Iron(II) Cage Complexes of N-Heterocyclic Amide and Bis(trimethylsilyl)amide Ligands: Synthesis, Structure, and Magnetic Properties

Heteropentanuclear {Ru(II)Cu(II)4} Kuratowski Complexes Assembled from a Ruthenium(II) Precursor Complex to Study Competing Exchange Interactions in M(II)(ta)2 Networks [ta(-) = 1,2,3-Triazolate]

We report a directed two-step synthesis toward pentanuclear Kuratowski complexes. First, six 5,6-dimethylbenzo[1,2,3]triazole ligands (Me2btaH) are coordinated to a single Ru(II) ion, providing a topologically ideal template for the addition of further metal ions. The synthesis and crystal structures of [RuCu4X4(Me2bta)6] [X = acetylacetonate (acac) and tris(3,5-dimethyl-1-pyrazolyl)borate (Tp*)] are described. Both represent new members of the family of so-called Kuratowski (K3,3) complexes. The coordination units feature triazolato-bridged metal-centered {MM4} tetrahedra, which are known for frustrated magnetic interactions in both complexes and metal-organic frameworks. The novel Ru(II)-centered complexes were synthesized in order to investigate the influence of the presence or absence of a paramagnetic central metal ion in the Kuratowski complex. Superconducting quantum interference device and electron spin resonance measurements demonstrate that small deviations in bond lengths and valence angles can lead to the formation of pairs of magnetic exchange-coupled Cu(II) ions. Which Cu(II) ions pair up can be predicted in Jahn-Teller active compounds by the overlap of the respective orbitals. These data are compared with those gleaned for M(II)(ta)2 (ta = 1,2,3-triazolate) lattices, in which structurally similar {MM4} tetrahedra constitute the secondary building units.

Lateral Metallation and Redistribution Reactions of Sodium Ferrates Containing Bulky 2,6-Diisopropyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)anilide Ligands

Alkali‐metal ferrates containing amide groups have emerged as regioselective bases capable of promoting Fe−H exchanges of aromatic substrates. Advancing this area of heterobimetallic chemistry, a new series of sodium ferrates is introduced incorporating the bulky arylsilyl amido ligand N(SiMe₃)(Dipp) (Dipp=2,6‐iPr₂‐C₆H₃). Influenced by the large steric demands imposed by this amide, transamination of [NaFe(HMDS)₃] (HMDS=N(SiMe₃)₂) with an excess of HN(SiMe₃)(Dipp) led to the isolation of heteroleptic [Na(HMDS)₂Fe{N(SiMe₃)Dipp}]_∞ (1) resulting from the exchange of just one HMDS group. An alternative co‐complexation approach, combining the homometallic metal amides [NaN(SiMe₃)Dipp] and [Fe{N(SiMe₃)Dipp}₂] induces lateral metallation of one Me arm from the SiMe₃ group in the iron amide furnishing tetrameric [NaFe{N(SiCH₂Me₂)Dipp}{N(SiMe₃)Dipp}]₄ (2). Reactivity studies support that this deprotonation is driven by the steric incompatibility of the single metal amides rather than the basic capability of the sodium reagent. Displaying synergistic reactivity, heteroleptic sodium ferrate 1 can selectively promote ferration of pentafluorobenzene using one of its HMDS arms to give heterotrileptic [Na{N(SiMe₃)Dipp}(HMDS)Fe(C₆F₅)]_∞ (4). Attempts to deprotonate less activated pyridine led to the isolation of NaHMDS and heteroleptic Fe(II) amide [(py)Fe{N(SiMe₃)Dipp}(HMDS)] (5), resulting from an alternative redistribution process which is favoured by the Lewis donor ability of this substrate.

Effects of Remote Ligand Substituents on the Structures, Spectroscopic, and Magnetic Properties of Two-Coordinate Transition-Metal Thiolate Complexes

The first-row transition-metal(II) dithiolates M(SAr^iPr₄)₂ [Ar^iPr₄ = C₆H₃-2,6-(C₆H₃-2,6-iPr₂)₂; M = Cr (1), Mn (3), Fe (4), Co (5), Ni (6), and Zn (7)] and Cr(SAr^Me₆)₂ [2; Ar^Me₆ = C₆H₃-2,6-(C₆H₂-2,4,6-Me₃)₂] and the ligand-transfer reagent (NaSAr^iPr₄)₂ (8) are described. In contrast to their M(SAr^iPr₆)₂ (M = Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Zn; Ar^iPr₆ = C₆H₃-2,6-(C₆H₂-2,4,6-iPr₃)₂) congeners, which differ from 1 and 3-6 in having p-isopropyl groups on the flanking aryl rings of the terphenyl substituents, compounds 1 and 4-6 display highly bent coordination geometries with S-M-S angles of 109.802(2)° (1), 120.2828(3)° (4), 91.730(3)° (5), and 92.68(2)° (6) as well as relatively close metal-flanking aryl ring η⁶ interactions with metal-centroid distances of 2.11477(6) Å (1), 1.97188(3) Å (2), 2.15269(6) Å (4), 1.62058(9) Å (5), and 1.724(8) Å (6). However, the d⁵ (Mn) and d¹⁰ (Zn) complexes 3 and 7 display linear or near-linear coordination with no close metal-ligand distances. The nonlinear geometries of 1 and 4-6 also contrast with those of their Ar^iPr₄-substituted alkoxo and amido congeners, which have strictly linear coordination. Complexes 1-7 were synthesized by the reaction of the lithium or sodium thiolate salt with the metal dihalide or, in the case of 3, by the reaction of the thiol with the amido complex Mn[N(SiMe₃)₂]₂. All compounds were characterized by electronic spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and magnetic measurements using Evans' method and SQUID magnetometry. It was concluded that, despite the large bulk of the Ar^iPr₄ substituents, the absence of p-isopropyl groups on the flanking rings of the ligand permits close secondary metal-flanking ring distances. The compounds are characterized by more intense colors and display magnetic moments that are generally lower than the spin-only values, in agreement with the covalent character of the close metal-flanking ring η⁶ interactions.

Synthetic, structural and magnetic implications of introducing 2,2′-dipyridylamide to sodium-ferrate complexes

Establishing transamination as an efficient method to access novel heterobimetallic complexes, this study provides magnetic and structural insights of 2,2-dipyridylamide based sodium ferrate complexes.

A three-coordinate iron–silylene complex stabilized by ligand–ligand dispersion forces

The structural and bonding properties of a three-coordinate N-heterocyclic silyene (NHSi) complex of the iron(ii) amide [Fe{N(SiMe₃)₂}₂] are reported.

Iron(ii) β-ketiminate complexes as mediators of controlled radical polymerisation

A series of novel iron(ii) β-ketiminate complexes have been prepared and screened in styrene and methyl methacrylate CRP.

A combined magnetic circular dichroism and density functional theory approach for the elucidation of electronic structure and bonding in three- and four-coordinate iron(II)-N-heterocyclic carbene complexes

The combination of iron salts and N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands is a highly effective combination in catalysis, with observed catalytic activities being highly dependent on the nature of the NHC ligand. Detailed spectroscopic and electronic structure studies have been performed on both three- and four-coordinate iron(II)-NHC complexes using a combined magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) and density functional theory (DFT) approach that provide detailed insight into the relative ligation properties of NHCs compared to traditional phosphine and amine ligands as well as the effects of NHC backbone structural variations on iron(II)-NHC bonding. Near-infrared MCD studies indicate that 10Dq(Td) for (NHC)2FeCl2 complexes is intermediate between those for comparable amine and phosphine complexes, demonstrating that such iron(II)-NHC and iron(II)-phosphine complexes are not simply analogues of one another. Theoretical studies including charge decomposition analysis indicate that the NHC ligands are slightly stronger donor ligands than phosphines but also result in significant weakening of the Fe-Cl bonds compared to phosphine and amine ligands. The net result is significant differences in the d orbital energies in four-coordinate (NHC)2FeCl2 complexes relative to the comparable phosphine complexes, where such electronic structure differences are likely a significant contributing factor to the differing catalytic performances observed with these ligands. Furthermore, Mössbauer, MCD and DFT studies of the effects of NHC backbone structure variations (i.e. saturated, unsaturated, chlorinated) on iron-NHC bonding and electronic structure in both three- and four-coordinate iron(II)-NHC complexes indicate only small differences as a function of backbone structure, that are likely amplified at lower oxidation states of iron due to the resulting decrease in the energy separation between the occupied iron d orbitals and the unoccupied NHC π* orbitals.

Silylamide complexes of chromium(II), manganese(II), and cobalt(II) bearing the ligands N(SiHMe2)2 and N(SiPhMe2)2

Bis(dimethylsilyl)amide and bis(dimethylphenylsilyl)amide complexes of the divalent transition metals chromium, manganese, and cobalt were synthesized. Dimeric, donor-free {Mn[N(SiHMe2)2]2}2 could be obtained via two different pathways, a salt metathesis route (utilizing MnCl2(thf)1.5 and LiN(SiHMe2)2) and a transsilylamination protocol (utilizing Mn[N(SiMe3)2]2(thf) and HN(SiHMe2)2). Addition of 1,1,3,3-tetramethylethylendiamine (tmeda) to {Mn[N(SiHMe2)2]2}2 yielded the monomeric adduct Mn[N(SiHMe2)2]2(tmeda). The syntheses of Cr[N(SiHMe2)2]2(tmeda), Co[N(SiMe3)2][N(SiHMe2)2](tmeda), and Co[N(SiHMe2)2]2(tmeda) were achieved by transsilylamination from Cr[N(SiMe3)2]2(tmeda) and {Co[N(SiMe3)2]2}2(μ-tmeda), respectively. Bis(dimethylphenylsilyl)amide complexes Mn[N(SiMe2Ph)2]2, Cr[N(SiMe2Ph)2]2, and Co[N(SiMe2Ph)2]2(thf) were obtained via salt metathesis employing MCl2(thf)x (M = Cr, Mn, Co) with equimolar amounts of LiN(SiMe2Ph)2 in n-hexane. Treatment of CrCl2 with LiN(SiMe2Ph)2 in thf gave Cr[N(SiMe2Ph)2]2(thf)2, featuring an almost square planar trans-coordination. All complexes were examined by elemental analyses, DRIFT and UV-vis spectroscopy, as well as X-ray structure analysis, paying particular attention to secondary M---SiH β-agostic and M---π(arene) interactions. Magnetic moments were determined by Evans' method.

Linear and nonlinear two-coordinate vanadium complexes: synthesis, characterization, and magnetic properties of V(II) amides

The synthesis and characterization of the first stable two-coordinate vanadium complexes are described. The vanadium(II) primary amido derivative V{N(H)Ar(iPr6)}2 [Ar(iPr6) = C6H3-2,6-(C6H2-2,4,6-iPr3)2] (1) was synthesized via the reaction of LiN(H)Ar(iPr6) with the V(III) complex VCl3·2NMe3 or the V(II) salt [V2Cl3(THF)6](+)I(-) in a 2:1 and 4:1 stoichiometry, respectively. Reaction of the less crowded LiN(H)Ar(Me6) with [V2Cl3(THF)6](+)I(-) afforded V{N(H)Ar(Me6)}2 [Ar(Me6) = C6H3-2,6-(C6H2-2,4,6-Me3)2] (2), which has a nonlinear [N-V-N = 123.47(9)°] vanadium coordination. Magnetometry studies showed that V{N(H)Ar(iPr6)}2 and V{N(H)Ar(Me6)}2 have ambient temperature magnetic moments of 3.41 and 2.77 μB, respectively, which are consistent with a high-spin d(3) electron configuration. These values suggest a significant spin orbital angular momentum contribution that leads to a magnetic moment that is lower than their spin-only value of 3.87 μB. DFT calculations showed that the major absorptions in their UV-vis spectra were due to ligand to metal charge transfer transitions. Exposure of the reaction mixture for 2 to dry O2 resulted in the formation of the diamagnetic V(V) oxocluster [V{N(H)Ar(Me6)}2]2(μ-O-Li-O)2 (3).

Benzotriazolate cage complexes of tin(II) and lithium: halide-influenced serendipitous assembly

The one-pot reactions of the tin(II) halides SnX(2) (X = F, Cl, Br, I) with lithium hexamethyldisilazide, [Li(hmds)], and benzotriazole, (bta)H, produce contrasting outcomes. Tin(II) fluoride does not react with [Li(hmds)] and (bta)H, the outcome being the formation of insoluble [Li(bta)](∞). Tin(II) chloride and tin(II) bromide react with [Li(hmds)] and (bta)H in toluene to produce the hexadecametallic tin(II)-lithium cages [(hmds)(8)Sn(8)(bta)(12)Li(8)X(4)]·(n toluene) [X = Cl, 3·(8 toluene); X = Br, 4·(3 toluene)]. The reaction of tin(II) iodide with [Li(hmds)] and (bta)H in thf solvent produces the ion-separated species [{(thf)(2)Li(bta)}(3){Li(thf)}](2)[SnI(4)]·(thf), [5](2)[SnI(4)]·(thf), the structure of which contains a cyclic trimeric unit of lithium benzotriazolate and a rare example of the tetraiodostannate(II) dianion.