A Thermodynamic Analysis of Rhenium(I)–Formyl C–H Bond Formation via Base-Assisted Heterolytic H2 Cleavage in the Secondary Coordination Sphere

Reactivity umpolung (reversal) of ligands in transition metal complexes

The success and power of homogeneous catalysis derives in large part from the wide choice of transition metal ions and their ligands. This tutorial review introduces examples where the reactivity of a ligand is completely reversed (umpolung) from Lewis basic/nucleophilic to acidic/electrophilic or vice versa on changing the metal and co-ligands. Understanding this phenomenon will assist in the rational design of catalysts and the understanding of metalloenzyme mechanisms. Labelling a metal and ligand with Seebach donor and acceptor labels helps to identify whether a reaction involving the intermolecular attack on the ligand is displaying native reactivity or reactivity umpolung. This has been done for complexes of nitriles, carbonyls, isonitriles, dinitrogen, Fischer carbenes, alkenes, alkynes, hydrides, methyls, methylidenes and alkylidenes, silylenes, oxides, imides/nitrenes, alkylidynes, methylidynes, and nitrides. The electronic influence of the metal and co-ligands is discussed in terms of the energy of (HOMO) d electrons. The energy can be related to the pKLACa (LAC is ligand acidity constant) of the theoretical hydride complexes [H-[M]-L]+ formed by the protonation of pair of valence d electrons on the metal in the [M-L] complex. Preliminary findings indicate that a negative pKLACa indicates that nucleophilic attack by a carbanion or amine on the ligand will likely occur while a positive pKLACa indicates that electrophilic attack by strong acids on the ligand will usually occur when the ligand is nitrile, carbonyl, isonitrile, alkene and η6-arene.

Hydrogen Activation with Ru-PN3P Pincer Complexes for the Conversion of C1 Feedstocks

The hydrogenation of C1 feedstocks (CO and CO2) has been investigated using ruthenium complexes [RuHCl(CO)(PN3P)] as the catalyst. PN3P pincer ligands containing amines in the linker between the central pyridine donor and the phosphorus donors with bulky substituents (tert-butyl (1) or TMPhos (2)) are required to obtain mononuclear single-site catalysts that can be activated by the addition of KOtBu to generate stable five-coordinate complexes [RuH(CO)(PN3P-H)], whereby the pincer ligand has been deprotonated. Activation of hydrogen takes place via heterolytic cleavage to generate [RuH2(CO)(PN3P)], but in the presence of CO, coordination of CO occurs preferentially to give [RuH(CO)2(PN3P-H)]. This complex can be protonated to give the cationic complex [RuH(CO)2(PN3P)]+, but it is unable to activate H2 heterolytically. In the case of the less coordinating CO2, both ruthenium complexes 1 and 2 are highly efficient as CO2 hydrogenation catalysts in the presence of a base (DBU), which in the case of the TMPhos ligand results in a TON of 30,000 for the formation of formate.

Coordination behaviour of a hybrid phosphinoguanidine ligand

A triphenylphosphine derivative equipped with a guanidine substituent in the ortho position readily forms P,N-chelate complexes with Pd(ii) and Pt(ii); however, the coordination of the guanidine moiety can be blocked by protonation.

The protonation state governs the coordination of phosphinoferrocene guanidines

Compared to phosphines with guanidinium tags, studied as polar ligands for aqueous catalysis, their counterparts bearing guanidine substituents received only limited attention. This contribution focuses on the coordination of phosphinoferrocene guanidine Ph₂PfcNC(NHiPr)₂ (1iPr, fc = ferrocene-1,1'-diyl) as a hybrid, P,N-donor ligand to Group 10 metals. In its native state, 1iPr coordinated as a P,N-chelating ligand, affording [M(X)(Y)(1iPr-κ²P,N)] (M/X/Y = Pd/Cl/Cl, Pd/Br/4-C₆H₄CN, Pt/Cl/Cl; the corresponding Ni(II) complex was not isolated). While [PdCl₂(1iPr-κ²P,N)] converted into [PdCl(1iPr-κ³Fe,P,N)]⁺ species with Fe-Pd interaction, upon chloride removal, the analogous Pt(II) complex dimerised into [Pt₂(μ-Cl)₂(1iPr-κ²P,N)₂]²⁺. Deprotonation of [PdCl₂(1iPr-κ²P,N)] produced a unique, doubly chelating phosphinoguanidinate complex [PdCl{(1iPr-H)-κ³P,N,N'}], which was smoothly converted into [Pd(MeCN){(1iPr-H)-κ³P,N,N'}][SbF₆]. The latter, a convenient starting material for substitution reactions, was used to prepare either [Pd(L){(1iPr-H)-κ³P,N,N'}][SbF₆] (L = 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine and 2-phenylpyridine), by simple substitution, or the hydroxide and acetylacetonate (acac) complexes, [Pd₂(μ-OH)₂(1iPr-κ²P,N)₂][SbF₆]₂ and [Pd(acac)(1iPr-κ²P,N)][SbF₆], by substitution with concomitant proton transfer. In contrast, protonation of the guanidine moiety prevented its coordination, as shown in reactions of the salts (1iPrH)Cl and (1iPrH)[SbF₆]. Depending on the metal-to-ligand ratio, adding (1iPrH)[SbF₆] to [PdCl₂(MeCN)₂] produced [Pd₂Cl₂(μ-Cl)₂(1iPrH-κP)₂][SbF₆]₂ or [PdCl₂(1iPrH-κP)₂][SbF₆]₂. Analogous reactions involving (1iPrH)Cl were more complicated due to competing coordination of the chloride anion, leading to (in addition to other compounds) the zwitterionic complex [PdCl₃(1iPrH-κP)], which was alternatively obtained by selective protonation of [PdCl₂(1iPr-κ²P,N)] with HCl. Apparently, the protonation state of the guanidine moiety controls the coordination behaviour of phosphinoferrocene guanidines.

Small Molecule Activation with Intramolecular "Inverse" Frustrated Lewis Pairs

The intramolecular "inverse" frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) of general formula 1-BR₂ -2-[(Me₂ N)₂ C=N]-C₆ H₄ (3-6) [BR₂ =BMes₂ (3), BC₁₂ H₈ , (4), BBN (5), BBNO (6)] were synthesized and structurally characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and X-ray analysis. These novel types of pre-organized FLPs, featuring strongly basic guanidino units rigidly linked to weakly Lewis acidic boryl moieties via an ortho-phenylene linker, are capable of activating H-H, C-H, N-H, O-H, Si-H, B-H and C=O bonds. 4 and 5 deprotonated terminal alkynes and acetylene to form the zwitterionic borates 1-(RC≡C-BR₂ )-2-[(Me₂ N)₂ C=NH]-C₆ H₄ (R=Ph, H) and reacted with ammonia, BnNH₂ and pyrrolidine, to generate the FLP adducts 1-(R₂ HN→BR₂ )-2-[(Me₂ N)₂ C=NH]-C₆ H₄ , where the N-H functionality is activated by intramolecular H-bond interactions. In addition, 5 was found to rapidly add across the double bond of H₂ CO, PhCHO and PhNCO to form cyclic zwitterionic guanidinium borates in excellent yields. Likewise, 5 is capable of cleaving H₂ , HBPin and PhSiH₃ to form various amino boranes. Collectively, the results demonstrate that these new types of intramolecular FLPs featuring weakly Lewis acidic boryl and strongly basic guanidino moieties are as potent as conventional intramolecular FLPs with strongly Lewis acidic units in activating small molecules.

Temperature and Solvent Effects on H2 Splitting and Hydricity: Ramifications on CO2 Hydrogenation by a Rhenium Pincer Catalyst

The catalytic hydrogenation of carbon dioxide holds immense promise for applications in sustainable fuel synthesis and hydrogen storage. Mechanistic studies that connect thermodynamic parameters with the kinetics of catalysis can provide new understanding and guide predictive design of improved catalysts. Reported here are thermochemical and kinetic analyses of a new pincer-ligated rhenium complex (^tBuPOCOP)Re(CO)₂ (^tBuPOCOP = 2,6-bis(di-tert-butylphosphinito)phenyl) that catalyzes CO₂ hydrogenation to formate with faster rates at lower temperatures. Because the catalyst follows the prototypical "outer sphere" hydrogenation mechanism, comprehensive studies of temperature and solvent effects on the H₂ splitting and hydride transfer steps are expected to be relevant to many other catalysts. Strikingly large entropy associated with cleavage of H₂ results in a strong temperature dependence on the concentration of [(^tBuPOCOP)Re(CO)₂H]^- present during catalysis, which is further impacted by changing the solvent from toluene to tetrahydrofuran to acetonitrile. New methods for determining the hydricity of metal hydrides and formate at temperatures other than 298 K are developed, providing insight into how temperature can influence the favorability of hydride transfer during catalysis. These thermochemical insights guided the selection of conditions for CO₂ hydrogenation to formate with high activity (up to 364 h^-1 at 1 atm or 3330 h^-1 at 20 atm of 1:1 H₂:CO₂). In cases where hydride transfer is the highest individual kinetic barrier, entropic contributions to outer sphere H₂ splitting lead to a unique temperature dependence: catalytic activity increases as temperature decreases in tetrahydrofuran (200-fold increase upon cooling from 50 to 0 °C) and toluene (4-fold increase upon cooling from 100 to 50 °C). Ramifications on catalyst structure-function relationships are discussed, including comparisons between "outer sphere" mechanisms and "metal-ligand cooperation" mechanisms.

Synthesis and study of Fe → Pd interactions in unsymmetric Pd(ii) complexes with phosphinoferrocene guanidine ligands

Readily available phosphinoferrocene guanidines coordinate Pd(ii) as P,N-chelating or κ3P,N,Fe-bound ligands. As the latter, they give rise to the first donor-asymmetric complexes featuring Fe-Pd dative bonds, which were studied using direct (spectroscopic and electrochemical) methods and theoretical (DFT) approaches.

Reactivity studies of an imine-functionalised phosphaalkene; unusual electrostatic and supramolecular stabilisation of a σ2λ3-phosphorus motif via hydrogen bonding

Protonation with strong acids at an imine over addition to a phosphaalkene; resulting adducts display hydrogen bonding.

Thermodynamic Hydricity of Transition Metal Hydrides

Transition metal hydrides play a critical role in stoichiometric and catalytic transformations. Knowledge of free energies for cleaving metal hydride bonds enables the prediction of chemical reactivity, such as for the bond-forming and bond-breaking events that occur in a catalytic reaction. Thermodynamic hydricity is the free energy required to cleave an M-H bond to generate a hydride ion (H(-)). Three primary methods have been developed for hydricity determination: the hydride transfer method establishes hydride transfer equilibrium with a hydride donor/acceptor pair of known hydricity, the H2 heterolysis method involves measuring the equilibrium of heterolytic cleavage of H2 in the presence of a base, and the potential-pKa method considers stepwise transfer of a proton and two electrons to give a net hydride transfer. Using these methods, over 100 thermodynamic hydricity values for transition metal hydrides have been determined in acetonitrile or water. In acetonitrile, the hydricity of metal hydrides spans a range of more than 50 kcal/mol. Methods for using hydricity values to predict chemical reactivity are also discussed, including organic transformations, the reduction of CO2, and the production and oxidation of hydrogen.

Modulation of Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer through Molybdenum-Quinonoid Interactions

An expanded series of π-bound molybdenum-quinonoid complexes supported by pendant phosphines has been synthesized. These compounds formally span three protonation-oxidation states of the quinonoid fragment (catechol, semiquinone, quinone) and two different oxidation states of the metal (Mo(0), Mo(II)), notably demonstrating a total of two protons and four electrons accessible in the system. Previously, the reduced Mo(0)-catechol complex 1 and its reaction with dioxygen to yield the two-proton/two-electron oxidized Mo(0)-quinone compound 4 was explored, while, herein, the expansion of the series to include the two-electron oxidized Mo(II)-catechol complex 2, the one-proton/two-electron oxidized Mo-semiquinone complex 3, and the two-proton/four-electron oxidized Mo(II)-quinone complexes 5 and 6 is reported. Transfer of multiple equivalents of protons and electrons from the Mo(0) and Mo(II) catechol complexes, 1 and 2, to H atom acceptor TEMPO suggests the presence of weak O-H bonds. Although thermochemical analyses are hindered by the irreversibility of the electrochemistry of the present compounds, the reactivity observed suggests weaker O-H bonds compared to the free catechol, indicating that proton-coupled electron transfer can be facilitated significantly by the π-bound metal center.