Reductive Elimination of Alkanes and Arenes from [Pd2R2(μ-H)(μ-dppm)2]PF6 Complexes

The partial dehydrogenation of aluminium dihydrides

The reactions of a series of β-diketiminate stabilised aluminium dihydrides with ruthenium bis(phosphine), palladium bis(phosphine) and palladium cyclopentadienyl complexes is reported. In the case of ruthenium, alane coordination occurs with no evidence for hydrogen loss resulting in the formation of ruthenium complexes with a pseudo-octahedral geometry and cis-relation of phosphine ligands. These new ruthenium complexes have been characterised by multinuclear and variable temperature NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction. In the case of palladium, a series of structural snapshots of alane dehydrogenation have been isolated and crystallographically characterised. Variation of the palladium precursor and ligand on aluminium allows kinetic control over reactivity and isolation of intermetallic complexes that contain new Pd-Al and Pd-Pd interactions. These complexes differ by the ratio of H : Al (2 : 1, 1.5 : 1 and 1 : 1) with lower hydride content species forming with dihydrogen loss. A combination of X-ray and neutron diffraction studies have been used to interrogate the structures and provide confidence in the assignment of the number and position of hydride ligands. 27Al MAS NMR spectroscopy and calculations (DFT, QTAIM) have been used to gain an understanding of the dehydrogenation processes. The latter provide evidence for dehydrogenation being accompanied by metal-metal bond formation and an increased negative charge on Al due to the covalency of the new metal-metal bonds. To the best of our knowledge, we present the first structural information for intermediate species in alane dehydrogenation including a rare neutron diffraction study of a palladium-aluminium hydride complex. Furthermore, as part of these studies we have obtained the first SS 27Al NMR data on an aluminium(i) complex. Our findings are relevant to hydrogen storage, materials chemistry and catalysis.

Hydrogenolysis of Dinuclear PCNR Ligated PdII μ-Hydroxides and Their Mononuclear PdII Hydroxide Analogues

The hydrogenolysis of mono- and dinuclear Pd^II hydroxides was investigated both experimentally and computationally. It was found that the dinuclear μ-hydroxide complexes {[(PCN^R )Pd]₂ (μ-OH)}(OTf) (PCN^H =1-[3-[(di-tert-butylphosphino)methyl]phenyl]-1H-pyrazole; PCN^Me =1-[3-[(di-tert-butylphosphino)methyl]phenyl]-5-methyl-1H-pyrazole) react with H₂ to form the analogous dinuclear hydride species {[(PCN^R )Pd]₂ (μ-H)}(OTf). The dinuclear μ-hydride complexes were fully characterized, and are rare examples of structurally characterized unsupported singly bridged μ-H Pd^II dimers. The {[(PCN^Me )Pd]₂ (μ-OH)}(OTf) hydrogenolysis mechanism was investigated through experiments and computations. The hydrogenolysis of the mononuclear complex (PCN^H )Pd-OH resulted in a mixed ligand dinuclear species [(PCN^H )Pd](μ-H)[(PCC)Pd] (PCC=a dianionic version of PCN^H bound through phosphorus P, aryl C, and pyrazole C atoms) generated from initial ligand "rollover" C-H activation. Further exposure to H₂ yields the bisphosphine Pd⁰ complex Pd[(H)PCN^H ]₂ . When the ligand was protected at the pyrazole 5-position in the (PCN^Me )Pd-OH complex, no hydride formed under the same conditions; the reaction proceeded directly to the bisphosphine Pd⁰ complex Pd[(H)PCN^Me ]₂ . Reaction mechanisms for the hydrogenolysis of the monomeric and dimeric hydroxides are proposed.

Binuclear platinum–iridium complexes: synthesis, reactivity and luminescence

The reactivity of a Pt–Ir metal–metal bonded complex has been studied as a model for bimetallic Pt–Ir catalysts.

Bimetallic reductive elimination from dinuclear Pd(III) complexes

In 2009, we reported C-halogen reductive elimination reactions from dinuclear Pd(III) complexes and implicated dinuclear intermediates in Pd(OAc)(2)-catalyzed C-H oxidation chemistry. Herein, we report results of a thorough experimental and theoretical investigation of the mechanism of reductive elimination from such dinuclear Pd(III) complexes, which establish the role of each metal during reductive elimination. Our results implicate reductive elimination from a complex in which the dinuclear core is intact and suggest that redox synergy between the two metals is responsible for the facile reductive elimination reactions observed.

Formation of silicon-carbon bonds by photochemical irradiation of (eta-C(5)H(5))Fe(CO)(2)SiR(3) and (eta-C(5)H(5))Fe(CO)(2)Me to obtain R(3)SiMe

Photochemical irradiation of an equimolar mixture of (eta(5)-C(5)H(5))Fe(CO)(2)SiR(3), FpSiR(3), and FpMe leads to the efficient formation of the silicon-carbon coupled product R(3)SiMe, R(3) = Me(3), Me(2)Ph, MePh(2), Ph(3), ClMe(2), Cl(2)Me, Cl(3), Me(2)Ar (Ar = C(6)H(4)X, X = F, OMe, CF(3), NMe(2). Similar chemistry occurs with related germyl and stannyl complexes at slower rates, Si > Ge> >>Sn. Substitution of an aryl hydrogen in FpSiMe(2)C(6)H(4)R' has little effect upon the rate of the reaction whereas progressive substitution of methyl groups on silicon by Cl slows the process. Also changing FpMe to FpCH(2)SiMe(3) dramatically slows the reaction as does the use of (eta(5)-C(5)Me(5))Fe(CO)(2) derivatives. A mechanism involving the initial formation of the 16e(-) intermediate (eta(5)-C(5)H(5))Fe(CO)Me followed by oxidative addition of the Fe-Si bond, accounts for the experimental results obtained.

Pyridine-2-thionate as a versatile ligand in Pd(ii) and Pt(ii) chemistry: the presence of three different co-ordination modes in [Pd2(μ2-S,N-C5H4SN)(μ2-κ2S-C5H4SN)(μ2-dppm)(S-C5H4SN)2]

Reactions of [MCl2(L-L)], M = Pt, Pd; L-L = bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (dppm) or bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe), with NaC5H4SN in a 1 : 2 molar ratio lead to mononuclear species [M(S-C5H4SN)2(P-P)], M = Pt; L-L = dppm (1) or dppe (2) and M = Pd; L-L = dppe (3), as well as to the dinuclear [Pd2(micro2-S,N-C5H4SN)(micro2-kappa2S-C5H4SN)(micro2-dppm)(S-C5H4SN)2] (4). In contrast, reaction of [MCl2(dppm)] with NaC5H4SN in a 1 : 1 molar ratio leads to [Pd2(micro2-S,N-C5H4SN)3(micro2-dppm)]Cl (5) and trans-[Pt(S-C5H4SN)2(PPh2Me)2] (6) respectively. The latter is formed in low yield by cleavage of the dppm ligand. The dinuclear derivatives 4 and 5 present an A-frame and lantern structure, respectively. The former showing three different co-ordination modes in the same molecule with a short Pd-Pd distance of 2.9583 (9) A and the latter with three bridging S,N thionate ligands showing a shorter Pd-Pd distance of 2.7291 (13) A. Both distances could be imposed by the bridging ligands or point to some sort of metal-metal interaction.

Metal−Metal Bonded Homo- and Heterobimetallic Compounds of Pt(I) and Pd(I) Supported by a Bridging-N,P:N‘,P‘ Moiety of a Potentially Hexadentate Ligand

Reactions of metal-metal bonded homobimetallic (Pd(2)) and heterobimetallic (PtPd) complexes, supported by a P,P'-bridging-bis(P,N-chelating) coordination mode of the potentially hexadentate ligand 1,1-bis[di(o-N,N-dimethylanilinyl)phosphino]methane (dmapm), with CO, diethylacetylenedicarboxylate (DEAD), and thiols (RSH) in CH(2)Cl(2) are described. At room temperature, rac-Pd(2)Cl(2)(mu-N,P:P',N'-dmapm) gives the stable complexes Pd(2)Cl(2)(mu-CO)(2)(mu-P:P'-dmapm) and PdCl(eta2-DEAD)(mu-P:P',N-dmapm)PdCl (which is fluxional in solution), while rac-PtPdCl(2)(mu-N,P:P',N'-dmapm) disproportionates to PtCl(2)(P,P'-dmapm) and Pd metal, although at low temperature intermediate carbonyl species are detected in the CO reaction. The reactions with thiols in the presence of triflic acid (HOTf) generate rac-[MPdCl(2)(mu-SR)(mu-N,P:P',N'-dmapm)][OTf] and H(2) for both M = Pt and Pd. In CH(2)Cl(2), PdX(2)(dmapm) species (X = halide or CN) exist as equilibrium mixtures of P,P'- and P,N-ligated forms. For X = Cl, the P,P'-P,N equilibrium is governed by DeltaH degrees = -5.5 +/- 0.5 kJ mol(-1) and DeltaS degrees = 10 +/- 1 J mol(-1) K(-1), and the ring-strain energy within the P,P'-isomer is approximately 32 kJ mol(-1); the equilibrium increasingly favors the P,N-form with X = CN >> I > Br > Cl. The solid-state structures of rac-[PtPdCl(2)(mu-SEt)(mu-N,P:P',N'-dmapm)][OTf] and PdCl(2)(P,N-dmapm) are presented; the latter contains both bound and free N- and P-atoms of identical types in the same molecule and permits an assessment of sigma- and pi-bonding between these atoms and Pd.

Stereoselective cis-Addition of Aromatic C−H Bonds to Alkynes Catalyzed by Dinuclear Palladium Complexes

Reactions of alkynes with arenes proceeded in the presence of dinuclear palladium complexes and trialkylboranes to yield alkyne hydroarylation products with high stereoselectivity. In the reactions of monosubstituted benzenes, meta and para products were formed in statistical ratios, while no ortho isomers were detected.

Alcoholysis of acylpalladium(II) complexes relevant to the alternating copolymerization of ethene and carbon monoxide and the alkoxycarbonylation of alkenes: the importance of Cis-coordinating phosphines

The mechanism and kinetics of the solvolysis of complexes of the type [(L-L)Pd(C(O)CH(3))(S)](+)[CF(3)SO(3)](-) (L-L = diphosphine ligand, S = solvent, CO, or donor atom in the ligand backbone) was studied by NMR and UV-vis spectroscopy with the use of the ligands a-j: SPANphos (a), dtbpf (b), Xantphos (c), dippf (d), DPEphos (e), dtbpx (f), dppf (g), dppp (h), calix-6-diphosphite (j). Acetyl palladium complexes containing trans-coordinating ligands that resist cis coordination (SPANphos, dtbpf) showed no methanolysis. Trans complexes that can undergo isomerization to the cis analogue (Xantphos, dippf, DPEphos) showed methanolyis of the acyl group at a moderate rate. The reaction of [trans-(DPEphos)Pd(C(O)CH(3))](+)[CF(3)SO(3)](-) (2e) with methanol shows a large negative entropy of activation. Cis complexes underwent competing decarbonylation and methanolysis with the exception of 2j, [cis-(calix-diphosphite)Pd(C(O)CH(3))(CD(3)OD)](+)[CF(3)SO(3)](-). The calix-6-diphosphite complex showed a large positive entropy of activation. It is concluded that ester elimination from acylpalladium complexes with alcohols requires cis geometry of the acyl group and coordinating alcohol. The reductive elimination of methyl acetate is described as a migratory elimination or a 1,2-shift of the alkoxy group from palladium to the acyl carbon atom. Cis complexes with bulky ligands such as dtbpx undergo an extremely fast methanolysis. An increasing steric bulk of the ligand favors the formation of methyl propanoate relative to the insertion of ethene leading to formation of oligomers or polymers in the catalytic reaction of ethene, carbon monoxide, and methanol.