Osmium Alkyl and Silyl Derivatives with Cyclopentadienyl(phosphine) and Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl(phosphine) Ligand Sets

Reversible C(sp3)-Si Oxidative Addition of Unsupported Organosilanes: Effects of Silicon Substituents on Kinetics and Thermodynamics

The intermolecular oxidative addition of unactivated C(sp³)-Si bonds is reported for a family of organosilanes at a cationic pincer-supported iridium complex. To our knowledge, no examples of oxidative addition to give analogous unsupported (alkyl)metal silyl complexes have been previously reported. The generality of this transformation is excellent, with successful examples demonstrated for tetraorganosilanes, mono- and poly alkoxysilanes, and two siloxysilanes. Oxidative addition is found to be completely reversible, with the product of reductive elimination being subject to trapping by triethylsilane. The successful isolation of these metal silyl complexes has allowed for an in-depth kinetic analysis of C(sp³)-Si reductive elimination, a process with strong implications in both catalytic C-H silylation and olefin hydrosilylation. The apparent order of reactivity is SiMe₃ > SiMe₂(CF₃) > SiMe₂OSiMe₃ > SiMe₂OSiMe₂OSiMe₃ > SiMe₂(OMe) > SiMe₂(OEt) > SiMe(OMe)₂. A DFT analysis of the oxidative addition products shows that the thermodynamic stability of the (alkyl)metal silyl complexes span a range of ca. 10 kcal·mol^-1, which relate closely with the experimentally determined rates of C(sp³)-Si reductive elimination and trapping, though a clear kinetic distinction exists between methoxy- and siloxysilyl complexes.

Cyclometalated Osmium Compounds and beyond: Synthesis, Properties, Applications

The synthesis of cyclometalated osmium complexes is usually more complicated than of other transition metals such as Ni, Pd, Pt, Rh, where cyclometalation reactions readily occur via direct activation of C–H bonds. It differs also from their ruthenium analogs. Cyclometalation for osmium usually occurs under more severe conditions, in polar solvents, using specific precursors, stronger acids, or bases. Such requirements expand reaction mechanisms to electrophilic activation, transmetalation, and oxidative addition, often involving C–H bond activations. Osmacycles exhibit specific applications in homogeneous catalysis, photophysics, bioelectrocatalysis and are studied as anticancer agents. This review describes major synthetic pathways to osmacycles and related compounds and discusses their practical applications.

Preparation and reactivity of half-sandwich organic azide complexes of osmium

Organic azide complexes [Os(η5-C5H5)(κ1-N3R)(PPh3){P(OR1)3}]BPh4 (1, 2) [R = CH2C6H5 (a), CH2C6H4-4-CH3 (b), CH(CH3)C6H5 (c), C6H5 (d); R1 = Me (1), Et (2)] were prepared by allowing bromo-compounds [OsBr(η5-C5H5)(PPh3){P(OR1)3}] to react first with AgOTf and then with an excess of azide in toluene. Benzylazide complexes reacted in solution leading to imine derivatives [Os(η5-C5H5){κ1-NH[double bond, length as m-dash]C(R2)Ar}(PPh3){P(OR1)3}]BPh4 (3, 4) [R2 = H (a, b), CH3 (c); Ar = C6H5, C6H4-4-CH3; R1 = Me (3), Et (4)]. Phenylazide, on the other hand, reacted in solution affording the dinuclear dinitrogen complex [{Os(η5-C5H5)(PPh3)[P(OMe)3]}2(μ-N2)](BPh4)2 (5). Depending on the nature of the R substituent, the reaction of the p-cymene complex [OsCl2(η6-p-cymene)(PPh3){P(OEt)3}] with RN3 yielded imine [OsCl(η6-p-cymene){κ1-NH[double bond, length as m-dash]C(H)Ar}{P(OEt)3}]BPh4 (6) (Ar = C6H4-4-CH3) and amine derivatives [OsCl(η6-p-cymene)(κ1-NH2C6H5){P(OEt)3}]BPh4 (7). The complexes were characterised spectroscopically (IR, 1H, 31P, 15N NMR) and by the X-ray crystal structure determination of [{Os(η5-C5H5)(PPh3)[P(OMe)3]}2(μ-N2)](BPh4)2 (5).

Synthetic development and chemical reactivity of transition-metal silylene complexes

A variety of transition-metal complexes with terminal silylene ligands have become available in recent years, because of the discovery of several preparative methods. In particular, three general synthetic routes to these complexes have emerged, on the basis of anionic group abstraction, coordination of a free silylene, and alpha-hydrogen migration. The direct transformation of organosilanes to silylene ligands at a metal center (silylene extrusion) has also been observed, and this has further spurred the exploration of silylenes as ligands. This Account describes the synthetic development of silylene ligands in our laboratory and resulting investigations of stoichiometric and catalytic chemistry for these species.