Transition metal catalyzed C-H bond activation by exo-metallacycle intermediates

exo-Metallacycles have become the key reaction intermediates in activating various remote C(sp²)-H and C(sp³)-H bonds in the past decade and aided in achieving unusual site-selectivity. Various novel exo-chelating auxiliaries have assisted metals to reach desired remote C-H bonds of different alcohol and amine-derived substrates. As a result, a wide range of organic transformations of C-H bonds like halogenation, acetoxylation, amidation, sulfonylation, olefination, acylation, arylation, etc. were accessible using the exo-metallacycle strategy. In this review, we have summarized the developments in C-H bond activation via four-, five-, six-, seven- and eight-membered exo-metallacycles and the key reaction intermediates, including the mechanistic aspects, are discussed concisely.

Five-Membered Ruthenacycles: Ligand-Assisted Alkyne Insertion into 1,3-N,S-Chelated Ruthenium Borate Species

Building upon previous work, the chemistry of [(η⁶ -p-cymene)Ru{P(OMe)₂ OR}Cl₂ ], (R=H or Me) has been extended with [H₂ B(mbz)₂ ]^- (mbz=2-mercaptobenzothiazolyl) using different Ru precursors and borate ligands. As a result, a series of 1,3-N,S-chelated ruthenium borate complexes, for example, [(κ² -N,S-L)PR₃ Ru{κ³ -H,S,S'-H₂ B(L)₂ }], (2 a-d and 2 a'-d'; R=Ph, Cy, OMe or OPh and L=C₅ H₄ NS or C₇ H₄ NS₂ ) and [Ru{κ³ -H,S,S'-H₂ B(L)₂ }₂ ], (3: L=C₅ H₄ NS, 3': L=C₇ H₄ NS₂ ) were isolated upon treatment of [(η⁶ -p-cymene)RuCl₂ PR₃ ], 1 a-d (R=Ph, Cy, OMe or OPh) with [H₂ B(mp)₂ ]^- or [H₂ B(mbz)₂ ]^- ligands (mp=2-mercaptopyridyl). All the Ru borate complexes, 2 a-d and 2 a'-d' are stabilized by phosphine/phosphite and hemilabile N,S-chelating ligands. Treatment of these Ru borate species, 2 a'-c' with various terminal alkynes yielded two different types of five-membered ruthenacycle species, namely [PR₃ {C₇ H₄ S₂ -(E)-N-C=CH(R')}Ru{κ³ -H,S,S'-H₂ B(L)₂ }], (4-4'; R=Ph and R'=CO₂ Me or C₆ H₄ NO₂ ; L=C₇ H₄ NS₂ ) and [PR₃ {C₇ H₄ NS-(E)-S-C=CH(R')}Ru{κ³ -H,S,S'-H₂ B(L)₂ }], (5-5', 6 and 7; R=Ph, Cy or OMe and R'=CO₂ Me or C₆ H₄ NO₂ ; L=C₇ H₄ NS₂ ). All these five-membered ruthenacycle species contain an exocyclic C=C moiety, presumably formed by the insertion of a terminal alkyne into the Ru-N and Ru-S bonds. The new species have been characterized spectroscopically and the structures were further confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Theoretical studies and chemical-bonding analyses established that charge transfer occurs from phosphorus to ruthenium center following the trend PCy₃ <PPh₃ <P(OPh)₃ <P(OMe)₃ .

Radical-Type Reactivity and Catalysis by Single-Electron Transfer to or from Redox-Active Ligands

Controlled ligand-based redox-activity and chemical non-innocence are rapidly gaining importance for selective (catalytic) processes. This Concept aims to provide an overview of the progress regarding ligand-to-substrate single-electron transfer as a relatively new mode of operation to exploit ligand-centered reactivity and catalysis based thereon.

N-Atom transfer via thermal or photolytic activation of a Co-azido complex with a PNP pincer ligand

Thermal or photolytic activation of well-defined mononuclear [Co(N₃)(PNP)] (PNP = 2,2'-bis(diisopropylphosphino)-4,4'-ditolylamido) results in the structurally characterized dinuclear species [Co(μ-N;κ³-P,N,N-PN^PN)]₂ (3), with two N-bridging phosphiniminato bridgeheads. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations indicate the intermediacy of a mononuclear cobalt-nitrido complex, followed by N-migratory insertion into a Co-P bond. Reaction of 3 with two equiv. HCl leads to rupture of the dimer with formation of mononuclear [CoCl(PN^PN^H)] (4) by protonation of the N-bridges.

Insertion of terminal alkyne into Pt-N bond of the square planar [PtI2(Me2phen)] complex

The reactivity of [PtX₂(Me₂phen)] complexes (X = Cl, Br, I; Me₂phen = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) with terminal alkynes has been investigated. Although the dichlorido species [PtCl₂(Me₂phen)] exhibits negligible reactivity, the bromido and iodido derivatives lead in short time to the formation of five-coordinate Pt(ii) complexes of the type [PtX₂(Me₂phen)(η²-CH[triple bond, length as m-dash]CR)] (X = Br, I; R = Ph, n-Bu), in equilibrium with the starting reagents. Similar to analogous complexes with simple acetylene, the five coordinate species can also undergo dissociation of an halido ligand and formation of the transient square-planar cationic species [PtX(Me₂phen)(η²-CH[triple bond, length as m-dash]CR)]⁺. This latter can further evolve to give an unusual, sparingly soluble square planar product where the former terminal alkyne is converted into a :C[double bond, length as m-dash]C(H)(R) moiety with the α-carbon bridging the Pt(ii) core with one of the two N-donors of coordinated Me₂phen. The final product [PtX₂{κ²-N,C-(Z)-N[combining low line]1-N10-C[combining low line][double bond, length as m-dash]C(H)(R)}] (N1-N10 = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline; X = Br, I) contains a Pt-N-C-C-N-C six-membered chelate ring in a square planar Pt(ii) coordination environment.

Ruthenium PNN(O) Complexes: Cooperative Reactivity and Application as Catalysts for Acceptorless Dehydrogenative Coupling Reactions

The novel tridentate PNNOH pincer ligand LH features a reactive 2-hydroxypyridine functionality as well as a bipyridyl-methylphosphine skeleton for meridional coordination. This proton-responsive ligand coordinates in a straightforward manner to RuCl(CO)(H)(PPh3)3 to generate complex 1. The methoxy-protected analogue LMe was also coordinated to Ru(II) for comparison. Both species have been crystallographically characterized. Site-selective deprotonation of the 2-hydroxypyridine functionality to give 1' was achieved using both mild (DBU) and strong bases (KOtBu and KHMDS), with no sign of involvement of the phosphinomethyl side arm that was previously established as the reactive fragment. Complex 1' is catalytically active in the dehydrogenation of formic acid to generate CO-free hydrogen in three consecutive runs as well as for the dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols, giving high conversions to different esters and outperforming structurally related PNN ligands lacking the NOH fragment. DFT calculations suggest more favorable release of H2 through reversible reactivity of the hydroxypyridine functionality relative to the phosphinomethyl side arm.

Hydrogenation of CO2 to formic acid with iridiumIII(bisMETAMORPhos)(hydride): the role of a dormant fac-IrIII(trihydride) and an active trans-IrIII(dihydride) species

Catalytic hydrogenation of CO₂ to formate with an Ir^III(METAMORPhos) complex in the presence of DBU requires a trans-dihydride for catalytic turnover, with an off-cycle trihydride as the dormant species.

Reversible cyclometalation at RhI as a motif for metal–ligand bifunctional bond activation and base-free formic acid dehydrogenation

The first example of base-free catalytic dehydrogenation of formic acid using reversible cyclometalation at Rh(i) is discussed, using a combination of experimental and computational methods.