Rh(acac)(CO)(PR 3 ) and Rh(oxinate)(CO)(PR 3 ) complexes—substitution chemistry and structural aspects

Chemistry of transition-metal complexes containing functionalized phosphines: synthesis and structural analysis of rhodium(I) complexes containing allyl and cyanoalkylphosphines

A series of related acetylacetonate–carbonyl–rhodium compounds substituted by functionalized phosphines has been prepared in good to excellent yields by the reaction of [Rh(acac)(CO)2] (acac is acetylacetonate) with the corresponding allyl-, cyanomethyl- or cyanoethyl-substituted phosphines. All compounds were fully characterized by 31P, 1H, 13C NMR and IR spectroscopy. The X-ray structures of (acetylacetonato-κ2 O,O′)(tert-butylphosphanedicarbonitrile-κP)carbonylrhodium(I), [Rh(C5H7O2)(CO)(C8H13N2)] or [Rh(acac)(CO)(tBuP(CH2CN)2}] (2b), (acetylacetonato-κ2 O,O′)carbonyl[3-(diphenylphosphanyl)propanenitrile-κP]rhodium(I), [Rh(C5H7O2)(C15H14N)(CO)] or [Rh(acac)(CO){Ph2P(CH2CH2CN)}] (2h), and (acetylacetonato-κ2 O,O′)carbonyl[3-(di-tert-butylphosphanyl)propanenitrile-κP]rhodium(I), [Rh(C5H7O2)(C11H22N)(CO)] or [Rh(acac)(CO){tBu2P(CH2CH2CN)}] (2i), showed a square-planar geometry around the Rh atom with a significant trans influence over the acetylacetonate moiety, evidenced by long Rh—O bond lengths as expected for poor π-acceptor phosphines. The Rh—P distances displayed an inverse linear dependence with the coupling constants J P-Rh and the IR ν(C[triple-bond]O) bands, which accounts for the Rh—P electronic bonding feature (poor π-acceptors) of these complexes. A combined study from density functional theory (DFT) calculations and an evaluation of the intramolecular H...Rh contacts from X-ray diffraction data allowed a comparison of the conformational preferences of these complexes in the solid state versus the isolated compounds in the gas phase. For 2b, 2h and 2i, an energy-framework study evidenced that the crystal structures are mainly governed by dispersive energy. In fact, strong pairwise molecular dispersive interactions are responsible for the columnar arrangement observed in these complexes. A Hirshfeld surface analysis employing three-dimensional molecular surface contours and two-dimensional fingerprint plots indicated that the structures are stabilized by H...H, C...H, H...O, H...N and H...Rh intermolecular interactions.

Amidine functionalized phosphines: tuneable ligands for transition metals

A diastereomeric, cationic phosphine ligand [α,β-CgPAmMe]⁺ composed of a chiral amidinium substituent and a racemic phosphacycle has been prepared and compared to its neutral parent α,β-CgPAm.

Density functional theory calculations of Rh-β-diketonato complexes

Density functional theory results on the geometry, energies and charges of selected Rh-β-diketonato reactants, products and transition states.

Oxidative addition of methyl iodide to [Rh(PhCOCHCOPh)(CO)(P(OCH2)3CCH3)]: an experimental and computational study

The reaction rate of the oxidative addition and CO insertion steps of methyl iodide with [Rh(PhCOCHCOPh)(CO)(P(OCH2)3CCH3)] are presented. Large negative experimental values for the activation entropy and results from a density functional theory computational chemistry study indicated trans addition of the CH3I to [Rh(PhCOCHCOPh)(CO)(P(OCH2)3CCH3)]. A study of the molecular orbitals gives insight into the flow of electrons during the oxidative addition reaction. CO insertion leads to a square pyramidal [Rh(PhCOCHCOPh)(P(OCH2)3CCH3)(COCH3)(I)] acyl product with the COCH3 moiety in the apical position. The strong electron donation of the P(OCH2)3CCH3 ligand accelerates the oxidation addition step of methyl iodide to [Rh(PhCOCHCOPh)(CO)(P(OCH2)3CCH3)] by ca. 265 times faster (at 35°C) than that of the Monsanto catalyst, but inhibits the CO insertion step.

Relationship between electrochemical potentials and substitution reaction rates of ferrocene-containing β-diketonato rhodium(I) complexes; cytotoxicity of [Rh(FcCOCHCOPh)(cod)]

A series of ferrocene-containing rhodium complexes of the type [Rh(FcCOCHCOR)(cod)] (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) with R = CF(3), 1, (E(pa)(Rh) = 269; E(o)'(Fc) = 329 mV vs. Fc/Fc(+)), CCl(3), 2, (E(pa) = 256; E(o)' = 312 mV), CH(3), 3, (E(pa) = 177; E(o)' = 232 mV), Ph = C(6)H(5), 4, (E(pa) = 184; E(o)' = 237 mV), and Fc = ferrocenyl = (C(5)H(5))Fe(C(5)H(4)), 5, (E(pa) = 135; E(o)'(Fc1) = 203; E(o)'(Fc2) = 312 mV), have been studied electrochemically in CH(3)CN. Results indicated that the rhodium(I) centre is irreversibly oxidised to Rh(III) in a two-electron transfer process before the ferrocenyl fragment is reversibly oxidized in a one-electron transfer process. The peak anodic (oxidation) potential, E(pa), (in V vs. Fc/Fc(+)) of the rhodium core in 1-5 relates to k(2), the second-order rate constant for the substitution of (FcCOCHCOR)(-) with 1,10-phenanthroline in [Rh(FcCOCHCOR)(cod)] to form [Rh(phen)(cod)](+) in methanol at 25 °C with the equation lnk(2) = 39.5 E(pa)(Rh) - 3.69, while the formal oxidation potential of the ferrocenyl groups in 1-5 relates to k(2) by lnk(2) = 40.8 E(o)'(Fc)-6.34. Complex 4 (IC(50) = 28.2 μmol dm(-3)) was twice as cytotoxic as the free FcCOCH(2)COPh ligand having IC(50) = 54.2 μmol dm(-3), but approximately one order of magnitude less toxic to human HeLa neoplastic cells than cisplatin (IC(50) = 2.3 μmol dm(-3)).

Synthesis characterization and hydroformylation activity of new mononuclear rhodium(I) compounds incorporated with polar-group functionalized phosphines

A first effort employing a range of polar-group functionalized phosphines (L 1 –L 7 ) to design mononuclear Rh(I) compounds of [Rh(quin-8-O)(CO)(L)] (quin-8-O = 8-hydroxy quinolate) is described. The reaction of a Rh(I) precursor [Rh(μ-Cl)(CO)2]2 with 8-hydroxyquinoline in the presence of a base followed by phosphines (L 1 –L 7 ) produced only a single isomer of [Rh(quin-8-O)(CO)(L)] compounds (1–7) with pendant, i.e. non-bonded, polar-groups (includes carboxyl, hydroxyl and formyl). A relationship between Δgd31P chemical shifts and the ν(C≡O) was derived to evaluate and explain the σ-donor properties of these phosphines with respect to the electronic properties of the polar groups and the extent of π-back-bonding to the CO group. These mononuclear Rh(I)-Phosphines were investigated as catalysts in the hydroformylation of 1-hexene and cyclohexene in aqueous two-phase and single-phase solvent systems. The Rh(I) catalysts with strong σ-donor and hydrophilic phosphines provided better yields and selectivities for the hydroformylation products, which is a reverse trend compared to literature reports. When the Rh(I) compounds contained strong σ-donor phosphines, the π-acceptor properties of the pyridine ring of 8-hydroxyquinolate were found to be beneficial for the facile cleavage of the CO group during hydroformylation, and additionally, to improve the kinetic stability of catalysts.