Pyridyl-Directed C–H and C–Br Bond Activations Promoted by Dimer Iridium-Olefin Complexes

C-H, N-H, and O-H Bond Activations to Prepare Phosphorescent Hydride-Iridium(III)-Phosphine Emitters with Photocatalytic Achievement in C-C Coupling Reactions

Complex IrH5(PiPr3)2 (1) activates two different σ-bonds of 3-phenoxy-1-phenylisoquinoline, 2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-6-phenylpyridine, 2-(1H-indol-2-yl)-6-phenylpyridine, 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-6-phenylpyridine, N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-N'-phenylimidazolylidene, and 1,3-di(2-pyridyl)-4,6-dimethylbenzene to give IrH{κ3-C,N,C-[C6H4-isoqui-O-C6H4]}(PiPr3)2 (2), IrH{κ3-N,N,C-[NBzim-py-C6H4]}(PiPr3)2 (3), IrH{κ3-N,N,C-[Ind-py-C6H4]}(PiPr3)2 (4), IrH{κ3-C,N,O-[C6H4-py-C6H4O]}(PiPr3)2 (5), IrH{κ3-C,C,O-[C6H4-Im-C6H4O]}(PiPr3)2 (6), and IrH{κ3-N,C,C-[py-C6HMe2-C5H3N]}(PiPr3)2 (7), respectively. The activations are sequential, with the second generally being the slowest. Accordingly, dihydride intermediates IrH2{κ2-C,N-[C6H4-isoqui-O-C6H5]}(PiPr3)2 (2d), IrH2{κ2-N,N-[NBzim-py-C6H5]}(PiPr3)2 (3d), IrH2{κ2-N,N-[Ind-py-C6H5]}(PiPr3)2 (4d), and IrH2{κ2-N,C-[py-C6HMe2-py]}(PiPr3)2 (7d) were characterized spectroscopically. Complexes 3 and 5 are green phosphorescent emitters upon photoexcitation, exhibiting good absorption over a wide range of wavelengths, emission quantum yields about 0.70 in solution, long enough lifetimes (10-17 μs), and reversible electrochemical behavior. In agreement with these features, complex 3 promotes the photocatalytic α-amino C(sp3)-H arylation of N,N-dimethylaniline and N-phenylpiperidine with 1,4-dicyanobenzene and 4-cyanopyridine under blue LED light irradiation. The C-C coupling products are isolated in high yields with only 2 mol % of photocatalyst after 24 h.

CH bond activation in aromatic ketones mediated by iridium-tris(pyrazolyl)borate complexes

Reaction of complex [TpMe2Ir(η4-CH2C(Me)C(Me)C2)] (1) with a series of aromatic ketones at 130 °C renders, by means of a selective ortho-CH activation, Ir(III)-metallacycles 2-5, which display an Ir-H bond. When [TpMe2Ir(C6H5)2N2] (6) is treated with 2-(trifluoromethyl)acetophenone and 2-fluoroacetophenone at 80 °C, the formation of dimeric (7) and trimeric architectures (8) is achieved through the meta- and para-CH activation of the aromatic ketone, respectively. The generation of complexes 2-5 is proposed to occur by the initial formation of Ir(III) η1-ketone adducts as key intermediates, followed by aromatic CH activations and the release of a butadiene ligand. The formation of complexes 7 and 8 involves an assisted process in which a metal center activation of the less sterically hindered C-H bond of the aromatic ketone takes place (releasing a benzene molecule), followed by the coordination of the carbonyl group, which generates the respective dimeric and trimeric structures. Complexes 7 and 8 are efficient catalysts for the transfer hydrogenation of ketones and aldehydes using isopropanol as the hydrogen source. All complexes have been fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy, FT-IR, elemental analysis and, in the cases of 7 and 8, X-ray crystallography. Details of the reaction conditions, isolation of the products, and proposals for the pathways of formation of complexes 2-5 and 7-8 are discussed.

Phosphorescent Ir(III) complexes derived from purine nucleobases

We report the preparation and the study of new types of neutral and cationic phosphorescent heteroleptic Ir(III) complexes derived from 6-phenylpurine nucleosides and nucleotides. Neutral complexes of general formula Ir(C^N)₂(acac) 7, and 8a-c (HC^N = 9-substituted-6-phenyl purine) are orange-red emissive upon photoexcitation, with short lifetimes and good quantum yields (0.42-0.65) in both PMMA films and 2-MeTHF at room temperature. In turn, cationic complexes [Ir(C^N)₂(dtb-bpy)][PF₆] 9, 12a and 12c (dtb-bpy = 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-dipyridine) are yellow-green emitters with moderate quantum yields (0.24-0.32).

Pseudo-Tris(heteroleptic) Red Phosphorescent Iridium(III) Complexes Bearing a Dianionic C,N,C',N'-Tetradentate Ligand

1-Phenyl-3-(1-phenyl-1-(pyridin-2-yl)ethyl)isoquinoline (H₂MeL) has been prepared by Pd(N-XantPhos)-catalyzed “deprotonative cross-coupling processes” to synthesize new phosphorescent red iridium(III) emitters (601–732 nm), including the carbonyl derivative Ir(κ⁴-cis-C,C′-cis-N,N′-MeL)Cl(CO) and the acetylacetonate compound Ir(κ⁴-cis-C,C′-cis-N,N′-MeL)(acac). The tetradentate 6e-donor ligand (6tt′) of these complexes is formed by two different bidentate units, namely, an orthometalated 2-phenylisoquinoline and an orthometalated 2-benzylpyridine. The link between the bidentate units reduces the number of possible stereoisomers of the structures [6tt′ + 3b] (3b = bidentate 3e-donor ligand), with respect to a [3b + 3b′ + 3b″] emitter containing three free bidentate units, and it permits a noticeable stereocontrol. Thus, the isomers fac-Ir(κ⁴-cis-C,C′-cis-N,N′-MeL){κ²-C,N-(C₆H₄-py)}, mer-Ir(κ⁴-cis-C,C′-cis-N,N′-MeL){κ²-C,N-(C₆H₃R-py)}, and mer-Ir(κ⁴-trans-C,C′-cis-N,N′-MeL){κ²-C,N-(C₆HR-py)} (R = H, Me) have also been selectively obtained. The new emitters display short lifetimes (0.7–4.6 μs) and quantum yields in a doped poly(methyl methacrylate) film at 5 wt % and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran at room temperature between 0.08 and 0.58. The acetylacetonate complex Ir(κ⁴-cis-C,C′-cis-N,N′-MeL)(acac) has been used as a dopant for a red PhOLED device with an electroluminescence λ_max of 672 nm and an external quantum efficiency of 3.4% at 10 mA/cm².

The proligand 1-phenyl-3-(1-phenyl-1-(pyridine-2-yl)ethyl)isoquinoline is used to generate a new family of neutral phosphorescent red iridium(III) emitters containing a tetradentate ligand, formed by two different bidentate units, and a third bidentate ligand with a good stereocontrol of the resulting [6tt′ + 3b] products. One of the new emitters has been used in the fabrication of an OLED device.

Preparation and Degradation of Rhodium and Iridium Diolefin Catalysts for the Acceptorless and Base-Free Dehydrogenation of Secondary Alcohols

Rhodium and iridium diolefin catalysts for the acceptorless and base-free dehydrogenation of secondary alcohols have been prepared, and their degradation has been investigated, during the study of the reactivity of the dimers [M(μ-Cl)(η⁴-C₈H₁₂)]₂ (M = Rh (1), Ir (2)) and [M(μ-OH)(η⁴-C₈H₁₂)]₂ (M = Rh (3), Ir (4)) with 1,3-bis(6′-methyl-2′-pyridylimino)isoindoline (HBMePHI). Complex 1 reacts with HBMePHI, in dichloromethane, to afford equilibrium mixtures of 1, the mononuclear derivative RhCl(η⁴-C₈H₁₂){κ¹-N_py-(HBMePHI)} (5), and the binuclear species [RhCl(η⁴-C₈H₁₂)]₂{μ-N_py,N_py-(HBMePHI)} (6). Under the same conditions, complex 2 affords the iridium counterparts IrCl(η⁴-C₈H₁₂){κ¹-N_py-(HBMePHI)} (7) and [IrCl(η⁴-C₈H₁₂)]₂{μ-N_py,N_py-(HBMePHI)} (8). In contrast to chloride, one of the hydroxide groups of 3 and 4 promotes the deprotonation of HBMePHI to give [M(η⁴-C₈H₁₂)]₂(μ-OH){μ-N_py,N_iso-(BMePHI)} (M = Rh (9), Ir (10)), which are efficient precatalysts for the acceptorless and base-free dehydrogenation of secondary alcohols. In the presence of KO^tBu, the [BMePHI]⁻ ligand undergoes three different degradations: alcoholysis of an exocyclic isoindoline-N double bond, alcoholysis of a pyridyl-N bond, and opening of the five-membered ring of the isoindoline core.

Synthesis of difluoromethylated 2-oxindoles and quinoline-2,4-diones via visible light-induced tandem radical cyclization of N-arylacrylamides

Visible light-induced difluoromethylation of N-arylacrylamides to afford difluoromethylated 2-oxindoles and quinoline-2,4-diones with difluoromethyl 2-pyridyl sulfones as radical precursors has been disclosed.