α-Substituted Alkenyl and α-Disubstituted Alkylidene Complexes with the OsCl(CO)(PiPr3)2 Skeleton

The stepwise generation of multimetallic complexes based on a vinylbipyridine linkage and their photophysical properties

The versatile rhenium complex [ReCl(CO)₃(bpyC[triple bond, length as m-dash]CH)] (HC[triple bond, length as m-dash]Cbpy = 5-ethynyl-2,2'-bipyridine) is used to generate a series of bimetallic complexes through the hydrometallation of [MHCl(CO)(BTD)(PPh₃)₂] (M = Ru, Os; BTD = 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole). The ruthenium complex [Ru{CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CH-bpyReCl(CO)₃}Cl(BTD)(CO)(PPh₃)₂] was characterised structurally. Ligand exchange reactions with bifunctional linkers bearing oxygen and sulfur donors provide access to tetra- and pentametallic complexes such as [{M{CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CH-bpyReCl(CO)₃}(CO)(PPh₃)₂}₂(S₂CNC₄H₈NCS₂)] and Fe[C₅H₄CO₂M{CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CH-bpyReCl(CO)₃}(CO)(PPh₃)₂]₂. The effect of the group 8 metal on the photophysical properties of the rhenium centre was investigated using the complexes [Ru{CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CH-bpyReCl(CO)₃}Cl(BTD)(CO)(PPh₃)₂] and [M{CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CH-bpyReCl(CO)₃}{S₂P(OEt)₂}(CO)(PPh₃)₂] (M = Ru, Os). This revealed the quenching of the rhenium-based emission in favour of weak radiative processes based on the Ru and Os centres. The potential for exploiting this effect is illustrated by the reaction of [Ru{CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CH-bpyReCl(CO)₃}Cl(CO)(BTD)(PPh₃)₂] with carbon monoxide, which results in a 5-fold fluorescence enhancement in the dicarbonyl product, [Ru{CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CH-bpyReCl(CO)₃}Cl(CO)₂(PPh₃)₂], as the quenching effect is disrupted.

Redox-induced umpolung of transition metal carbenes

Metal carbene complexes have been at the forefront of organic and organometallic synthesis and are instrumental in guiding future sustainable chemistry efforts. While classical Fischer and Schrock type carbenes have been intensely studied, compounds that do not fall within one of these categories have attracted attention only recently. In addition, applications of carbene complexes rarely take advantage of redox processes, which could open up a new dimension for their use in practical processes. Herein, we report an umpolung of a nucleophilic palladium carbene complex, [{PC(sp2)P} tBuPd(PMe3)] ({PC(sp2)P} tBu = bis[2-(di-iso-propylphosphino)-4-tert-butylphenyl]methylene), realized by successive one-electron oxidations that generated a cationic carbene complex, [{PC(sp2)P} tBuPdI]+, via a carbene radical, [{PC˙(sp2)P} tBuPdI]. An EPR spectroscopic study of [{PC˙(sp2)P} tBuPdI] indicated the presence of a ligand-centered radical, also supported by the results of reactions with 9,10-dihydroanthracene and PhSSPh. The cationic carbene complex shows electrophilic behavior toward nucleophiles such as NaH, p TolNHLi, PhONa, and PMe3, resulting from an inversion of the electronic character of the Pd-Ccarbene bond in [{PC(sp2)P} tBuPd(PMe3)]. The redox induced umpolung is reversible and unprecedented.

Electrophilic substitution reactions of metallabenzynes

The electrophilic substitution reactions of metallabenzynes Os(≡CC(R)═C(CH(3))C(R)═CH)Cl(2)(PPh(3))(2) (R = SiMe(3), H) were studied. These metallabenzynes react with electrophilic reagents, including Br(2), NO(2)BF(4), NOBF(4), HCl/H(2)O(2), and AlCl(3)/H(2)O(2) to afford the corresponding bromination, nitration, nitrosation, and chlorination products. The reactions usually occur at the C2 and C4 positions of the metallacycle. These observations support the notion that metallabenzynes exhibit aromatic properties.

The functionalisation of ruthenium(II) and osmium(II) alkenyl complexes with amine- and alkoxy-terminated dithiocarbamates

The complex cis-[RuCl(2)(dppm)(2)] reacts with the amine-terminated dithiocarbamates KS(2)CN(CH(2)CH(2)NEt(2))(2) and KS(2)CN(CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)NMe(2))(2) to form the compounds [Ru{S(2)CN(CH(2)CH(2)NEt(2))(2)}(dppm)(2)](+) and [Ru{S(2)CN(CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)NMe(2))(2)}(dppm)(2)](+), respectively. The methoxy-terminated dithiocarbamate compound [Ru{S(2)CN(CH(2)CH(2)OMe)(2)}(dppm)(2)](+) was also prepared from the same precursor using KS(2)CN(CH(2)CH(2)OMe)(2). The alkenyl complexes [RuRCl(CO)(BTD)(PPh(3))(2)] (R = CH=CHBu(t), CH=CHC(6)H(4)Me-4, CH=CHCPh(2)OH), [Ru(C(C[triple bond]CBu(t))=CHBu(t))Cl(CO)(PPh(3))(2)] and [Os(CH=CHC(6)H(4)Me-4)Cl(CO)(BTD)(PPh(3))(2)] also react cleanly with KS(2)CN(CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)NMe(2))(2) and KS(2)CN(CH(2)CH(2)NEt(2))(2) to yield [MR{S(2)CN(CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)NMe(2))(2)}(CO)(PPh(3))(2)] and [MR{S(2)CN(CH(2)CH(2)NEt(2))(2)}(CO)(PPh(3))(2)], respectively. In a similar fashion, the compounds [RuR{S(2)CN(CH(2)CH(2)OMe(2))(2)}(CO)(PPh(3))(2)] (R = CH=CHBu(t), CH=CHC(6)H(4)Me-4, C(C[triple bond]CBu(t))=CHBu(t)) were also prepared. Treatment of [Ru(CH=CHBu(t)){S(2)CN(CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)NMe(2))(2)}(CO)(PPh(3))(2)] and [Ru{S(2)CN(CH(2)CH(2)NEt(2))(2)}(dppm)(2)](+) with trifluoroacetic acid affords the ammonium complexes [Ru(CH=CHBu(t)){S(2)CN(CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)NHMe(2))(2)}(CO)(PPh(3))(2)](2+) and [Ru{S(2)CN(CH(2)CH(2)NHEt(2))(2)}(dppm)(2)](2+), while the same reagent generates the tricationic vinylcarbene complex [Ru(=CHCH=CPh(2)){S(2)CN(CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)NHMe(2))(2)}(CO)(PPh(3))(2)](3+) through loss of water from [Ru(CH=CHCPh(2)OH){S(2)CN(CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)NMe(2))(2)}(CO)(PPh(3))(2)]. The structures of [Ru{S(2)CN(CH(2)CH(2)OMe)(2)}(dppm)(2)]PF(6) and [Ru(CH=CHC(6)H(4)Me-4){S(2)CN(CH(2)CH(2)OMe)(2)}(CO)(PPh(3))(2)] were determined crystallographically.