Quantum Exchange Coupling: A Hypersensitive Indicator of Weak Interactions

Reduction of Benzonitriles via Osmium-Azavinylidene Intermediates Bearing Nucleophilic and Electrophilic Centers

The reduction of the N≡C bond of benzonitriles promoted by OsH₆(PⁱPr₃)₂ (1) has been studied. Complex 1 releases a H₂ molecule and coordinates 2,6-dimethylbenzonitrile to afford the tetrahydride OsH₄{κ¹- N-(N≡CC₆H₃Me₂)}(PⁱPr₃)₂ (2), which is thermally stable toward the insertion of the nitrile into one of the Os-H bonds. In contrast to 2,6-dimethylbenzonitrile, benzonitrile and 2-methylbenzonitrile undergo insertion, via Os(η²-N≡CR) intermediates, to give the azavinylidene derivatives OsH₃(═N═CC₆H₄R)(PⁱPr₃)₂ [R = H (3) or Me (4)]. The analysis by means of computational tools (EDA-NOCV) of the bonding situation in these compounds suggests that the donor-acceptor nature of the osmium azavinylidene bond dominates over the mixed electron-sharing/donor-acceptor and pure electron-sharing bonding modes. The N atom is strongly nucleophilic, whereas one of the hydrides is electrophilic. In spite of the different nature of these centers, the migration of the latter to the N atom is kinetically prevented. However, the use of water as a proton shuttle allows hydride migration, as a consequence of a significant decrease in the activation barrier. The resulting phenylaldimine intermediates evolve by means of orthometalation to give OsH₃{κ²- N, C-(NH═CHC₆H₃R)}(PⁱPr₃)₂ [R = H (5) or Me (6)]. The presence of electrophilic and nucleophilic centers in 3 confers upon it the ability to activate σ-bonds, including H₂ and pinacolborane (HBpin). The reaction with the latter gives OsH₃{κ²- N, C-[N(Bpin)═CHC₆H₄]}(PⁱPr₃)₂ (7).

An Entry to Stable Mixed Phosphine-Osmium-NHC Polyhydrides

An entry to mixed phosphine-osmium-NHC polyhydride complexes is described, starting from the five-coordinate hydrido-alkylidyne compounds [OsHCl(≡CPh)(IPr)(PR3)]OTf (IPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-disopropylphenyl)imidazolylidene; OTf = CF3SO3; PR3 = P(i)Pr3 (1), PPh3 (2)). The experimental procedure involves the borylation of the Os-C triple bond of 1 and 2 with NaBH4 and the subsequent alcoholysis of the borylation products OsH2Cl(η(2)-H-BCH2Ph)(IPr)(PR3) (PR3 = P(i)Pr3 (3), PPh3 (4)) or OsH2(η(2):η(2):H2BCH2Ph)(IPr)(P(i)Pr3) (5). Stirring of 3 in 2-propanol affords the five coordinate chloride-trihydride OsH3Cl(IPr)(P(i)Pr3)2 (6), which reacts with NaBH4 to give OsH3(κ(2)-H2BH2)(IPr)(P(i)Pr3) (7). This trihydride-tetrahydrideborate derivative and its PPh3 counterpart OsH3(κ(2)-H2BH2)(IPr)(PPh3) (8) can be also obtained in a one-pot procedure, starting from 1 and 2 and using methanol at -60 °C instead of 2-propanol as alcoholysis agent. The bonding situation in 7 and 8, analyzed by DFT calculations using AIM and NBO methods, resembles that found in B2H6 and contrasts with the bonding situation in the bis-σ-borane derivative 5. Stirring of 7 and 8 in 2-propanol leads to the corresponding d(2)-hexahydride derivatives OsH6(IPr)(PR3) (PR3 = P(i)Pr3 (9), PPh3 (10)), which reduce the C≡N triple bond of benzonitrile and promote the subsequent chelate-assisted ortho-CH bond activation of the resulting phenylmethanimine, to form the trihydride compounds OsH3{κ(2)-N,C-(NH═CH-C6H4)}(IPr)(PR3)2 (PR3 = P(i)Pr3 (11), PPh3 (12)), containing a stabilized orthometalated aldimine.

Carbene vs Olefin Products of C−H Activation on Ruthenium via Competing α- and β-H Elimination

Bulky pincer complexes of ruthenium are capable of C-H activation and H-elimination from the pincer ligand backbone to produce mixtures of olefin and carbene products. To characterize the products and determine the mechanisms of the C-H cleavage, reactions of [RuCl(2)(p-cymene)](2) with N,N'-bis(di-tert-butylphosphino)-1,3-diaminopropane (L1) and 1,3-bis(di-tert-butylphosphinomethyl)cyclohexane (L2) were studied using a combination of X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, and DFT computational techniques. The reaction of L1 afforded a mixture of an alkylidene, a Fischer carbene, and two olefin isomers of the 16-e monohydride RuHCl[(t)Bu(2)PNHC(3)H(4)NHPBu(t)(2)] (2), whereas the reaction of L2 gave two olefin and two alkylidene isomers of 16-e RuHCl[2,6-(CH(2)PBu(t)(2))(2)C(6)H(8)] (3), all resulting from dehydrogenations of the ligand backbone of L1 and L2. The key intermediates implicated in the C-H activation reactions were identified as 14-electron paramagnetic species RuCl(PCP), where PCP = cyclometalated L1 or L2. Thus the alpha- and beta-H elimination reactions of RuCl(PCP) involved spin change and were formally spin-forbidden. Hydrogenation of 2 and 3 afforded 16-electron dihydrides RuH(2)Cl(PCP) distinguished by a large quantum exchange coupling between the hydrides.

Facile C(sp(2))/OR bond cleavage by Ru or Os

Os(H)(3)ClL(2) (L = P(i)Pr(3) or P(t)Bu(2)Me) are shown to be useful "precursors" to "OsHClL(2)", which react with vinyl ethers to form first an eta(2)-olefin adduct and then isomerize to the carbenes, OsHCl[CMe(OR)]L(2). Subsequent R- and L-dependent reactions involve C(sp(2))-OR bond cleavage, to make either carbyne or vinylidene complexes. The mechanisms of these reactions are explored, and the thermodynamic disparity of Ru versus Os and the influence of the OR group and the spectator phosphine ligands are discussed based on DFT (B3PW91) calculations.

Structural distortions in mer-M(H)3(NO)L2 (M = Ru, Os) and their influence on intramolecular fluxionality and quantum exchange coupling

Molecules of the type mer-M(H)3(NO)L2 [M = Ru (1), Os (2); L = PR3] are characterized on the basis of 1H NMR T1min values and IR spectra as pseudo-octahedral trihydrides significantly distorted by compression of the cis H-M-H angles to approximately 75 degrees. The distortion, uncharacteristic of six-coordinate d6 complexes, is rationalized with DFT (B3LYP) calculations as being driven by increased H-to-M sigma donation and by the exceptional pi-accepting ability of linear NO+. In both 1 and 2, hydrides undergo intramolecular site exchange with delta HHH++(1) = 10-11 kcal/mol and delta HHH++(2) = 16-20 kcal/mol, depending on L, whereas for mer-Ru(H)3(NO)(PtBu2Me)2 (1b), moderate exchange couplings (up to 77 Hz) are featured in the low-temperature 1H NMR spectra, in addition to chemical exchange. On the basis of experimental and theoretical results, a dihydrogen intermediate is suggested to mediate hydride site exchange in 1. The cis H-M-H distortion shortens the tunneling path for the exchanging hydrides in 1, thereby increasing the tunneling rate; diminishes the "conflict" between trans hydrides in the mer geometry; and decreases the nucleophilicity of the hydrides. The generality of the observed structural distortion and its dependence on the ligand environment in late transition metal tri- and dihydrides are discussed. A less reducing metal center is generally characterized by greater distortion.

Thermally Activated Site Exchange and Quantum Exchange Coupling Processes in Unsymmetrical Trihydride Osmium Compounds

Reaction of the hexahydride complex OsH(6)(P(i)Pr(3))(2) (1) with pyridine-2-thiol leads to the trihydride derivative OsH(3){kappa-N,kappa-S-(2-Spy)}(P(i)Pr(3))(2) (2). The structure of 2 has been determined by X-ray diffraction. The geometry around the osmium atom can be described as a distorted pentagonal bipyramid with the phosphine ligands occupying axial positions. The equatorial plane contains the pyridine-2-thiolato group, attached through a bite angle of 65.7(1) degrees, and the three hydride ligands. The theoretical structure determination of the model complex OsH(3){kappa-N,kappa-S-(2-Spy)}(PH(3))(2) (2a) reveals that the hydride ligands form a triangle with sides of 1.623, 1.714, and 2.873 Å, respectively. A topological analysis of the electron density of 2a indicates that there is no significant electron density connecting the hydrogen atoms of the OsH(3) unit. In solution, the hydride ligands of 2 undergo two different thermally activated site exchange processes, which involve the central hydride with each hydride ligand situated close to the donor atoms of the chelate group. The activation barriers of both processes are similar. Theoretical calculations suggest that the transition states have a cis-hydride-dihydrogen nature. In addition to the thermally activated exchange processes, complex 2 shows quantum exchange coupling between the central hydride and the one situated close to the sulfur atom of the pyridine-2-thiolato group. The reactions of 1 with L-valine and 2-hydroxypyridine afford OsH(3){kappa-N,kappa-O-OC(O)CH[CH(CH(3))(2)]NH(2)}(P(i)Pr(3))(2) (3) and OsH(3){kappa-N,kappa-O-(2-Opy)}(P(i)Pr(3))(2) (4) respectively, which according to their spectroscopic data have a similar structure to that of 2. In solution, the hydride ligands of 3 and 4 also undergo two different thermally activated site exchange processes. However, they do not show quantum exchange coupling. The tetranuclear complexes [(P(i)Pr(3))(2)H(3)Os(&mgr;-biim)M(TFB)](2) [M = Rh (5), Ir (6); H(2)biim = 2, 2'-biimidazole; TFB = tetrafluorobenzobarrelene] have been prepared by reaction of OsH(3)(Hbiim)(P(i)Pr(3))(2) with the dimers [M(&mgr;-OMe)(TFB)](2) (M = Rh, Ir). In solution the hydride ligands of these complexes, which form two chemically equivalent unsymmetrical OsH(3) units, undergo two thermally activated site exchanges and show two different quantum exchange coupling processes.