Synthesis and Small Molecule Reactivity of trans-Dihydride Isomers of Ru(NHC)2(PPh3)2H2 (NHC = N-Heterocyclic Carbene)

Trans Element-Hydrogen Bonds: A Distinctive Difference Between Transition Metals and Main Group Elements

The change in sign of the interaction force constant between element-hydrogen stretching modes of trans-dihydrides of the d block and p block elements is analyzed for the first time. As the transition metal M approaches group 12, the higher energy symmetric trans-H-M-H vibration ν_sym approaches the energy of the antisymmetric vibration ν_asym. Crossing to group 13 elements E, the trans-H-E-H vibration ν_sym increasingly drops below ν_asym. This reversal is attributed to the d orbital that participates in the H-M-H bonding but is nonbonding in the H-E-H compounds. DFT calculations are used to probe the energetics of isoelectronic triatomic [H-M-H]ⁿ⁺ and [H-E-H]^n- to reveal this trend and also to demonstrate that the magnitude of these interactions (ν_gap) increases down groups 11, 12, and 14 but remains fairly constant for group 13. They are also used to show that this reversal is seen in the transition state for hydride transfer to CO₂ from the model compounds trans-NiH₂(porphyrin) and trans-EH₂(porphyrin), E = Si and Ge in their singlet states.

Impact of the Novel Z-Acceptor Ligand Bis{(ortho-diphenylphosphino)phenyl}zinc (ZnPhos) on the Formation and Reactivity of Low-Coordinate Ru(0) Centers

The preparation and reactivity with H₂ of two Ru complexes of the novel ZnPhos ligand (ZnPhos = Zn(o-C₆H₄PPh₂)₂) are described. Ru(ZnPhos)(CO)₃ (2) and Ru(ZnPhos)(IMe₄)₂ (4; IMe₄ = 1,3,4,5-tetramethylimidazol-2-ylidene) are formed directly from the reaction of Ru(PPh₃)(C₆H₄PPh₂)₂(ZnMe)₂ (1) or Ru(PPh₃)₃HCl/LiCH₂TMS/ZnMe₂ with CO and IMe₄, respectively. Structural and electronic structure analyses characterize both 2 and 4 as Ru(0) species in which Ru donates to the Z-type Zn center of the ZnPhos ligand; in 2, Ru adopts an octahedral coordination, while 4 displays square-pyramidal coordination with Zn in the axial position. Under photolytic conditions, 2 loses CO to give Ru(ZnPhos)(CO)₂ that then adds H₂ over the Ru-Zn bond to form Ru(ZnPhos)(CO)₂(μ-H)₂ (3). In contrast, 4 reacts directly with H₂ to set up an equilibrium with Ru(ZnPhos)(IMe₄)₂H₂ (5), the product of oxidative addition at the Ru center. DFT calculations rationalize these different outcomes in terms of the energies of the square-pyramidal Ru(ZnPhos)L₂ intermediates in which Zn sits in a basal site: for L = CO, this is readily accessed and allows H₂ to add across the Ru-Zn bond, but for L = IMe₄, this species is kinetically inaccessible and reaction can only occur at the Ru center. This difference is related to the strong π-acceptor ability of CO compared to IMe₄. Steric effects associated with the larger IMe₄ ligands are not significant. Species 4 can be considered as a Ru(0)L₄ species that is stabilized by the Ru→Zn interaction. As such, it is a rare example of a stable Ru(0)L₄ species devoid of strong π-acceptor ligands.

Unexpected Vulnerability of DPEphos to C-O Activation in the Presence of Nucleophilic Metal Hydrides

C-O bond activation of DPEphos occurs upon mild heating in the presence of [Ru(NHC)2 (PPh3 )2 H2 ] (NHC=N-heterocyclic carbene) to form phosphinophenolate products. When NHC=IEt2 Me2 , C-O activation is accompanied by C-N activation of an NHC ligand to yield a coordinated N-phosphino-functionalised carbene. DFT calculations define a nucleophilic mechanism in which a hydride ligand attacks the aryl carbon of the DPEphos C-O bond. This is promoted by the strongly donating NHC ligands which render a trans dihydride intermediate featuring highly nucleophilic hydride ligands accessible. C-O bond activation also occurs upon heating cis-[Ru(DPEphos)2 H2 ]. DFT calculations suggest this reaction is promoted by the steric encumbrance associated with two bulky DPEphos ligands. Our observations that facile degradation of the DPEphos ligand via C-O bond activation is possible under relatively mild reaction conditions has potential ramifications for the use of this ligand in high-temperature catalysis.

Steric and Electronic Effects of Bidentate Phosphine Ligands on Ruthenium(II)-Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide

The reactivity difference between the hydrogenation of CO2 catalyzed by various ruthenium bidentate phosphine complexes was explored by DFT. In addition to the ligand dmpe (Me2 PCH2 CH2 PMe2 ), which was studied experimentally previously, a more bulky diphosphine ligand, dmpp (Me2 PCH2 CH2 CH2 PMe2 ), together with a more electron-withdrawing diphosphine ligand, PN(Me) P (Me2 PCH2 N(Me) CH2 PMe2 ), have been studied theoretically to analyze the steric and electronic effects on these catalyzed reactions. Results show that all of the most favorable pathways for the hydrogenation of CO2 catalyzed by bidentate phosphine ruthenium dihydride complexes undergo three major steps: cis-trans isomerization of ruthenium dihydride complex, CO2 insertion into the Ru-H bond, and H2 insertion into the ruthenium formate ion. Of these steps, CO2 insertion into the Ru-H bond has the lowest barrier compared with the other two steps in each preferred pathway. For the hydrogenation of CO2 catalyzed by ruthenium complexes of dmpe and dmpp, cis-trans isomerization of ruthenium dihydride complex has a similar barrier to that of H2 insertion into the ruthenium formate ion. However, in the reaction catalyzed by the PN(Me) PRu complex, cis-trans isomerization of the ruthenium dihydride complex has a lower barrier than H2 insertion into the ruthenium formate ion. These results suggest that the steric effect caused by the change of the outer sphere of the diphosphine ligand on the reaction is not clear, although the electronic effect is significant to cis-trans isomerization and H2 insertion. This finding refreshes understanding of the mechanism and provides necessary insights for ligand design in transition-metal-catalyzed CO2 transformation.

Preparation and reactivity of a Ru(0) phosphino-carbene complex

The reaction of the phosphino-carbene MeNC3H2NPtBu2 with RuHCl(CO)(PPh3)3 is shown to give facile access to the Ru(0) species (MeNC3H2NPtBu2)Ru(CO)(PPh3)2 (). This species undergoes oxidative addition of H2 and silanes to give (MeNC3H2NPtBu2)RuH2(CO)(PPh3)2, (MeNC3H2NPtBu2)Ru H(SiRPh2)(CO)(PPh3) (R = Ph 5, H 6) and (MeNC3H2NPtBu2) RuH(PhSi(SCH2CH2)2O)(CO)(PPh3) .

Reactivity of Hydride Bridges in High-Spin [3M-3(μ-H)] Clusters (M = FeII, CoII)

The designed [3M-3(μ-H)] clusters (M = Fe(II), Co(II)) Fe3H3L (1-H) and Co3H3L (2-H) [where L(3-) is a tris(β-diketiminate) cyclophane] were synthesized by treating the corresponding M3Br3L complexes with KBEt3H. From single-crystal X-ray analysis, the hydride ligands are sterically protected by the cyclophane ligand, and these complexes selectively react with CO2 over other unsaturated substrates (e.g., CS2, Me3SiCCH, C2H2, and CH3CN). The reaction of 1-H or 2-H with CO2 at room temperature yielded Fe3(OCHO)(H)2L (1-CO2) or Co3(OCHO)(H)2L (2-CO2), respectively, which evidence the differential reactivity of the hydride ligands within these complexes. The analogous reactions at elevated temperatures revealed a distinct difference in the reactivity pattern for 2-H as compared to 1-H; Fe3(OCHO)3L (1-3CO2) was generated from 1-H, while 2-H afforded only 2-CO2.

Stoichiometric and catalytic C–F bond activation by the trans-dihydride NHC complex [Ru(IEt2Me2)2(PPh3)2H2] (IEt2Me2= 1,3-diethyl-4,5-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene)

Multiple catalytic hydrodefluorination steps take place with thetrans-dihydride complex [Ru(IEt₂Me₂)₂(PPh₃)₂H₂] (1), taking C₆F₆to tri-, di- and mono-fluorobenzenes.

(η(6)-Benzene)(carbonato-κ(2) O,O')[di-cyclohex-yl(naphthalen-1-ylmeth-yl)phosphane-κP]ruthenium(II) chloro-form tris-olvate

The title compound, [Ru(CO₃)(η⁶-C₆H₆){(C₆H₁₁)₂P(CH₂C₁₀H₇)}]·3CHCl₃, was synthesized by carbonation of [RuCl₂(η⁶-C₆H₆){(C₆H₁₁)₂P(CH₂C₁₀H₇)}] with NaHCO₃ in methanol at room temperature. The Ru^II atom is surrounded by a benzene ligand, a chelating carbonate group and a phosphane ligand in a piano-stool configuration. The crystal packing is consolidated by C—H⋯O and C—H⋯Cl hydrogen-bonding inter­actions between adjacent metal complexes and between the complexes and the solvent mol­ecules. The asymmetric unit contains one metal complex and three chloro­form solvent mol­ecules of which only one was modelled. The estimated diffraction contributions of the other two strongly disordered chloro­form solvent mol­ecules were substracted from the observed diffraction data using the SQUEEZE procedure in PLATON [Spek (2009 ▶). Acta Cryst. D65, 148–155].