Shi X, Li S, Reiß M, Spannenberg A, Holtrichter-Rößmann T, Reiß F, Beweries T. 1-Zirconacyclobuta-2,3-dienes: synthesis of organometallic analogs of elusive 1,2-cyclobutadiene, unprecedented intramolecular C-H activation, and reactivity studies.
Chem Sci 2021;
12:16074-16084. [PMID:
35024129 PMCID:
PMC8672727 DOI:
10.1039/d1sc06052j]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The structure, bonding, and reactivity of small, highly unsaturated ring systems is of fundamental interest for inorganic and organic chemistry. Four-membered metallacyclobuta-2,3-dienes, also referred to as metallacycloallenes, are among the most exotic examples for ring systems as these represent organometallic analogs of 1,2-cyclobutadiene, the smallest cyclic allene. Herein, the synthesis of the first examples of 1-zirconacyclobuta-2,3-dienes of the type [Cp'2Zr(Me3SiC3SiMe3)] (Cp'2 = rac-(ebthi), (ebthi = 1,2-ethylene-1,1'-bis(η5-tetrahydroindenyl)) (2a); rac-Me2Si(thi)2, thi = (η5-tetrahydroindenyl), (2b)) is presented. Both complexes undergo selective thermal C-H activation at the 7-position of the ansa-cyclopentadienyl ligand to produce a new type of "tucked-in" zirconocene system, 3a and 3b, that possesses a η3-propargyl/allenyl ligand. Both types of complexes react with carbonyl compounds, producing enynes in the case of 2a and 2b, as well as η1-allenyl complexes for 3a and 3b. Computational analysis of the structure and bonding of 2a and 3a reveals significant differences to a previously described related Ti complex. All complexes were fully characterised, including X-ray crystallography and experimental results were supported by DFT analysis.
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