Reactions of complex ligands

Synthesis and Reactivity of Metallocarbene-Containing Polymers

Metallopolymers are an emerging class of materials with potential utility as semiconductors, catalysts, optical device components, and stimuli responsive networks. While polymer frameworks have been decorated with an array of organometallic moieties, the incorporation of metallocarbenes has been largely overlooked. Here, we report ring-opening metathesis polymerization as a strategy for the synthesis of Fischer carbene-containing polymers. High degrees of polymerization were observed (>800 repeats), and the isolated materials exhibited exceptional solubility and thermal stability. The tungsten carbene subunits were readily incorporated into block copolymers and could be modified through subsequent transformations. Moreover, the metallocarbene polymers were found to release carbon monoxide upon exposure to light or oxygen, which is unusual for tungsten carbene complexes. These metallocarbene-containing polymers could represent new platforms for the development of functional materials.

No-D NMR (No-Deuterium Proton NMR) Spectroscopy: A Simple Yet Powerful Method for Analyzing Reaction and Reagent Solutions

[reaction: see text] The title technique is a convenient and powerful method for directly monitoring or assaying any reaction mixture or reagent solution. Examples of some common processes (Fischer esterification, lithiation, butyllithium/THF compatibility, olefin metathesis, and a quantification assay), each interrogated in its native solvent, are presented. The spectral data are easy to acquire, and the information content makes a compelling case for routine use of No-D NMR spectroscopy.

Olefin metatheses in metal coordination spheres: versatile new strategies for the construction of novel monohapto or polyhapto cyclic, macrocyclic, polymacrocyclic, and bridging ligands

The broad applicability of the title reaction is established through studies of neutral and charged, coordinatively saturated and unsaturated, octahedral and square planar rhenium, platinum, rhodium, and tungsten complexes with cyclopentadienyl, phosphine, and thioether ligands which contain terminal olefins. Grubbs' catalyst, [Ru(=CHPh)(PCy3)2(Cl)2], is used at 2-9 mol% levels (0.0095-0.00042 M, CH2-Cl2). Key data are as follows: [(eta5-C5H4(CH2)6CH=CH2)Re(NO)(PPh3)-(CH3)], intermolecular metathesis (95 %); [(eta5-C5H5)Re(NO)(PPh3)(E(CH2CH=CH2)2)]+ TfO (E=S, PMe, PPh), formation of five-membered heterocycles (96-64%; crystal structure E = PMe); [(eta5-C5Me5)Re(NO)(PPh((CH2)6CH=CH2)2)(L)]n+ nBF4-(L/n = CO/1, Cl/0), intramolecular macrocyclization (94-89%; crystal structure L= Cl); fac-[(CO)3Re(Br)(PPh2(CH2)6CH=CH2)2] and cis-[(Cl)2Pt(PPh2(CH2)6CH=CH2)2], intramolecular macrocyclizations (80-71%; crystal structures of each and a hydrogenation product); cis-[(Cl)2Pt(S(R)(CH2)6CH= CH2)2], intra-/intermolecular macrocyclization (R=Et, 55%/24%; tBu, 72%/ <4%); trans-[(Cl)(L)M(PPh2(CH2)6CH=CH2)2] (M/L = Rh/CO, Pt/C6F5) intramolecular macrocyclization (90-83%; crystal structure of hydrogenation product, M=Pt); fac-[W(CO)3(PPh((CH2)6CH=CH2)2)3], intramolecular trimacrocyclization (83 %) to a complex mixture of triphosphine, diphosphine/ monophosphine, and tris(monophosphine) complexes, from which two isomers of the first type are crystallized. The macrocycle conformations, and basis for the high yields, are analyzed.