catalysis, organic synthesis, and advanced materials.

Chiral cyclometalation of 6-(1-phenylbenzyl)-2,2'-bipyridine

A new bipyridine ligand, 6-(1-phenylbenzyl)-2,2'-bipyridine, has been prepared by a multistep synthesis starting from the corresponding substituted pyridine. The coordinating properties of the new ligand have been tested with two d(8) metal ions, Pt(ii) and Pd(ii), to give the cyclometalated complexes [Pt(N,N,C)Cl] and [Pd(N,N,C)Cl], where N,N,C is a terdentate deprotonated bipyridine containing a new stereogenic carbon atom directly generated by C-H bond activation. The single-crystal of the platinum complex has been solved by X-ray diffraction. DFT calculations confirm the presence of a PtH interaction that stabilizes one of the two possible conformers by 14.7 kJ mol(-1) for Pt and 12.9 kJ mol(-1) for Pd. The energy barrier to pass from one conformer to the other is 25.4 and 23.8 kJ mol(-1) respectively. Under different reaction conditions, regioselective activation of a pyridine C-H bond gave the less common cyclometalated rollover complex [Pt(L-H)Me(DMSO)], which was isolated and characterised.

Reactivity comparison of five-and six-membered cyclometalated platinum(ii) complexes in oxidative addition reactions

A six-membered cyclometalated complex [PtMe(bzpy)(PPh₃)] (bzpy = 2-benzylpyridinate) undergoes oxidative addition with methyl iodide to give [PtMe₂I(bzpy)(PPh₃)]. The ring size of the chelating unit has a significant impact on the rate of the reaction.

Rollover-assisted C(sp2)-C(sp3) bond formation

Rollover cyclometalation involves bidentate heterocyclic donors, unusually acting as cyclometalated ligands. The resulting products, possessing a free donor atom, react differently from the classical cyclometalated complexes. Taking advantage of a "rollover"/"retro-rollover" reaction sequence, a succession of oxidative addition and reductive elimination in a series of platinum(II) complexes [Pt(N,C)(Me)(PR3)] resulted in a rare C(sp(2))-C(sp(3)) bond formation to give the bidentate nitrogen ligands 3-methyl-2,2'-bipyridine, 3,6-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine, and 3-methyl-2-(2'-pyridyl)-quinoline, which were isolated and characterized. The nature of the phosphane PR3 is essential to the outcome of the reaction. This route constitutes a new method for the activation and functionalization of C-H bond in the C(3) position of bidentate heterocyclic compounds, a position usually difficult to functionalize.

Role of cyclometalation in controlling the rates of ligand substitution at platinum(II) complexes

The rates of chloride for triphenylphosphine substitution have been measured in dichloromethane for a series of cyclometalated [Pt(N-N-C)Cl] complexes containing a number of terdentate N-N-C anionic ligands, derived from deprotonated alkyl-, phenyl-, and benzyl-6-substituted 2,2'-bipyridines. These rates have been compared with those of the corresponding [Pt(N-N)(C)Cl] (N-N = 2,2'-bipyridine; C = CH3 or C6H5) complexes having the same set of donor atoms but less constrained arrangements of the ligands. The reactions of the cyclometalated compounds occur as a single-stage conversion from the substrate to the ionic pair [Pt(N-N-C)(PPh3)]Cl products. There is no evidence by 1H and 31P(1H) NMR spectroscopy for the formation of other Pt(II) species or of concurrent ring-opening processes. In contrast, in the monoalkyl- or monoaryl-2,2'-bipyridine complexes, chloride substitution is followed by subsequent slower processes which involve the detachment of one arm of the chelated 2,2'-bipyridine, fast cis to trans isomerization of the cis-[Pt(PPh3)2(eta 1-bipy)(R)]+ transient intermediate, and, eventually, the release of free bipy, yielding trans-[Pt(PPh3)2(R)Cl] (R = Me or Ph). All reactions are first-order with respect to complex and phosphine concentration, obeying the simple rate law kobsd = k2[PPh3]. The values of the second-order rate constant k2 do not seem particularly sensitive to the nature of the bonded organic moiety (alkyl or aryl), to its structure (cyclometalated or not), to the size of the ring, or to the number of alkyl substituents on it. The effects are those foreseen on the basis of an associative mode of activation. The only exception to this pattern of behavior is constituted by the complex [Pt(bipy phi-H)Cl] (bipy phi = 6-phenyl-2,2'-bipyridine), which features a significant rate enhancement with respect to the analogue [Pt(bipy)(Ph)Cl] complex. The results of this work, together with those of a previous paper, suggest that there is not a specific role of cyclometalation in controlling the reactivity, unless an in-plane aryl ring becomes part of the pi-acceptor system of the chelated 2,2-bipyridine, behaving as a cyclometalated analogue of the nitrogen terdentate 2,2':6',2"-terpyridine.