Chelated Fischer carbene complexes of annulated thiophenes: synthesis, structure and electrochemistry

Two (thieno[3,2-b]thiophene) and three annulated thiophenes (dithieno[2,3-b;3',2'-d]thiophene and dithieno[3,2-b;2',3'-d]thiophene) were employed as building blocks to synthesize linear or semi-circular chelated mononuclear biscarbene and dinuclear tetracarbene complexes. The electronic properties of the annulated thienylene chelated carbene complexes were investigated by cyclic voltammetry experiments and compared to non-chelated Fischer-type monocarbene complexes. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to assign the redox events and to probe the extent of electron delocalisation as well as the possibility of electronic (intramolecular metal-metal) communication as a result of intervalence. The differences of these electronic properties in the conjugated chelated carbene complexes are compared to chelated carbene compounds without a linear conjugated pathway.

Synthesis and properties of mono- and dimetal Fischer multicarbene complexes derived from thiophene and thieno[2,3-b]thiophene

Access to multicarbene complexes of a fused thienothiophene substrate was obtained by the use of the tetrabrominated thieno[2,3-b]thiophene precursor in a lithium-bromide exchange reaction, followed by nucleophilic attack on metal hexacarbonyls (M = Cr, W). Subsequent alkylation afforded unique triscarbene complexes [M(CO)4{{C(OEt)}2C6H1S2C(OEt)}M(CO)5] (M = Cr 12, W 13) featuring three non-equivalent carbene ligands on a single thiophene linker, as well as the bischelated tetracarbene complexes [M(CO)4{{C(OEt)}2C6S2{C(OEt)}2}M(CO)4] (M = Cr 14, W 15). The triscarbene complexes 12 and 13 are the first examples of multi-alkoxycarbene complexes featuring three non-equivalent carbene ligands. The reaction also afforded the chelated mononuclear biscarbene complexes [M(CO)4{C(OEt)}2C6H2S2] (M = Cr 10, W 11) in low yields. Similarly, employing tetrabromothiophene as precursor yielded the mononuclear chelate biscarbene complexes [M(CO)4{C(OEt)}2C4H2S] (M = Cr 6, W 7) and the dinuclear tetracarbene complexes [M(CO)4{{C(OEt)}2C4S{C(OEt)}2}M(CO)4] (M = Cr 8, W 9). Modification of the classic Fischer carbene synthetic methodology to a process of stepwise additions of lithiating agent and metal carbonyls to thieno[2,3-b]thiophene, facilitates the formation of the mixed metal biscarbene complex [W(CO)5C(OEt){C6H2S2}C(OEt)Cr(CO)5] 5, as analogue of the homonuclear biscarbene complexes [M(CO)5C(OEt){C6H2S2}C(OEt)M(CO)5], (M = Cr 3, W 4). The monocarbene complexes [M(CO)5{C(OEt)C6H3S2}], (M = Cr 1, W 2) were also obtained in high yields, and the molecular structures of the tungsten complexes, with the exception of 9 and 11, were confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies.