alpha,alpha'-m-Xylenediylbis(indium dichloride). A Novel Bifunctional Lewis Acid

Synthesis of bi- and tetradentate poly-Lewis acids by hydroalumination of poly-alkynyl-anthracene derivatives

Photo-dimers of 1,5-diethynylanthracene and 1,5-bis[(trimethylsilyl)ethynyl]anthracene, obtained by UV radiation of the monomers, were treated with the bulky aluminium hydride [(SiMe₃)₂HC]₂AlH in hydroalumination reactions. Hydroalumination of the tetraethynyl-substituted anthracene photo-dimers (syn and anti) led to fourfold aluminium-functionalized Janus-like products with two aluminium functions on each side oriented towards the same direction. The reactions of the monomeric anthracene derivatives with [(SiMe₃)₂HC]₂AlH afforded semi-flexible bidentate Lewis acids, which are interesting building blocks for molecular chains bearing multiple Lewis-acidic functions. The aluminium-functionalized anti-photo-dimer was treated with various donor molecules to gain insight into its host-guest chemistry. All poly-Lewis acids and their adducts were characterized by X-ray diffraction experiments, multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and by elemental analyses.

Host guest chemistry of a bidentate silyl-triflate bis-Lewis-acid – complex complexation behaviour unravelled by diffusion NMR spectroscopy

The bidentate silicon-based Lewis acid, bis(dimethyl-(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)silylethyl)dimethylsilane, Me2Si[(CH2)2SiMe2-OTf]2, was prepared by a two-step synthesis starting from dimethyldivinylsilane by hydrosilylation with dimethylchlorosilane and subsequent Lewis acidity enhancement of the terminal silicon atoms...

Hydrogen-bond-induced selectivity of a head-to-head photo-dimerisation of dialkynylanthracene - access to tetradentate Lewis acids

Using 2-hydroxypropyl-protecting groups, 1,8-dialkynylanthracene photo-dimers were prepared in head-to-head-configuration by UV irradiation on a multi-gram scale. In non-polar solvents, the combination of non-covalent hydrogen bonds and π-π-interactions induces the formation of the syn-isomer in up to 85% yield. Instead, more polar solvents or irradiation of unprotected 1,8-diethynylanthracene led to formation of the corresponding anti-isomer in large excess. Cleavage of the protecting groups under basic conditions affords a rigid hydrocarbon skeleton with four directional functions. This was used as a building block for a tetradentate boron Lewis acid. Its applicability as a host for Lewis-base substrates was demonstrated by the formation of adducts with various nitrogen bases. Adduct formation with hydrazine leads to impressive networks between the tetraboron host and the substrate molecules.

Bidentate Boron Lewis Acids: Selectivity in Host-Guest Complex Formation

Bidentate boron Lewis acids based on 1,8-diethynylanthracene were synthesised in two steps by initial stannylation of the terminal alkynes and subsequent tin-boron exchange with different chloroboranes. The reactions were very selective, and the target compounds were obtained in high purity and good to excellent yields. Complexation experiments of 1,8-bis[(diphenylboranyl)ethynyl]anthracene with nitrogen bases (pyridine, pyrimidine, TMEDA) afforded three stable adducts, which were structurally characterised by X-ray diffraction. Competition experiments demonstrated the selective exchange of guests, and quantum-chemical calculations provided information on their energetics. NMR experiments at low temperature gave insight into the dynamic behaviour of the TMEDA adduct.

From Bidentate Gallium Lewis Acids to Supramolecular Complexes

Bidentate gallium Lewis acids were prepared by the reaction of diethynyldiphenylsilane with neat trimethyl- or triethylgallium. Bis[(dimethylgallyl)ethynyl]diphenylsilane (1) and diethylgallyl derivative 2 were characterized as Et₂ O or pyridine adducts by NMR spectroscopy; 2⋅2Py was isolated. Lewis acids 1 and 2 form host-guest adducts with bidentate nitrogen bases, but defined cyclic 1:1 adducts are only formed between 1 and bases with matching N⋅⋅⋅N distances: 4,4'-dimethyl-3,3'-bipyridinylacetylene (3), bis[(pyridin-3-yl)ethynyl]diphenylsilane (4), and bis[(2-methylpyridin-5-yl)ethynyl]diphenylsilane (5). The structures of adducts 1⋅3, 1⋅4, and 1⋅5 were established by X-ray diffraction experiments. 2⋅2Py reacts with DABCO to afford polymeric (DABCO-2-)_n .

Bi- and tridentate silicon-based acceptor molecules

Triethynylphenylsilane (1), trivinylphenylsilane (2), diethynyldiphenylsilane (3) and diphenyldivinylsilane (4) were reacted with chlorodimethylsilane yielding the corresponding hydrosilylation products. To increase their Lewis acidity, the Si–Cl functions were directly transferred into Si–C6F5 units by salt elimination reactions leading to the (semi-) flexible molecules 5–8 bearing two or three Lewis-acidic sidearms. With the aim of providing host-guest complexes, the air-stable and readily soluble compounds 5–8 were converted with N- and O-Lewis bases of different size and geometry. In all cases, NMR spectroscopic investigations reveal no formation of Lewis acid-base complexes. X-ray diffraction experiments of host compounds 5–7 show intermolecular aryl…perfluoroaryl interactions of dispersion nature in the solid state. By hydrosilylation of 1 with trichlorosilane the more Lewis-acidic all-trans-tris[(trichlorosilyl)vinyl]phenylsilane (9) was obtained. Its Lewis acidity was further increased by fluorination to yield all-trans-tris[(trifluorosilyl)vinyl]phenylsilane (10); the conversion with nitrogen containing Lewis bases ends up in the formation of insoluble precipitates.

Syntheses, Structures, and Complexation Studies of Tris(organostannyl)methane Derivatives

The syntheses of tris(organostannyl)methanes HC(SnX n Ph(3-n))3 (1, n=0; 2, n=1, X=I; 3, n=1, X =F; 4, n=1, X=Cl; 5, n=1, X=OAc; 6, n=2, X=I; 7, n=2, X=Cl) and the organostannate complexes Et4N[HC(SnIPh2)3⋅F] (8), Ph4P[HC(SnClPh2)3⋅Cl] (9), and [Ph4P]2[HC(SnCl2Ph)3⋅2 Cl] (10) are reported. The compounds were characterized by 1H, 13C, 19F, and 119Sn NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, electrospray mass spectrometry, and (with the exception of 3) single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. From the reaction between 2 and AgClO4 resulted the unprecedented hexanuclear organotin oxocluster [HC{Sn(ClO4)2Ph2}2Sn(OH)2Ph]2 (11), the molecular structure of which was elucidated by using X-ray crystallography.

Pi-complexation of biphenyl, naphthalene, and triphenylene to trimeric perfluoro-ortho-phenylene mercury. Formation of extended binary stacks with unusual luminescent properties

Trimeric perfluoro-ortho-phenylene mercury (1) crystallizes from CS(2) as a pure compound. In the crystal, 1 forms staggered cofacial dimers (centroid distance of 3.38 A). In the dimer, the individual components are associated via long mercury-pi interactions (3.443 < Hg...C < 3.650 A). Interestingly, this arrangement leads to the existence of relatively short intermolecular mercury-mercury distances (3.811 < Hg...Hg < 4.093 A). In this form, compound 1 is photoluminescent and exhibits a broad emission band with a maximum at 440 nm and a shoulder at 530 nm. Compound 1 interacts with biphenyl, naphthalene, or triphenylene to form 1.biphenyl (2), 1.naphthalene (3), and 1.triphenylene (4), respectively. These adducts have been characterized by elemental analysis and X-ray crystallography. Their structure reveals the existence of stacks in which molecules of 1 and molecules of arenes alternate. In each stack, secondary pi-interactions occur between the arene and the mercury centers of 1. The resulting Hg...C distances range from 3.25 to 3.55 A and are within the sum of the van der Waals radii. They reflect the presence of secondary polyhapto-pi interactions occurring between the electron-rich aromatic molecules and the acidic mercury centers. In the case of the triphenylene adduct 4, a arene-fluoroarene interaction is also observed (centroid distance of 3.605 A). Compounds 2-4 are photoluminescent. The emission observed for 2 and 3 corresponds to the phosphorescence of the aromatic substrate and suggests the occurrence of a mercury heavy atom effect. In the case of 4, the emission appears at longer wavelengths than those typically observed for triphenylene.

Octahedral coordination of halide ions (I-, Br-, Cl-) sandwich bonded with tridentate mercuracarborand-3 receptors

The "anti-crown" B-hexamethyl 9-mercuracarborand-3 (1) was shown to complex halide ions (I-, Br-, Cl-) in an eta(3)-sandwich fashion. Symmetry-allowed interactions of the filled halide ion p-orbitals and the corresponding empty mercury p-orbitals result in three equivalent p(Hg)-p(halide)-p(Hg) three-center two-electron bonds and a sandwich structure. The molecular structures of [Li.(H(2)O)(4)][1(2).I].2CH(3)CN, MePPh(3)[1(2).Br].((CH(3))(2)CO)(2).(H(2)O)(2), and PPN[1(2).Cl] were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Compound [Li.(H(2)O)(4)][1(2).I].2CH(3)CN crystallized in the triclinic space group P-1, a = 13.312(8) A, b = 13.983(9) A, c = 13.996(9) A, alpha = 61.16(2) degrees, beta = 82.34(2) degrees, gamma = 86.58(2) degrees, V = 4365(2) A(3), Z = 1, R = 0.063, and R(w) = 0.171. Compound MePPh(3)[1(2).Br].((CH(3))(2)CO)(2).(H(2)O)(2) crystallized in the monoclinic space group C2/c, a = 24.671(8) A, b = 17.576(6) A, c = 26.079(8) A, beta = 106.424(6) degrees, V = 10847(6) A(3), Z = 8, R = 0.0607, and R(w) = 0.1506. Compound PPN[1(2).Cl] crystallized in the monoclinic space group C2/m, a = 37.27(2) A, b = 29.25(1) A, c = 10.990(4) A, beta = 100.659(7) degrees, V = 11774(8) A(3), Z = 4, R = 0.0911, and R(w) = 0.2369.

[cyclo-CH2[Sn(CI2)CH2Si(Me2)]2O]: synthesis and complexation behaviour of a novel, cyclic, bidentate Lewis acid and its conversion into a tin-containing fluorosilane with intermolecular Si-F...Sn bridges

Acid-catalysed hydrolysis of [CH2[(Sn(Ph2)CH2Si(OiPr)Me2]2] followed by subsequent reaction with mercuric chloride in acetone afforded the novel silicon- and tin-containing eight-membered ring [cyclo-CH2[Sn(Cl2)CH2Si(Me2)]2O] in good yield, the crystal structure of which is reported. 119Sn NMR and X-ray studies indicate that [cyclo-CH2[Sn(Cl2)CH2Si(Me2)]2O] acts as a bidentate Lewis acid towards chloride ions exclusively forming the 1:1 complex [(Ph3P)2N]+[cyclo-CH2[Sn(Cl2)CH2Si(Me2)]2OCl]- upon addition of [(Ph3P)2N]+Cl- . Also reported are the synthesis and structure of [K(dibenzo[18]crown-6)]+[cyclo-CH2(Sn(Cl2)CH2Si(Me2)]2OF]-, the first completely characterised organostannate with a C2SnCl2F- substituent pattern. No ring-opening polymerisation could be achieved for [cyclo-CH2[Sn(Cl2)CH2Si(Me2)]2O] or for its perphenylated derivative [cyclo-CH2[Sn(Ph2)CH2Si(Me2)]2O]. The reaction of [cyclo-CH2[Sn(Cl2)CH2Si(Me2)]2O] with Me3O+BF4- gave the tin-containing fluorosilane [CH2[Sn(Cl2)CH2Si(F)Me2]2], in which the Si-F bond is activated by intermolecular Si-F...Sn interactions in the solid state.

Theoretical study of activation of oxirane by bidentate acids

The reaction of oxirane with amines in the presence of some bidentate and monodentate Bronsted acids has been studied theoretically by taking some simplified reaction models. Acids have been shown to serve as temporary reservoirs of electronic charge during the reaction to strengthen the nucleophilicity of the substrate. The shift of electronic charges and enhancement of the nucleophilicity of oxirane have been represented by means of paired interaction orbitals and projected reactive orbitals. The reason the transition state appears at an earlier stage in the reaction catalyzed by 1,8-biphenylenediol relative to the reactions catalyzed by monodentate phenols and alcohols has been clarified.