Regio- and Stereoselective C−C Bond Formation between Alkynes: Synthesis of Linear Dienynes from Alkynes

Mechanistic Versatility at Ir(PSiP) Pincer Catalysts: Triflate Proton Shuttling from 2-Butyne to Diene and [3]Dendralene Motifs

The five-coordinate hydrido complex [IrH(OTf)(PSiP)] (1) catalytically transforms 2-butyne into a mixture of its isomer 1,3-butadiene, and [3]dendralene and linear hexatriene dimerization products: (E)-4-methyl-3-methylene-1,4-hexadiene and (3Z)-3,4-dimethyl-1,3,5-hexatriene, respectively. Under the conditions of the catalytic reaction, benzene, and 363 K, the hexatriene further undergoes thermal electrocyclization into 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexadiene. The reactions between 1 and the alkyne substrate allow isolation or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) observation of catalyst resting states and possible reaction intermediates, including complexes with the former PSiP pincer ligands disassembled into PSi and PC chelates, and species coordinating allyl or carbene fragments en route to products. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations guided by these experimental observations disclose competing mechanisms for C–H bond elaboration that move H atoms either classically, as hydrides, or as protons transported by the triflate. This latter role of triflate, previously recognized only for more basic anions such as carboxylates, is discussed to result from combining the unfavorable charge separation in the nonpolar solvent and the low electronic demand from the metal to the anion at coordination positions trans to silicon. Triflate deprotonation of methyl groups is key to release highly coordinating diene products from stable allyl intermediates, thus enabling catalytic cycling.

Metallaaromatic Chemistry: History and Development

Since the prediction of the existence of metallabenzenes in 1979, metallaaromatic chemistry has developed rapidly, due to its importance in both experimental and theoretical fields. Now six major types of metallaromatic compounds, metallabenzenes, metallabenzynes, heterometallaaromatics, dianion metalloles, metallapentalenes and metallapentalynes (also termed carbolongs), and spiro metalloles, have been reported and extensively studied. Their parent organic analogues may be aromatic, non-aromatic, or even anti-aromatic. These unique systems not only enrich the large family of aromatics, but they also broaden our understanding and extend the concept of aromaticity. This review provides a comprehensive overview of metallaaromatic chemistry. We have focused on not only the six major classes of metallaaromatics, including the main-group-metal-based metallaaromatics, but also other types, such as metallacyclobutadienes and metallacyclopropenes. The structures, synthetic methods, and reactivities are described, their applications are covered, and the challenges and future prospects of the area are discussed. The criteria commonly used to judge the aromaticity of metallaaromatics are presented.

Rhodafuran from a methoxy(alkenyl)carbene by the rhoda-1,3,5-hexatriene route

A methoxy(alkenyl)carbenerhodium complex [RhCp*Cl{[double bond, length as m-dash]C(OMe)CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CPh2}(PMe3)]PF6 (2) has been synthesized and used as the starting material for the study of the effect of the metal center (Rh vs. Ir) in the formation of new rhodacycle complexes. While η3 and η5 indenylrhodium complexes have been achieved by the C-H bond activation of a phenyl ring, insertion of terminal alkynes into the rhodium-carbene bond led to the first example of the synthesis of rhodafuran complexes through rhoda-1,3,5-hexatriene intermediates. This new method represents an efficient process to obtain metallafuran complexes.

Competition between vinylidene rearrangement and 1,2-insertion of carbon-disubstituted internal alkynes at a Cp*Ir(iii) complex

Competition between vinylidene rearrangement/1,1-insertion and 1,2-alkyne insertion into the Ir–Ar bond of [Cp*Ir(ppy-F₄)]⁺ was observed on reaction with diarylacetylenes. The former process afforded the 9-membered iridacycle via the subsequent 1,4-Ir migration.

Star-Shaped Conjugated Systems

The present review deals with the preparation and the properties of star-shaped conjugated compounds. Three, four or six conjugated arms are attached to cross-conjugated cores, which consist of single atoms (B, C⁺, N), benzene or azine rings or polycyclic ring systems, as for example triphenylene or tristriazolotriazine. Many of these shape-persistent [n]star compounds tend to π-stacking and self-organization, and exhibit interesting properties in materials science: Linear and non-linear optics, electrical conductivity, electroluminescence, formation of liquid crystalline phases, etc.

Investigations on the Coupling of Ethylene and Alkynes in [IrTpMe2] Compounds: Water as an Effective Trapping Agent

The reaction of the bis(ethylene) complex [Tp(Me(2) )Ir(C(2)H(4))(2)] (1) (Tp(Me(2) ): hydrotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate) with two equivalents of dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) in CH(2)Cl(2) at 25 degrees C gives the hydride-alkenyl species [Tp(Me(2) )IrH{C(R)=C(R)C(R)=C(R)CH=CH(2)}] (2, R: CO(2)Me) in high yield. A careful study of this system has established the active role of a number of intermediates en route to producing 2. The first of these is the iridium(I) complex [Tp(Me(2) )Ir(C(2)H(4))(DMAD)] (4) formed by substitution of one of the ethylene ligands in 1 by a molecule of DMAD. Complex 4 reacts further with another equivalent of the alkyne to give the unsaturated metallacyclopentadiene [Tp(Me(2) )Ir{C(R)=C(R)C(R)=C(R)}], which can be trapped by added water to give adduct 7, or can react with the C(2)H(4) present in solution generating complex 2. This last step has been shown to proceed by insertion of ethylene into one of the Ir--C bonds of the metallacyclopentadiene and subsequent beta-H elimination. Complex 1 reacts sequentially with one equivalent of DMAD and one equivalent of methyl propiolate (MP) in the presence of water, with regioselective formation of the nonsymmetric iridacyclopentadiene [Tp(Me(2) )Ir{C(R)=C(R)C(H)=C(R)}(H(2)O)] (9). Complex 9 reacts with ethylene giving a hydride-alkenyl complex 10, related to 2, in which the C(2)H(4) has inserted regiospecifically into the Ir--C(R) bond that bears the CH functionality. Heating solutions of either 2 or 10 in CH(2)Cl(2) allows the formation of the allyl species 3 or 11, respectively, by simple stereoselective migration of the hydride ligand to the Calpha alkenyl carbon atom and concomitant bond reorganization of the resulting organic chain. All the compounds described herein have been characterized by microanalysis, IR and NMR spectroscopy, and for the case of 3, 7, 7CO, 8NCMe, 9, 9NCMe, and 10, also by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies.

Multinuclear Silver Ethynide Supramolecular Synthons for the Construction of Coordination Networks

The invariant appearance of the mu8 coordination mode for the C4(2-) dianion in its silver(I) complexes, with four silver(I) atoms attached to each terminal ethynide moiety, implies that the Ag4[cap]C[triple bond]C-C[triple bond]C[cap]Ag4 species may be considered as a new type of supramolecular synthon for the construction of 1D, 2D, and 3D coordination polymers. This Focus Review covers recent results on the synthesis and structural characterization of silver(I) arylethynide and alkylethynide complexes, which established the existence and utility of analogous polynuclear supramolecular synthons R-C[triple bond]C[cap]Ag(n) (R = aryl or alkyl; n = 4, 5) and Ag(n)[cap]C2-R-C2[cap]Ag(n) (R = p-, m-, o-C6H4; n = 4, 5). The interplay of silver-ethynide bonding, which can be classified into sigma, pi, and mixed (sigma,pi) types, with argentophilicity, pi-pi stacking, and other weak interactions highlights the complexity and challenge in building coordination networks of silver ethynide complexes.

Iridium complex-catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloaddition of alpha,omega-diynes with monoynes and monoenes

[reaction: see text] [Ir(cod)Cl]2/DPPE was found to be a new catalyst for the cycloaddition of alpha,omega-diynes with monoynes to give polysubstituted benzene derivatives in high yields. Internal monoynes as well as terminal monoynes could be used. The reaction tolerates a broad range of functional groups such as alcohol, amine, alkene, ether, halogen, and nitrile. The reaction of 1,6-octadiyne derivatives with 1-alkynes gives ortho products and meta products. The regioselectivity could be controlled by the choice of ligand. The reaction with DPPE was meta selective, with meta selectivity of up to 82%. The reaction with DPPF was ortho selective, with ortho selectivity of up to 88%. We propose a mechanism to account for this regioselective cycloaddition. [Ir(cod)Cl](2)/DPPE also catalyzed the cycloaddition of alpha,omega-diynes with 2,5-dihydrofuran to give bicyclic cyclohexadiene derivatives. The reaction with 2,3-dihydrofuran and n-butyl vinyl ether gave benzene derivatives instead of cyclohexadiene derivatives. We also propose a mechanism to account for this novel aromatization that includes cleavage of the C-O bond.

Recent Advances in Metallabenzene Chemistry

Research into aromatic metallacycles, though discussed in the literature over the last quarter century, has undergone a major expansion since 2000. A wide variety of new metallabenzenes, encompassing new synthetic methods and new metal centers, is now available. New aromatic metallacycle topologies (iridanaphthalene, osmabenzynes) have been isolated and characterized. The first metallabenzene valence isomers (iridabenzvalenes, rhodabenzvalenes) and constitutional isomers (isoosmabenzenes) are now known. This review discusses the synthesis, chemistry, and physical properties of these intriguing aromatic compounds.

New iridacyclohexadienes and iridabenzenes by [2+2+1] cyclotrimerization of alkynes and facile interconversion between iridacyclohexadienes and iridabenzenes

Iridabenzenes [Ir[=CHCH=CHCH=C(CH2R)](CH3CN)2(PPh3)2]2+ (R=Ph 4 a, R=p-C6H4CH3 4 b) are obtained from the reactions of H+ with iridacyclohexadienes [Ir[-CH=CHCH=CHC(=CH-p-C6H4R')](CO)(PPh3)2]+ (R'=H 3 a, R'=CH3 3 b), which are prepared from [2+2+1] cyclotrimerization of alkynes in the reactions of [Ir(CH3CN)(CO)(PPh3)2]+ with HC[triple chemical bond]CH and HC[triple chemical bond]CR. Iridabenzenes 4 react with CO and CH3CN in the presence of NEt3 to give iridacyclohexadienes [Ir[-CH=CHCH=CHC(=CHR)](CO)2(PPh3)2]+ (6) and [Ir[-CH=CHCH=CHC(=CHR)](CH3CN)2(PPh3)2]+ (7), respectively. Iridacyclohexadienes 6 and 7 also convert to iridabenzenes 4 by the reactions with H+ in the presence of CH3CN. Alkynyl iridacyclohexadienes [Ir[-CH=CHCH=CHC(=CH-p-C6H4R')](-C[triple chemical bond]CH)(PPh3)2] (8) undergo a cleavage of C[triple chemical bond]C bond by H+/H2O to produce [Ir[-CH=CHCH=CHC(=CH-p-C6H4R')](-CH3)(CO)(PPh3)2] (10) via facile inter-conversion between iridacyclohexadienes and iridabenzenes.

Assembly of Polymeric Silver(I) Complexes of Isomeric Phenylenediethynides with the Supramolecular Synthons Agn⊂ C2RC2 ⊃Agn (R = p-, m-, o-C6H4; n = 4, 5)

New Agn subset C2-R-C2 supersetAgn (R = p-, m-, o-C6H4; n = 4, 5) supramolecular synthons have been explored in the coordination network assembly of silver(I) complexes of the isomeric phenylenediethynides. An unprecedented mu5-eta1-coordination mode for the ethynide moiety and a mixed mu4,mu5-coordination mode for the o-phenylenediethynide group are observed, providing a rationale for the abundant occurrence of C2@Agn (n </= 10) polyhedral cages in double and multiple salts of silver acetylenediide.