Bicyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene stabilized zinc(0) complex with singlet biradicaloid ground state

Air and Water Stable Bicyclic (Alkyl)(Amino)Carbene Stabilized Phosphenium Cation: Reactivity and Selective Fluoride Ion Affinity

The synthesis and reactivity of an air and water stable Bicyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene (BICAAC) stabilized phosphenium cation (1) is reported. Air and water stable phosphenium cation are rare in the literature. Compound 1 is obtained by reaction of BICAAC with Ph2PCl in THF followed by anion exchange with LiOTf. The reduction and oxidation of 1 yielded corresponding α-radical phosphine species (2) and BICAAC stabilized phosphenium oxide (3) respectively. All compounds are well characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The Lewis acidity of compounds 1 and 3 are determined by conducting fluoride ion affinity experiments using UV-Vis spectrophotometry and multinuclei NMR spectroscopy. Compounds 1 and 3 exhibited selective binding to fluoride anion but did not interact with other halides (Cl- and Br-). Quantum chemical calculations were performed to understand the structure and nature of bonding interactions in these compounds, as well as to comprehend the specific bonding affinity to fluoride over other halide ions.

BICAAC-Derived Covalent and Cationic Ir(I) Complexes: Application of Ir(BICAAC)Cl(COD) Complexes as Catalysts for Transfer Hydrogenation and Hydrosilylation Reactions

The ambiphilic bicyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbenes (Me/iPrBICAAC) upon reaction with [IrCl(COD)]2 smoothly afford mononuclear Ir(I) complexes that have been spectroscopically and structurally characterized. These complexes exhibit good catalytic activity for transfer hydrogenation (TH) of 4-chlorobenzaldehyde using isopropyl alcohol (iPrOH), with turnover frequency values ranging between 6269 and 8093 h-1. Choosing the covalent complex Ir(MeBICAAC)Cl(COD) as a catalyst, a wide array of carbonyls and imines functionalized with electron-withdrawing and electron-donating substituents have been surveyed and afforded their reduced products in moderate-to-good yields. No detachment of the BICAAC unit from the Ir center was observed upon prolonged heating of Ir(MeBICAAC)Cl(COD) in toluene-d8 or isopropyl alcohol-d8, which evidenced good thermal stability of the catalyst. Complex Ir(MeBICAAC)Cl(COD) was also found to be catalytically active for the hydrosilylation of a variety of aldehydes using triethylsilane (Et3SiH).

Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Phosphorescence Properties of Trigonal Zn(II) Carbene Complexes

The sterically demanding N-heterocyclic carbene ITr (N,N'-bis(triphenylmethyl)imidazolylidene) was employed for the preparation of novel trigonal zinc(II) complexes of the type [ZnX2(ITr)] [X = Cl (1), Br (2), and I (3)], for which the low coordination mode was confirmed in both solution and solid state. Because of the atypical coordination geometry, the reactivity of 1-3 was studied in detail using partial or exhaustive halide exchange and halide abstraction reactions to access [ZnLCl(ITr)] [L = carbazolate (4), 3,6-di-tert-butyl-carbazolate (5), phenoxazine (6), and phenothiazine (7)], [Zn(bdt)(ITr)] (bdt = benzene-1,2-dithiolate) (8), and cationic [Zn(μ2-X)(ITr)]2[B(C6F5)4]2 [X = Cl (9), Br (10), and I (11)], all of which were isolated and structurally characterized. Importantly, for all complexes 4-11, the trigonal coordination environment of the ZnII ion is maintained, demonstrating a highly stabilizing effect due to the steric demand of the ITr ligand, which protects the metal center from further ligand association. In addition, complexes 1-3 and 8-11 show long-lived luminescence from triplet excited states in the solid state at room temperature, according to our photophysical studies. Our quantum chemical density functional theory/multireference configuration interaction (DFT/MRCI) calculations reveal that the phosphorescence of 8 originates from a locally excited triplet state on the bdt ligand. They further suggest that the phenyl substituents of ITr are photochemically not innocent but can coordinate to the electron-deficient metal center of this trigonal complex in the excited state.

Bicyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene (BICAAC) in a dual role: activation of primary amides and CO2 towards catalytic N-methylation

Herein, we report the first catalytic methylation of primary amides using CO₂ as a C1 source. A bicyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene (BICAAC) exhibits dual role by activating both primary amide and CO₂ to carry out this catalytic transformation which enables the formation of a new C-N bond in the presence of pinacolborane. This protocol was applicable to a wide range of substrate scopes, including aromatic, heteroaromatic, and aliphatic amides. We successfully used this procedure in the diversification of drug and bioactive molecules. Moreover, this method was explored for isotope labelling using ¹³CO₂ for a few biologically important molecules. A detailed study of the mechanism was carried out with the help of spectroscopic studies and DFT calculations.

Carbene Radicals in Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Reactions

Discovered as organometallic curiosities in the 1970s, carbene radicals have become a staple in modern-day homogeneous catalysis. Carbene radicals exhibit nucleophilic radical-type reactivity orthogonal to classical electrophilic diamagnetic Fischer carbenes. Their successful catalytic application has led to the synthesis of a myriad of carbo- and heterocycles, ranging from simple cyclopropanes to more challenging eight-membered rings. The field has matured to employ densely functionalized chiral porphyrin-based platforms that exhibit high enantio-, regio-, and stereoselectivity. Thus far the focus has largely been on cobalt-based systems, but interest has been growing for the past few years to expand the application of carbene radicals to other transition metals. This Perspective covers the advances made since 2011 and gives an overview on the coordination chemistry, reactivity, and catalytic application of carbene radical species using transition metal complexes and catalysts.

Ultra-Long Lived Luminescent Triplet Excited States in Cyclic (Alkyl)(amino)carbene Complexes of Zn(II) Halides

The high element abundance and d10 electron configuration make ZnII -based compounds attractive candidates for the development of novel photoactive molecules. Although a large library of purely fluorescent compounds exists, emission involving triplet excited states is a rare phenomenon for zinc complexes. We have investigated the photophysical and -chemical properties of a series of dimeric and monomeric ZnII halide complexes bearing a cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene (cAAC) as chromophore unit. Specifically, [(cAAC)XZn(μ-X)2 ZnX(cAAC)] (X=Cl (1), Br (2), I (3)) and [ZnX2 (cAAC)(NCMe)] (X=Br (4), I (5)) were isolated and fully characterized, showing intense visible light photoluminescence under UV irradiation at 297 K and fast photo-induced transformation. At 77 K, the compounds exhibit improved stability allowing to record ultra-long lifetimes in the millisecond regime. DFT/MRCI calculations confirm that the emission stems from 3 XCT/LEcAAC states and indicate the phototransformation to be related to asymmetric distortion of the complexes by cAAC ligand rotation. This study enhances our understanding of the excited state properties for future development and application of new classes of ZnII phosphorescent complexes.

Catalytic Decomposition of Long-Chain Olefins to Propylene via Isomerization-Metathesis Using Latent Bicyclic (Alkyl)(Amino)Carbene-Ruthenium Olefin Metathesis Catalysts

One of the most exciting scientific challenges today is the catalytic degradation of non-biodegradable polymers into value-added chemical feedstocks. The mild pyrolysis of polyolefins, including high-density polyethylene (HDPE), results in pyrolysis oils containing long-chain olefins as major products. In this paper, novel bicyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene ruthenium (BICAAC-Ru) temperature-activated latent olefin metathesis catalysts, which can be used for catalytic decomposition of long-chain olefins to propylene are reported. These thermally stable catalysts show significantly higher selectivity to propylene at a reaction temperature of 75 °C compared to second generation Hoveyda-Grubbs or CAAC-Ru catalysts under ethenolysis conditions. The conversion of long-chain olefins (e.g., 1-octadecene or methyl oleate) to propylene via isomerization-metathesis is performed by using a (RuHCl)(CO)(PPh₃ )₃ isomerization co-catalyst. The reactions can be carried out at a BICAAC-Ru catalyst loading as low as 1 ppm at elevated reaction temperature (75 °C). The observed turnover number and turnover frequency are as high as 55 000 and 10 000 mol_propylene  mol_catalyst ^-1  h^-1 , respectively.

Bicyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene (BICAAC) as a metal-free catalyst for reduction of nitriles to amines

Bicyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene (BICAAC) is introduced as a metal-free catalyst for the reduction of various nitriles to the corresponding amine hydrochloride salts in the presence of pinacolborane. Mechanistic investigations combining experiments and DFT calculations suggest a B-H addition to the carbene center, which acts as a carrier of the hydride source.

Impact of the coordination of multiple Lewis acid functions on the electronic structure and vn configuration of a metal center

The covalent bond classification (CBC) method represents a molecule as ML_lX_xZ_z by evaluating the total number of L, X and Z functions interacting with M. The CBC method is a simplistic approach that is based on the notion that the bonding of a ligating atom (or group of atoms) can be expressed in terms of the number of electrons it contributes to a 2-electron bond. In many cases, the bonding in a molecule of interest can be described in terms of a 2-center 2-electron bonding model and the ML_lX_xZ_z classification can be derived straightforwardly by considering each ligand independently. However, the bonding within a molecule cannot always be described satisfactorily by using a 2-center 2-electron model and, in such situations, the ML_lX_xZ_z classification requires a more detailed consideration than one in which each ligand is treated in an independent manner. The purpose of this article is to provide examples of how the ML_lX_xZ_z classification is obtained in the presence of multicenter bonding interactions. Specific emphasis is given to the treatment of multiple π-acceptor ligands and the impact on the vⁿ configuration, i.e. the number of formally nonbonding electrons on an element of interest.