Mild Reduction Route to a Redox-Active Silicon Complex: Structure and Properties of (IP2–)2Si and (IP–)2Mg(THF) (IP = α-Iminopyridine)

A Ni0 σ-Borane Complex Bearing a Rigid Bidentate Borane/Phosphine Ligand: Boryl Complex Formation by Oxidative Dehydrochloroborylation and Catalytic Activity for Ethylene Polymerization

While of interest, synthetically feasible access to boryl ligands and complexes remains limited, meaning such complexes remain underexploited in catalysis. For bidentate boryl ligands, oxidative addition of boranes to low-valent Ir^I or Pt⁰ are the only examples yet reported. As part of our interest in developing improved group 10 ethylene polymerization catalysts, we present here an optimized synthesis of a novel, rigid borane/phosphine ligand and its Ni⁰ σ-borane complex. From the latter, an unprecedented oxidative dehydrochloroborylation, to give a Ni^II boryl complex, was achieved. Furthermore, this new B/P ligand allowed the nickel-catalyzed polymerization of ethylene, which suggests that Ni⁰ σ-hydroborane complexes act as masked Ni^II boryl hydride reagents.

Silicon Tris(perchloro)dioxolene: A Neutral Triplet Diradical

The reaction of ortho-quinones with silicon tetraiodide leads to neutral silicon trisdioxolenes in high yield, delivering the unknown oxidized form of triscatecholatosilicate dianions and the first example of open-shell semiquinonates connected via a single non-metal center. Silicon tris(perchloro)dioxolene is a stable diradical with a triplet ground state, as supported by X-ray diffraction; IR, resonance Raman, UV/Vis, and (VT)EPR spectroscopy; and Kohn-Sham broken-symmetry computations. Preliminary results suggest that the preferred magnetic ground state can be altered through variation of the substituents.

Steric control in the metal–ligand electron transfer of iminopyridine–ytterbocene complexes

A systematic study of reactions between Cp*₂Yb(THF) and iminopyridine ligands featuring similar electron accepting properties but variable denticity and steric demand, has provided a new example of steric control on the redox chemistry of ytterbocenes.

Iminopyridine ligand complexes of group 14 dihalides and ditriflates – neutral chelates and ion pair formation

Reaction of the chelating imino-pyridine ligand SIMPY, (SIMPY=2-(DippN=CH)-C5H4N), Dipp=2,6- i Pr2-C6H3, with germanium(II) and tin(II) halides provides the respective neutral complexes [SIMPY·EX2] (EX2: E=Ge, X=Cl, Br; E=Sn, X=Cl, Br, I). The method is readily extendable to give the tin(II) triflate complex [SIMPY·Sn(OTf)2] (OTf, triflate=CF3SO3 −). In the solid state, the neutral compounds [SIMPY·EX2] exist as monomers, in which the four-coordinate tetrel atoms feature a slightly distorted disphenoidal geometry around germanium and tin. Reaction of the tridentate imino-pyridine ligand DIMPY, (DIMPY=2,6-(DippN=CH)2-C5H3N) with Sn(OTf)2 provided access to a neutral tin(II) complex. Similar to the previously reported reactions leading to the germanium and tin chloride complexes [DIMPY·SnCl]+[SnCl3]−, and [Me2DIMPY·EX]+[EX3]− (Me2DIMPY=2,6-(DippN=C(Me))2-C5H3N, E=Ge, Sn; X=Cl), the reactions of DIMPY with GeX2·dioxane (X=Cl, Br) and SnX2 (X=Br, I) yielded Ge(II) and Sn(II) based ion pairs [DIMPY·EX]+[EX3]− (E=Ge, X=Cl, Br; E=Sn, X=Br, I) as a consequence of spontaneous dissociation of the group 14 dihalides. The tetrel atoms in the cationic parts in [DIMPY·EX]+[EX3]− are four-coordinate as one halide substituent is replaced by the coordination of a second imino donor group from the ligand. The anionic fragments adopt a pyramidally, tri-coordinate geometry. In contrast, the DIMPY tin(II) ditriflate complex crystallizes with two independent, neutral molecules per asymmetric unit, in which one of the tin centers is five- coordinate by interaction with three donor sites of the chelating bis(imino)pyridine ligand and two additional contacts towards the oxygen atoms of the triflate counter-anions. In the second crystallographically independent complex the tin atom is six-coordinate with a slightly distorted octahedral geometry via interaction with THF as an additional donor molecule. All compounds reported were studied by means of multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. In addition, the solid state structures of the complexes [SIMPY·EX2] (EX2: E=Ge, X=Cl, Br; E=Sn, X=Cl, Br, I), the ion pairs [DIMPY·EX]+[EX3]− (E=Ge, X=Cl; E=Sn, X=Br) and the tin(II) ditriflate [DIMPY·Sn(OTf)2] were authenticated by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Moreover, [DIMPY·Sn(OTf)2] was investigated by 119Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy.

Synthesis and characterization of bis(imino)pyridine complexes of divalent Mg and Zn

Phenyl-bis(imino)pyridine (PhI2P) complexes, (PhI2P)ZnCl2 (1), (PhI2P−)ZnCl (2) and (PhI2P−)Zn(py)Cl (3) were obtained with the I2P ligand in both the neutral and the one-electron reduced state. In all examples, the metal ion is Zn(II). Metrical parameters obtained from solid state structures of 2 and 3 indicate that the PhI2P− ligand exists as a radical which is supported at the carbon atom of the imino donor, and this electronic state is also apparent in the analogous one-electron reduced ligand Al(III) complex, (PhI2P−)AlCl2 (4), that we prepared for comparison. We were unable to obtain PhI2P Mg complexes, and so the more electron rich methyl-substituted bis(imino)pyridine ligand, MeI2P, was investigated. Reaction of two-electron reduced MeI2P with MgCl2 and Mg(OTf)2 did afford the two-electron reduced ligand complexes [(MeI2P2−)Mg(THF)]2(μ-MgCl2) (5) and (MeI2P2−)Mg(THF)2 (6), respectively (MeI2P = 2,6-bis(1-methylethyl)-N-(2-pyridinylmethylene)phenylamine). Complex 5 crystallizes as a trinuclear Mg complex consisting of two (MeI2P2−)Mg moieties bridged by MgCl2 and the (MeI2P2−) ligand is symmetric across the pyridine ring, but is not planar. In contrast, the (MeI2P2−) ligand in 6 is asymmetric across the pyridine ring and all atoms in the ligand are coplanar. Cyclic voltammetry measurements reveal that in complexes, 1, 4, 5, 6, the I2P0, I2P−, and I2P2− ligand charge states are accessible electrochemically.

Unusual formation of a N-heterocyclic germylene via homolytic cleavage of a C–C bond

A N-heterocyclic germylene has been synthesized via an unusual homolytic cleavage of a C–C bond under reductive conditions.