Transition metal mediated activation of C(sp3)–C(sp2) bond in aromatic hydrocarbons

Catalyst Design for Rh-Catalyzed Arene and Alkane C-H Borylation: The NHC Affects the Induction Period, and Indenyl is Superior to Cp

In order to establish design criteria for Rh C-H borylation catalysts, analogues of the successful catalyst [Rh(Ind)(SIDipp)(COE)] (Ind = η5-indenyl, SIDipp = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene, and COE = cis-cyclooctene) were synthesized by changing the indenyl and carbene ligands. [RhCp(SIDipp)(COE)] (1) formed alongside the C-C activated, cyclometalated byproduct [RhCp(κ2CAr,Ccarbene-SIDipp')(iPr)] (rac-2; SIDipp' = 1-(6-isopropylphenyl)-3-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene). Computational modeling of COE dissociation showed that both C-C and C-H activation of the SIDipp aryl group is thermally attainable and reversible under experimental conditions, with the C-C activation products being the more thermodynamically stable species. Oxidative addition of 1 with SiH(OEt)3 gave the Rh silyl hydride [RhCp(H){Si(OEt)3}(SIDipp)] (rac-3). [Rh(Ind)(IDipp)(COE)] (4; IDipp = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-imidazole-2-ylidene), the carbonyl analogue [Rh(Ind)(IDipp)(CO)] (5; νCO = 1940 cm-1, cf. 1944 cm-1 for [Rh(Ind)(SIDipp)(COE)]), and [Rh(Ind)(IMe4)(COE)] (6; IMe4 = 1,3,4,5-tetramethylimidazol-2-ylidene) were also characterized, but attempts to synthesize Rh carbene complexes with fluorenyl or 1,2,3,4-tetrahydrofluorenyl ligands were not successful. For the catalytic C-H borylation of benzene using B2pin2, 1 was inactive at 80 °C, and [Rh(Ind)(SIDipp)(COE)] was superior to all other complexes tested due to the shortest induction period. However, the addition of HBpin to precatalyst 4 eliminated the induction period. Catalytic n-alkane C-H borylation using [Rh(Ind)(NHC)(COE)] gave yields of up to 21% alkylBpin, but [RhCp*(C2H4)2] was the better catalyst.

C-C σ-Bond Oxidative Addition and Hydrofunctionalization by a Macrocycle-Supported Diiron Complex

This report describes the first examples of unassisted C(sp)-C(sp2) and C(sp)-C(sp3) bond oxidative addition reactions to give thermodynamically favorable products. Treatment of a diiron complex supported by a geometrically and electronically flexible macrocyclic ligand, (3PDI2)Fe2(μ-N2)(PPh3)2 ([Fe2N2]0), with stoichiometric amounts of various 4,4'-disubstituted diphenylacetylenes (ArX-C≡C-ArX; X = OMe, H, F, CF3) yielded C(sp)-C(sp2) bond oxidative addition products. When Ph-C≡C-R substrates were used as substrates (R = Me, Et, iPr, tBu), products of either C(sp)-C(sp2) or C(sp)-C(sp3) bond activation were obtained, with the less sterically encumbering alkynes exclusively undergoing C(sp)-C(sp3) bond activation. Treatment of the C-C activation species with either H2 or HBpin was found to form products of C-C σ-bond hydrofunctionalization. In both the hydrogenation and hydroboration schemes, the diiron species was observed to return to [Fe2N2]0, thereby completing synthetic cycles for C-C σ-bond functionalization.