π-Bonding of Group 11 Metals to a Tantalum Alkylidyne Alkyl Complex Promotes Unusual Tautomerism to Bis-alkylidene and CO2 to Ketenyl Transformation

A salt metathesis synthetic strategy is used to access rare tantalum/coinage metal (Cu, Ag, Au) heterobimetallic complexes. Specifically, complex [Li(THF)2][Ta(CtBu)(CH2tBu)3], 1, reacts with (IPr)MCl (M = Cu, Ag, Au, IPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene) to afford the alkylidyne-bridged species [Ta(CH2tBu)3(μ-CtBu)M(IPr)] 2-M. Interestingly, π-bonding of group 11 metals to the Ta─C moiety promotes a rare alkylidyne alkyl to bis-alkylidene tautomerism, in which compounds 2-M are in equilibrium with [Ta(CHtBu)(CH2tBu)2(μ-CHtBu)M(IPr)] 3-M. This equilibrium was studied in detail using NMR spectroscopy and computational studies. This reveals that the equilibrium position is strongly dependent on the nature of the coinage metal going down the group 11 triad, thus offering a new valuable avenue for controlling this phenomenon. Furthermore, we show that these uncommon bimetallic couples could open attractive opportunities for synergistic reactivity. We notably report an uncommon deoxygenative carbyne transfer to CO2 resulting in rare examples of coinage metal ketenyl species, (tBuCCO)M(IPr), 4-M (M = Cu, Ag, Au). In the case of the Ta/Li analogue 1, the bis(alkylidene) tautomer is not detected, and the reaction with CO2 does not cleanly yield ketenyl species, which highlights the pivotal role played by the coinage metal partner in controlling these unconventional reactions.

Carbon-chalcogen wires: alkynyltellurolatocarbynes

The reactions of [W(CBr)(CO)2(Tp*)] (Tp* = tris(dimethylpyrazolyl)borate) with LiTeCCR (R = SiMe3, SiiPr3, iPr, nBu, tBu, Ph, C6H4Me-4, methylimidazol-2-yl) afford the first alkynyltellurolatocarbynes [W(CTeCCR)(CO)2(Tp*)]. Both the WC and CC multiple bonds are prone to metal addition as exemplified by treatment with [MCl(SMe2)] (M = Cu, Au) to afford the hexametallic complex [W2Cu4(μ-CTeCCSiiPr3)2Cl4(CO)4(Tp*)2] and [WAu(μ-CTeCCSiMe3)Cl(CO)2-(Tp*)] which evolves to the unusual hypervalent [WAu(μ-CTeCl4)(SMe2)(CO)2(Tp*)].

Spodium bonding in bis(alkynyl)mecurials

The new bis(alkynyl)mercurial Hg{CCSeCW(CO)2(Tp*)}2 (Tp* = tris(dimethylpyrazolyl)borate) forms adducts with fluoride and phenathroline, the structures of which are interpreted in the context of two-coordinate mercury presenting a σ-torroid for spodium bonding.

Heterobimetallic μ2-Halocarbyne complexes

The halocarbyne complexes [M(≡CX)(CO)2(Tp*)] (M = Mo, W; X = Cl, Br; Tp* = hydrotris(dimethylpyrazolyl)borate) react with [AuCl(SMe2)], [Pt(-H2C=CH2)(PPh3)2] or [Pt(nbe)3] (nbe = norbornene) to furnish rare examples of μ2-halocarbyne...

Metal coordination to bipyridyl carbynes

A new synthetic approach to hetero-aryl substituted carbyne complexes has allowed the synthesis of bipyridyl functionalised carbynes and bis(carbynes) with three potential sites for metal coordination to either the two pyridyl donors or the WC bond.

Carbyne decorated porphyrins

Porphyrins peripherally decorated with four transition-metal carbynes substituents are obtained in one step via a Pd⁰/Au^I transmetallation shuttle beginning with a stannyl carbyne.

Metal coordination of phosphoniocarbynes

Heterobi- and tetrametallic phosphoniocarbyne bridged complexes arise from the reactions of the terminal phosphoniocarbyne [W(CPMe₂Ph)(CO)₂(Tp*)]PF₆ with unsaturated metal centres.

The significance of phosphoniocarbynes in halocarbyne cross-coupling reactions

Competent intermediates as well as productive and non-productive tangents have been identified in the catalytic cycle for palladium(0)–copper(i) mediated synthesis of propargylidynes via cross coupling reactions of bromocarbyne complexes with alkynes.

Bridging selenocarbonyl ligands: an open and shut case

The novel platinum bis(isoselenocarbonyl) complex [Pt{SeCW(CO)₂(Tp*)}₂] is capable of opening both μ:σ–μ-CSe bridges to allow addition of nucleophilic (CNR: R = ^tBu, C₆H₂Me₃) reagents to platinum by varying the selenocarbonyl bridging mode.

Synthesis of pyridyl carbyne complexes and their conversion to N-heterocyclic vinylidenes

A new synthetic approach to hetero-aryl substituted carbyne complexes has allowed the synthesis of pyridyl functionalised carbynes and bis(carbynes), alkylation of which affords the first N-heterocyclic vinylidene complexes.