Intramolecular N⋯E interactions in N-functionalised alkyl complexes R′ECl2 (E=P, As, Sb; R=6-Me-2-Pyr(SiMe3)2C−)

Selective Carbanion-Pyridine Coordination of a Reactive P,N Ligand to RhI

Ligands with reactive carbon sites in the periphery of a metal center have emerged as a powerful approach for metal-ligand bond activation. These reactive carbon sites are commonly generated by deprotonation strategies. Carbon-silicon bond cleavage is a potential alternative to access such constructs. Herein, the monodesilylation of bis-silyl-substituted P,N scaffold PNSi2 in the coordination sphere of [RhI (Cl)(CO)(PNSi2 )] (1) with sodium azide is disclosed. This affords a unique dinucleating anionic κ2 -C,N-κ1 -P ligand with a carbanionic methine carbon atom directly bound to rhodium as part of a four-membered Rh-N-C-C rhodacycle. This dimer undergoes meta-pyridine C-H activation facilitated by weak bases, which leads to a desymmetrization of the system and provides a σ,π-bridging 3-pyridyl fragment bound to RhI . The facile Si-C cleavage strategy may pave the way to studying the reactivity and functionalization of a variety of κ2 -C,N-coordinated pyridine scaffolds for selective transformations.

Synthesis and characterization of a stable non-cyclic bis(amino)arsenium cation

The reaction of Li[Mes*NH] (1, Mes* = 2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl) with aminoarsane Mes*N(H)AsCl2 (2, Mes* = 2,4,6-t-Bu3C6H2) at −80 °C resulted in the formation of bisamino(chloro)arsane (Mes*NH)2AsCl (3Cl) by elimination of LiCl. 3Cl reacted with the Lewis acids such as AlCl3, GaCl3, and Ag[X] (X = AsF6−, OTf−, BF4−; OTf = trifluoromethanesulfonate = OSO2CF3−) upon chloride ion abstraction to give salts bearing the cation [(Mes*NH)2As]+ (3[X]; X = AsF6−, OTf−, BF4−, ECl4; E = Al, Ga). 3+ represents the first NH-functionalized acyclic bis(amino)arsenium cation. The formation of the salts bearing 3+ could also be observed in the reaction of cyclo-1,3-diarsa-2,4-diazane [ClAs(μ-NMes*)]2 (4) with Lewis acids (AlCl3, GaCl3) in the presence of proton sources in solution. All presented salts 3[X] were stable at room temperature and fully characterized.

Aminoalkylferrocenyldichlorophosphanes: facile synthesis of versatile chiral starting materials

A series of racemic and optically pure aminoalkylferrocenyldichlorophosphanes has been prepared by reaction of phosphorus trichloride with the corresponding lithiated aminoalkylferrocene precursors. Crystal structures of racemic 1-dichlorophosphanyl-2-N,N-dimethylaminomethylferrocene, racemic 1-dichlorophosphanyl-2-N,N-dimethylaminomethyl-3-triphenylsilylferrocene and (S)-N,N-dimethyl-1-[(R)-2-(dichlorophosphanyl)ferrocenyl]ethylamine reveal short intramolecular N[dot dot dot]P distances, which are suggestive of weak N --> P dative bonds. The aminoalkylferrocenyldichlorophosphanes can be used for the preparation of the corresponding primary phosphanes, one of which was characterised by X-ray crystallography. Optically pure (R)-N,N-dimethyl-1-[(S)-2-(phosphanyl)ferrocenyl]ethylamine can easily be lithiated twice to give the first enantiomerically pure lithium-phosphorus closo cluster compound, which was also structurally characterised.