Bridging Silyl Groups in σ-Bond Metathesis and [1,2]-Shifts. Experimental and Computational Study of the Reaction between Cerium Metallocenes and MeOSiMe3

Synthesis of Crystallographically Characterizable Bis(cyclopentadienyl) Sc(II) Complexes: (C5H2tBu3)2Sc and {[C5H3(SiMe3)2]2ScI}1

The synthesis of previously unknown bis(cyclopentadienyl) complexes of the first transition metal, i.e., Sc(II) scandocene complexes, has been investigated using C5H2(tBu)3 (Cpttt), C5Me5 (Cp*), and C5H3(SiMe3)2 (Cp″) ligands. Cpttt2ScI, 1, formed from ScI3 and KCpttt, can be reduced with potassium graphite (KC8) in hexanes to generate dark-red crystals of the first crystallographically characterizable bis(cyclopentadienyl) scandium(II) complex, Cpttt2Sc, 2. Complex 2 has a 170.6° (ring centroid)-Sc-(ring centroid) angle and exhibits an eight-line EPR spectrum characteristic of Sc(II) with Aiso = 82.6 MHz (29.6 G). It sublimes at 200 °C at 10-4 Torr and has a melting point of 268-271 °C. Reductions of Cp*2ScI and Cp″2ScI under analogous conditions in hexanes did not provide new Sc(II) complexes, and reduction of Cp*2ScI in benzene formed the Sc(III) phenyl complex, Cp*2Sc(C6H5), 3, by C-H bond activation. However, in Et2O and toluene, reduction of Cp*2ScI at -78 °C gives a dark-red solution, 4, which displays an eight-line EPR pattern like that of 1, but it did not provide thermally stable crystals. Reduction of Cp″2ScI, in THF or Et2O at -35 °C in the presence of 2.2.2-cryptand, yields the green Sc(II) metallocene iodide complex, [K(crypt)][Cp″2ScI], 5, which was identified by X-ray crystallography and EPR spectroscopy and is thermally unstable. The analogous reaction of Cp*2ScI with KC8 and 18-crown-6 in Et2O gave the ligand redistribution product, [Cp*2Sc(18-crown-6-κ2O,O')][Cp*2ScI2], 6, as the only crystalline product. Density functional theory calculations on the electronic structure of these compounds are reported in addition to a steric analysis using the Guzei method.

Reactivity Studies on Lanthanum and Cerium Hydrido Metallocenes

The alkyl complexes [5-1,3-(Me3C)2C5H3]2Ln(CH2C6H4-o-NMe2) (Ln = La 1, Ce 2) react with 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (9-BBN) in THF to afford the lanthanum boroxide complex [5-1,3-(Me3C)2C5H3]2La(µ-OBC8H14)(THF) (3) and cerium boroxide complex [5-1,3-(Me3C)2C5H3]2Ce(µ-OBC8H14)(THF) (4)....

Synthesis and molecular structure of pentadienyl complexes of the rare-earth metals

In combination with small and difficult to reduce rare-earth metals pdl′ undergoes CH-bond activations instead of sterically induced reductions to form dimeric complexes with a unique bridging six-membered metallacycle as the central structural motif.

New perspectives in organolanthanide chemistry from redox to bond metathesis: insights from theory

A fifteen year contribution of computational studies carried out in close synergy with experiments is summarized.

Can a pentamethylcyclopentadienyl ligand act as a proton-relay in f-element chemistry? Insights from a joint experimental/theoretical study

Isomerisation of buta-1,2-diene to but-2-yne by (Me(5)C(5))(2)Yb is a thermodynamically favourable reaction, with the Δ(r)G° estimated from experimental data at 298 K to be -3.0 kcal mol(-1). It proceeds in hydrocarbon solvents with a pseudo first-order rate constant of 6.4 × 10(-6) s(-1) and 7.4 × 10(-5) s(-1) in C(6)D(12) and C(6)D(6), respectively, at 20 °C. This 1,3-hydrogen shift is formally forbidden by symmetry and has to occur by an alternative pathway. The proposed mechanism for buta-1,2-diene to but-2-yne isomerisation by (Me(5)C(5))(2)Yb involves coordination of methylallene (buta-1,2-diene) to (Me(5)C(5))(2)Yb, and deprotonation of methylallene by one of the Me(5)C(5) ligands followed by protonation of the terminal methylallenyl carbon to yield the known coordination compound (Me(5)C(5))(2)Yb(η(2)-MeC[triple bond, length as m-dash]CMe). Computationally, this mechanism is not initiated by a single electron transfer step, and the ytterbium retains its oxidation state (II) throughout the reactivity. Experimentally, the influence of the metal centre is discussed by comparison with the reaction of (Me(5)C(5))(2)Ca towards buta-1,2-diene, and (Me(5)C(5))(2)Yb with ethylene. The mechanism by which the Me(5)C(5) acts as a proton-relay within the coordination sphere of a metal also rationalises the reactivity of (i) (Me(5)C(5))(2)Eu(OEt(2)) with phenylacetylene, (ii) (Me(5)C(5))(2)Yb(OEt(2)) with phenylphosphine and (iii) (Me(5)C(5))(2)U(NPh)(2) with H(2) to yield (Me(5)C(5))(2)U(HNPh)(2). In the latter case, the computed mechanism is the heterolytic activation of H(2) by (Me(5)C(5))(2)U(NPh)(2) to yield (Me(5)C(5))(2)U(H)(HNPh)(NPh), followed by a hydrogen transfer from uranium back to the imido nitrogen atom using one Me(5)C(5) ligand as a proton-relay. The overall mechanism by which hydrogen shifts using a pentamethylcyclopentadienyl ligand as a proton-relay is named Carambole in reference to carom billiards.