Room-temperature chemical synthesis of C2

Hydroamination of Triisopropylsilyl Acetylene Sulfur Pentafluoride - a Bench-top Route to Pentafluorosulfanylated Enamines

Synthetic access to a variety of aliphatic and vinylic pentafluorosulfanylated building blocks remains a major challenge in contemporary organofluorine chemistry hampering its investigation in the context of medicinal chemistry, agrochemistry and functional materials. Herein, we report a bench-top protocol to access the virtually unknown class of α-SF5 -enamines under mild reaction conditions in good to excellent yields (up to 95 %). This reaction combines the protodesilylation of the commercially available precursor TASP with the in situ hydroamination of HC≡C-SF5 . The on-site use of highly toxic gases or corrosive reagents is avoided, making access to this motif applicable to a wide chemical audience. The excellent E-diastereoselectivity of this two-step cascade reaction is suggested to be the result of the convergence of the fast Z-/E- isomerization of a vinyl anion as well as the isomerization of the iminium ion. The remarkable thermal stability of these SF5 -enamines encourages further studies of their synthetic utility.

Stabilization of Cyclic C4 by Four Donor Ligands: A Theoretical Study of (L)4C4 (L = Carbene)

Quantum chemical studies using density functional theory were carried out for the (L)4C4 complexes with L = cAAC, DAC, NHC, SNHC, MIC1, and MIC2. The results show that the title complexes are highly stable with respect to dissociation, (L)4C4 → C4 + 4L. However, their stability with respect to (L)4C4 → 2(L)2C2 is crucial for the assessment of their experimental viability. The (L)4C4 complexes with L = cAAC and DAC dissociate exergonically at room temperature into two (L)2C2 units. In contrast, the other (L)4C4 complexes with L = NHC, SNHC, MIC1, and MIC2 are thermochemically stable with respect to dissociation, (L)4C4 → 2(L)2C2. The computed adiabatic ionization potentials of (L)4C4 complexes with L = NHC, MIC1, and MIC2 are lower than those for the cesium atom. Particularly, (MIC1)4C4 and (MIC2)4C4 will very easily lose electrons to form cationic complexes. The SNHC ligand is the best for the experimental realization of (L)4C4 complexes, followed by NHC. The bonding analysis using charge and energy decomposition methods suggests that the (L)3C4-CL bond can be best described as a typical electron-sharing double bond with a strong σ-bond and a weaker π-bond. Therefore, the core bonding pictures in the title complexes resemble a [4]radialene. Larger substituents at the carbene ligands enhance the stability of the complexes (L)4C4 against dissociation.

Frustrated Lewis pair-ligated tetrelenes

The reactivity of [PB{SiX₂}] (X = Cl, Br; PB = 1,2-ⁱPr₂(C₆H₄)BCy₂; E = Si, Ge) adducts is described, with an initial focus on reduction attempts to access [PB{E}]_x species; however, in all cases only free PB ligand was formed as the soluble product. Moreover, computations were performed to evaluate the energy penalty associated with EX₂ dissociation from the PB chelates. Moving up the periodic table, the formal methylene adduct [PB{CH₂}] was isolated and its reactivity was compared with its heavier element congeners of [PB{EH₂}]. We also introduce new phosphine-borane frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) chelates and explore preliminary coordination chemistry with these ligands.

A combined DFT-predictive and experimental exploration of the sensitivity towards nucleofuge variation in zwitterionic intermediates relating to mechanistic models for unimolecular chemical generation and trapping of free C2 and alternative bimolecular pathways involving no free C2

Following the recent report of the chemical generation and trapping at room temperatures of C₂, generated from an alkynyl phenyl iodonium salt, a computational analysis had indicated that both unimolecular fragmentation and bimolecular substitution mechanisms for the process could be envisaged. Here a combined theoretical and experimental analysis explores how the energetics of these mechanisms and resulting experimental products respond to variation in the nucleofuge. When the phenyl iodonium nucleofuge is replaced by pyridinium, trapping products are again obtained, which we conclude favours a bimolecular mechanism involving no free C₂. Trapped products in greater yield were also observed using dibenzothiophenium as the nucleofuge in both condensed solution phase and most significantly in a two-flask room temperature experiment in which a volatile species, presumed to be C₂, is transferred and trapped in a second flask. The energetics of the unimolecular fragmentation process producing C₂ are predicted to be too high to correspond to a facile thermal reaction, which means that an experimental/theoretical dichotomy remains to be explained.

Bonding analysis of the C2 precursor Me3E–C2–I(Ph)FBF3 (E = C, Si, Ge)

A series of possible precursors for generating C2 with the general formula Me3E–C2–I(Ph)FBF3 [E = C (1), Si (2), and Ge (3)] has been theoretically investigated using quantum chemical calculations. The equilibrium geometries of all species show a linear E–C2–I+ backbone. The inspection of the electronic structure of the Me3E–C2 bond by energy decomposition analysis coupled with the natural orbital for chemical valence (EDA-NOCV) method suggests a combination of electron sharing C–C σ-bond and v weak π-dative bond between Me3C and C2 fragments in the doublet state for species 1 (E = C). For species 2 (Si) and 3 (Ge), the analysis reveals σ-dative Me3E–C2 bonds (E = Si, Ge; Me3E←C2) resulting from the interaction of singly charged (Me3E)+ and (C2–IPh(BF4))− fragments in their singlet states. The C2–I bond is diagnosed as an electron sharing σ-bond in all three species, 1, 2 and 3.

Boron-boron quadruple bond in Li3B2- and Li4B2 clusters

Homopolar quadruple bonding in first row p-block elements is expected due to the presence of four valence orbitals accessible for bonding. Although quadruple bonding in C₂ has been proposed, no such proposal exists for B₂. Here we report the unprecedented B-B quadruple bonding in Li₃B₂^- and Li₄B₂ clusters based on high level theoretical calculations. The quadruple bonding is omnipresent in the global minimum, its nearest energy isomer and the transition states connecting them. Various bonding analyses reveal the unprecedented nature of the BB quadruple bonding interaction.

Routes involving no free C2 in a DFT-computed mechanistic model for the reported room-temperature chemical synthesis of C2

Recent lively debates about the nature of the quadruple bonding in the diatomic species C2 have been heightened by recent suggestions of molecules in which carbon may be similarly bonded to other elements. The desirability of having methods for generating such species at ambient temperatures and in solution in order to study their properties may have been realized by a recent report of the first chemical synthesis of free C2 itself under mild conditions. The method involved unimolecular fragmentation of an alkynyl zwitterion 2 as generated from the precursor 1, resulting in production and then trapping of free C2 at ambient temperatures rather than the high temperature gas phase methods normally employed for C2 generation. Here, alternative mechanisms are proposed for this reaction based on DFT calculations involving bimolecular 1,1- or 1,2-iodobenzene displacement reactions from 2 directly by galvinoxyl radical, or hydride transfer from 9,10-dihydroanthracene to 2. These mechanisms result in the same trapped products as observed experimentally, but unlike that involving unimolecular generation of free C2, exhibit calculated free energy barriers commensurate with the reaction times observed at room temperatures. The relative energies of the transition states for 1,1 vs. 1,2 substitution provide a rationalisation for the observed isotopic substitution patterns. The same mechanism also provides an energetically facile path to polymeric synthesis of carbon rich species by extending the carbon chain attached to the iodonium group, eventually resulting in formation of amorphous carbon and discrete molecules such as C60.

Is a transition metal-silicon quadruple bond viable?

Quadruple bonding in heavier main group elements is not known albeit having four valence orbitals accessible for bonding. Here we report the unprecedented quadruple bonding between a silicon atom and a transition metal fragment in the 1A1 electronic ground state of C3v symmetric SiRu(CO)3 based on high level theoretical calculations. Various bonding analyses reveal the nature of the Si[quadruple bond, length as m-dash]Ru quadruple bonding interaction, which involves one usual Si-Ru σ bond, two usual Si-Ru π bonds and one additional Si → Ru dative σ bond.

Revisiting the Bonding Scenario of Two Donor Ligand Stabilized C2 Species

Quantum chemical calculations using density functional methods were performed for complexes of type L₂C₂ with L = NHC^Me (1), SNHC^Me (2) (S = saturated), cAAC^Me (3), and diamidocarbene (DAC^Me) (4). The equilibrium structures of 1-4 possess almost linear C₄ cores. A high thermochemical stability of the complexes with respect to dissociation, L₂C₂ → C₂ + 2L, is indicated by the large bond dissociation energy following the order 3 > 4 > 2 > 1. The results show that the use of SNHC^Me and DAC^Me as ligands is preferable over NHC^Me. The bonding analysis using charge and energy decomposition methods reveals that (cAAC^Me)₂C₂ and (DAC^Me)₂C₂ possess genuine cumulene C₄ moieties, which results from the electron-sharing bonding between quintet L₂ and quintet C₂ fragments. In contrast, the bonding in (NHC^Me)₂C₂ and (SNHC^Me)₂C₂ comes from a combination of dative and electron-sharing interactions between doublet L₂⁺ and doublet C₂^- fragments.