Crystal Packing Forces Dictate η1- versus η2-Coordination of Benzyl Groups in [Guanidinate]Zr(CH2Ph)3

Guanidinates as Alternative Ligands for Organometallic Complexes

For decades, ligands such as phosphanes or cyclopentadienyl ring derivatives have dominated Coordination and Organometallic Chemistry. At the same time, alternative compounds have emerged that could compete either for a more practical and accessible synthesis or for greater control of steric and electronic properties. Guanidines, nitrogen-rich compounds, appear as one such potential alternatives as ligands or proligands. In addition to occurring in a plethora of natural compounds, and thus in compounds of pharmacological use, guanidines allow a wide variety of coordination modes to different metal centers along the periodic table, with their monoanionic chelate derivatives being the most common. In this review, we focused on the organometallic chemistry of guanidinato compounds, discussing selected examples of coordination modes, reactivity and uses in catalysis or materials science. We believe that these amazing ligands offer a new promise in Organometallic Chemistry.

Organometallic Zirconium Compounds in an Oxygen-Rich Coordination Environment: Synthesis and Structural Characterization of Tris(oxoimidazolyl)hydroboratozirconium Compounds

A series of tris(oxoimidazolyl)hydroborato ligands, which serve as L₂X [O₃] donors, have been employed to obtain organometallic zirconium compounds in an uncommon oxygen-rich coordination environment. For example, Cp[To^MeBenz]ZrCl₂ has been synthesized via the reaction of [To^MeBenz]Na with CpZrCl₃ and bears a structural resemblance to the bent metallocene dichloride derivative Cp₂ZrCl₂. In addition, the half-sandwich counterparts [To^MeBenz]ZrCl₃ and [To^But]ZrCl₃ have been obtained by metathesis of ZrCl₄ with [To^MeBenz]Na and [To^But]Na, respectively. The structurally related zirconium benzyl compounds [To^RBenz]Zr(CH₂Ph)₃ (R = Me, Bu^t, 1-Ad) have also been synthesized via the reactions of [To^RBenz]Tl with Zr(CH₂Ph)₄, and X-ray diffraction studies demonstrate that the benzyl ligands in these compounds are conformationally flexible and exhibit a large range of Zr-CH₂-Ph bond angles (94.7-131.7°). Protolytic cleavage of one of the benzyl ligands of [To^RBenz]Zr(CH₂Ph)₃ (R = Bu^t, 1-Ad) may be achieved by treatment with [PhNHMe₂][B(C₆F₅)₄] to generate {[To^RBenz]Zr(CH₂Ph)₂}[B(C₆F₅)₄], which are catalysts for the polymerization of ethylene. The molecular structure of the ether adduct, {[To^ButBenz]Zr(CH₂Ph)₂(OEt₂)}[B(C₆F₅)₄], has been determined by X-ray diffraction. In addition to the use of tris(oxoimidazolyl)hydroborato ligands, bis(oxoimidazolyl)hydroborato ligands have also been used to obtain zirconium benzyl compounds in oxygen-rich environments, namely, [Bo^MeBenz]₂Zr(CH₂Ph)₂ and [Bo^AdBenz]₂Zr(CH₂Ph)₂.

Homoleptic U(iii) and U(iv) amidate complexes

Homoleptic U(iv) and U(iii) amidate complexes have been isolated and characterized; these species undergo an unusual and reversible change in coordination number upon reduction/oxidation.

Synthesis and Reactivity of Metal Complexes Supported by the Tetradentate Monoanionic Ligand Bis(2-picolyl)(2-hydroxy-3,5-di-tert-butylbenzyl)amide (BPPA)

Metal-halide complexes of Ti, V, Y, Zr, Al, Ga, and U supported by the tetradentate monoanionic (TDMA) ligand bis(2-picolyl)(2-hydroxy-3,5-di-tert-butylbenzyl)amine, H(BPPA), were synthesized and spectroscopically characterized. In addition, the complexes (BPPA)TiCl2, (BPPA)VBr2, [(BPPA)YCl2]2, (BPPA)AlCl2, (BPPA)GaCl2, and (BPPA)UI3 were characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. In all cases the ligand is bound kappa4 to the metal center. All structurally characterized compounds are monomeric in the solid-state with the exception of [(BPPA)YCl2]2, which exists as a dimer in the solid-state. The metal-alkyl complexes (BPPA)AlMe2 and (BPPA)Zr(CH2Ph)3 were also synthesized and characterized, and an X-ray structure of (BPPA)Zr(CH2Ph)3 was obtained. The transformation of BPPA from a monoanionic to a dianionic ligand via proton abstraction was observed and monitored by NMR spectroscopy.

Reactivity of Organolanthanide and Organolithium Complexes Containing the Guanidinate Ligands toward Isocyanate or Carbodiimide: Synthesis and Crystal Structures

The direct reactions of (C5H5)2LnCl with LiN=C(NMe2)2 proceeded at room temperature in THF under pure nitrogen to yield the lanthanocene guanidinate complexes [(C5H5)2Ln(mu-eta1:eta2-N=C(NMe2)2)]2 (Ln = Gd (1), Er (2)). Treatment of phenyl isocyanate with complexes 1 and 2 results in monoinsertion of phenyl isocyanate into the Ln-N(mu-Gua) bond to yield the corresponding insertion products [(C5H5)2Ln(mu-eta1:eta2-OC(N=C(NMe2)2)NPh)]2 (Ln = Gd (3), Er (4)), presenting the first example of unsaturated organic small molecule insertion into the metal-guanidinate ligand bond. Further investigations indicate that N,N'-diisopropylcarbodiimide does not react with complexes 1 and 2 under the same conditions; however, it readily inserts into the lithium-guanidinate ligand bond of LiN=C(NMe2)2. As a synthon of the insertion product Li[(iPrN)2C(N=C(NMe2)2)], its reaction with (C5H5)2LnCl gives the novel organolanthanide complexes containing the guanidinoacetamidinate ligand, (C5H5)2Ln[(iPrN)2C(N=C(NMe2)2)] (Ln = Yb (5), Er (6), Dy (7)). All complexes were characterized by elemental analysis and spectroscopic properties. The structures of complexes 1, 3, 5 and 7 were determined through X-ray single-crystal diffraction analysis.

Crystal environments probed by EPR spectroscopy. Variations in the EPR spectra of Co(II)(octaethylporphyrin) doped in crystalline diamagnetic hosts and a reassessment of the electronic structure of four-coordinate cobalt(II)

The powder and single-crystal EPR spectra of Co(II)(OEP) (OEP is the dianion of octaethylporphyrin) doped into a range of diamagnetic crystals including simple four-coordinate hosts, H(2)(OEP), the triclinic B form of Ni(II)(OEP), the tetragonal form of Ni(II)(OEP) and Zn(II)(OEP); five-coordinate hosts, micro-dioxane)[Zn(II)(OEP)](2) and (py)Zn(II)(OEP); six-coordinate hosts, (py)(2)Zn(II)(OEP) and (py)(2)Mg(II)(OEP); and hosts containing fullerenes, C(60).2Zn(II)(OEP).CHCl(3), C(70).Ni(II)(OEP).C(6)H(6).CHCl(3), and C(60).Ni(II)(OEP).2C(6)H(6) have been obtained and analyzed. Spectra were simulated using a program that employed the exact diagonalization of the 16 x 16 complex spin Hamiltonian matrix. The EPR spectra of these doped samples are very sensitive to the environment within each crystal with the crystallographic site symmetry determining whether axial or rhombic resonance patterns are observed. For Co(II)(OEP) doped into tetragonal Ni(II)(OEP) (which displays a very large g( perpendicular ) of 3.405 and a very small g( parallel ) of 1.544) and several other crystals containing four-coordinate metal sites, the g components could not be fit using existing theory with the assumption of the usual z(2) ground state. However, reasonable agreement of the observed EPR parameters could be obtained by assuming that the unpaired electron resides in an xy orbital in the four-coordinate complexes.

Synthesis and Structural Investigation of N,N‘,N‘ ‘-Trialkylguanidinato-Supported Zirconium(IV) Complexes

The addition of 2 equiv of N,N',N' '-triisopropylguanidine (guanH(2)) to Zr(CH(2)Ph)(4) produced the bis(guanidinato)bis(benzyl)zirconium complex [((i)PrNH)C(N(i)Pr)(2)](2)Zr(CH(2)Ph)(2) (1). The mono(guanidinato) complex [((i)PrN)(2)C(NH(i)Pr)]ZrCl(3) (2) was accessible by the reaction of 2 equiv of guanH(2) with ZrCl(4). Guanidinium hydrochloride, [C(NH(i)Pr)(3)]Cl, is a byproduct of this reaction. When crystallized from THF, complex 2 was isolated as the THF adduct [((i)PrNH)C(N(i)Pr)(2)]ZrCl(3)(THF) (2-THF). The mixed cyclopentadienyl guanidinato complex [eta(5)-1,3-(Me(3)Si)(2)C(5)H(3)][((i)PrNH)C(N(i)Pr)(2)]ZrCl(2) (3) was prepared by treatment of [1,3-(Me(3)Si)(2)C(5)H(3)]ZrCl(3) with the in situ generated lithium triisopropylguanidinate salt. The reaction of guanH(2) with [1,3-(Me(3)Si)(2)C(5)H(3)]ZrMe(3) affords the dimethyl derivative [eta(5)-1,3-(Me(3)Si)(2)C(5)H(3)][((i)PrNH)C(N(i)Pr)(2)]ZrMe(2) (4). Definitive evidence for the molecular structures of these products is provided through single-crystal X-ray characterization of 1, 2-THF, and 3, which are presented. The extent of pi delocalization within the guanidinato ligand is discussed in the context of the metrical parameters obtained from these structural studies.