Alkylthio Bridged 44 cve Triangular Platinum Clusters: Synthesis, Oxidation, Degradation, Ligand Substitution, and Quantum Chemical Calculations

Advances for Triangular and Sandwich-Shaped All-Metal Aromatics

Much experimental work has been contributed to all-metal σ, π and δ-aromaticity among transition metals, semimetallics and other metals in the past two decades. Before our focused investigations on the properties of triangular and sandwich-shaped all-metal aromatics, A. I. Boldyrev presented general discussions on the concepts of all-metal σ-aromaticity and σ-antiaromaticity for metallo-clusters. Schleyer illustrated that Nucleus-Independent Chemical Shifts (NICS) were among the most authoritative criteria for aromaticity. Ugalde discussed the earlier developments of all-metal aromatic compounds with all possible shapes. Besides the theoretical predictions, many stable all-metal aromatic trinuclear clusters have been isolated as the metallic analogues of either the σ-aromatic molecule's [H3]+ ion or the π-aromatic molecule's [C3H3]+ ion. Different from Hoffman's opinion on all-metal aromaticity, triangular all-metal aromatics were found to hold great potential in applications in coordination chemistry, catalysis, and material science. Triangular all-metal aromatics, which were theoretically proved to conform to the Hückel (4n + 2) rule and possess the smallest aromatic ring, could also play roles as stable ligands during the formation of all-metal sandwiches. The triangular and sandwich-shaped all-metal aromatics have not yet been specifically summarized despite their diversity of existence, puissant developments and various interesting applications. These findings are different from the public opinion that all-metal aromatics would be limited to further applications due to their overstated difficulties in synthesis and uncertain stabilities. Our review will specifically focus on the summarization of theoretical predictions, feasible syntheses and isolations, and multiple applications of triangular and sandwich shaped all-metal aromatics. The appropriateness and necessities of this review will emphasize and disseminate their importance and applications forcefully and in a timely manner.

Evolution of Triangular All-Metal Aromatic Complexes from Bonding Quandaries to Powerful Catalytic Platforms

This manuscript describes an overview on the literature detailing the observation of trinuclear complexes that present delocalized metal-metal bonds similar to those of regular aromatics, which are formed combining main group elements. A particular emphasis is given to the structural and electronic features of aromatic clusters that are sufficiently stable to allow their isolation. In parallel to the description of their key bonding properties, the work presents reported catalytic applications of these complexes, which already span from elaborated C-C-forming cascades to highly efficient cross-coupling methods. These examples present peculiar aspects of the unique reactivity exerted by all-metal aromatic complexes, which can often be superior to their established, popular mononuclear peers in terms of chemoselectivity and chemical robustness.

Polynuclear platinum phosphanido/phosphinito complexes: formation of P-O and P-O-P bonds through reductive coupling processes

A mixture of the asymmetric complexes of formula [(RF)2Pt(μ-Ph2PO)(μ-PPh2)Pt(μ-PPh2)2Pt(solv)(solv')] [(1-(solv)(solv')] (solv, solv' = acetone, H2O, CH3CN) has been prepared by reaction of [(RF)2Pt(II)(μ-PPh2)2Pt(II)(μ-PPh2)2Pt(II)(NCCH3)2] with AgClO4 in CH3CN/acetone. The lability of the Pt-solvent bonds allows the displacement of the coordinated solvent molecules by dppm or Cl(-) and the isolation of the tri- or hexanuclear phosphanido/phosphinito Pt(ii) complexes [(C6F5)2Pt(μ-PPh2)(μ-PPh2O)Pt(μ-PPh2)2Pt(dppm)] (2) or [NBu4]2[(C6F5)2Pt(μ-PPh2)(μ-PPh2O)Pt(μ-PPh2)2Pt(μ-Cl)2Pt(μ-PPh2)2Pt(μ-PPh2)(μ-PPh2O)Pt(C6F5)2] (as a mixture of the two possible isomers 4a and 4b). Complex 2 reacts with AgClO4 to form the tetranuclear derivative [(C6F5)2Pt(μ-PPh2)(μ-PPh2O)Pt(μ-PPh2)2Pt(dppm)Ag(OClO3)] (3), which displays two Pt-Ag donor-acceptor bonds. The mixture of the hexanuclear isomers 4a-4b reacts with Tl(acac) producing the acetylacetonato complex [NBu4][(C6F5)2Pt(μ-PPh2)(μ-PPh2O)Pt(μ-PPh2)2Pt(acac)] (5) which, upon reaction with HCl, yields back the mixture of 4a-4b. The reaction of 4a-4b with PPh3 produces [NBu4][(C6F5)2Pt(μ-PPh2)(μ-PPh2O)Pt(μ-PPh2)2Pt(Cl)(PPh3)] (6) as a mixture of isomers with the chloro ligand located syn (6a) or anti (6b) to the PPh2O(-) group. Either the reaction of 6 with AgClO4 or the treatment of 5 with HPPh3ClO4 results in the formation of the species [(C6F5)2Pt(II)(μ-PPh2)2Pt(I)(μ-PPh2OPPh2)Pt(I)(PPh3)] (7) (44 VEC), which can be explained as the consequence of a PPh2O/PPh2 reductive coupling and a rearrangement of ligands in the molecule generating a Pt(ii),Pt(i),Pt(i) compound. All complexes were characterised in the solid state by XRD (only one of the isomers, in the cases of 4 and 6) and in solution by NMR spectroscopy.

Unprecedented tris-phosphido-bridged triangular clusters with 42 valence electrons. Chemical, electrochemical and computational studies of their formation and stability

This paper presents the synthesis and structural characterization of the unprecedented tris-phosphido-bridged compounds Pt3(μ-PBu(t)2)3X3 (X = Cl, Br, I), having only 42 valence electrons, while up to now analogous clusters typically have 44e(-). The new species were obtained by an apparent bielectronic oxidation of the 44e(-) monohalides Pt3(μ-PBu(t)2)3(CO)2X with the corresponding dihalogen X2. Their X-ray structures are close to the D3h symmetry, similarly to the 44e(-) analogues with three terminal carbonyl ligands. The products were also obtained by electrochemical oxidation of the same monohalides in the presence of the corresponding halide. In a detailed study on the formation of Pt3(μ-PBu(t)2)3I3, the redox potentials indicated that I2 can only perform the first monoelectronic oxidation but is unsuited for the second one. Accordingly, the 43e(-) intermediate [Pt3(μ-PBu(t)2)3(CO)2I](+) was ascertained to play a key role. Another piece of information is that, together with the fully oxidized product Pt3(μ-PBu(t)2)3I3, the transient 44e(-) species [Pt3(μ-PBu(t)2)3(CO)3](+) is formed in the early steps of the reaction. In order to extract detailed information on the formation pathway, involving both terminal ligand substitutions and electron transfer processes, a DFT investigation has been performed and all the possible intermediates have been defined together with their associated energy costs. The profile highlights many important aspects, such as the formation of an appropriate couple of 43e(-) intermediates having different sets of terminal coligands, and suitable redox potentials for the transfer of one electron. Optimizations of 45e(-) associative intermediates in the ligand substitution reactions indicate their possible involvement in the redox process with reduction of the overall energy cost. Finally, according to MO arguments, the unique stability of the 42e(-) phosphido-bridged Pt3 clusters can be attributed to the simultaneous presence of three terminal halides.