Chemistry of Guanidinate‐Stabilised Diboranes: Transition‐Metal‐Catalysed Dehydrocoupling and Hydride Abstraction

Herein, we analyse the catalytic boron–boron dehydrocoupling reaction that leads from the base‐stabilised diborane(6) [H₂B(hpp)]₂ (hpp=1,3,4,6,7,8‐hexahydro‐2H‐pyrimido[1,2‐a]pyrimidinate) to the base‐stabilised diborane(4) [H₂B(hpp)]₂. A number of potential transition‐metal precatalysts was studied, including transition‐metal complexes of the product diborane(4). The synthesis and structural characterisation of two further examples of such complexes is presented. The best results for the dehydrocoupling reactions were obtained with precatalysts of Group 9 metals in the oxidation state of +I. The active catalyst is formed in situ through a multistep process that involves reduction of the precatalyst by the substrate [H₂B(hpp)]₂, and mechanistic investigations indicate that both heterogeneous and (slower) homogeneous reaction pathways play a role in the dehydrocoupling reaction. In addition, hydride abstraction from [H₂B(hpp)]₂ and related diboranes is analysed and the possibility for subsequent deprotonation is discussed by probing the protic character of the cationic boron–hydrogen compounds with NMR spectroscopic analysis.     

Diborane(4)-metal bonding: between hydrogen bridges and frustrated oxidative addition

The metal complexes [M{HB(hpp)}(2)(CO)(4)] (M = Cr, Mo or W) and [M(cod){HB(hpp)}(2)Cl] (M = Rh or Ir) of the doubly-base stabilized diborane(4) ligand [HB(hpp)](2) were fully characterized and their bonding nature was investigated in detail. While bonding in the group 6 complexes predominantly occurs through the hydrogen atoms, the metal-ligand interaction in the group 9 complexes can be regarded as an early stage oxidative addition of the boron-boron bond leading to diboryl compounds.     

A Radical Tricationic Rhomboid Tetraborane(4) with Four‐Center,Five‐Electron Bonding

The red‐colored tetraborane(4) [B₄(hpp)₄]^3+. ( 3 ; hpp=1,3,4,6,7,8‐hexahydro‐2H‐pyrimido[1,2‐a]pyrimidinate) with a rhomboid B₄ skeleton stabilized by four N donors, was synthesized by the reaction of the strong hydride abstraction reagent [(acridine)BCl₂][AlCl₄] with the electron‐rich diborane(4) [HB(hpp)]₂ ( 1 ). The salt 3 [AlCl₄]₃ was structurally characterized and the presence of unpaired electrons proven by EPR measurements. The unprecedented radical tricationic 3 is distinguished by a high positive charge and boron atoms in a low oxidation state (less than two).     

Homoleptic Two‐Coordinate Silylamido Complexes of Chromium(I), Manganese(I), and Cobalt(I)

Anionic two‐coordinate complexes of first‐row transition‐metal(I) centres are rare molecules that are expected to reveal new magnetic properties and reactivity. Recently, we demonstrated that a N(SiMe₃)₂^? ligand set, which is unable to prevent dimerisation or extraneous ligand coordination at the +2 oxidation state of iron, was nonetheless able to stabilise anionic two‐coordinate Fe^I complexes even in the presence of a Lewis base. We now report analogous Cr^I and Co^I complexes with exclusively this amido ligand and the isolation of a [Mn^I{N(SiMe₃)₂}₂]₂^2? dimer that features a Mn?Mn bond. Additionally, by increasing the steric hindrance of the ligand set, the two‐coordinate complex [Mn^I{N(Dipp)(SiMe₃)}₂]^? was isolated (Dipp=2,6‐iPr₂‐C₆H₃). Characterisation of these compounds by using X‐ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, and magnetic susceptibility measurements is provided along with ligand‐field analysis based on CASSCF/NEVPT2 ab initio calculations.     

Low‐Valent Iron(I) Amido Olefin Complexes as Promotors for Dehydrogenation Reactions

Fe^I compounds including hydrogenases show remarkable properties and reactivities. Several iron(I) complexes have been established in stoichiometric reactions as model compounds for N₂ or CO₂ activation. The development of well‐defined iron(I) complexes for catalytic transformations remains a challenge. The few examples include cross‐coupling reactions, hydrogenations of terminal olefins, and azide functionalizations. Here the syntheses and properties of bimetallic complexes [MFe^I(trop₂dae)(solv)] (M=Na, solv=3 thf; M=Li, solv=2 Et₂O; trop=5H‐dibenzo[a,d]cyclo‐hepten‐5‐yl, dae=(N‐CH₂‐CH₂‐N) with a d⁷ Fe low‐spin valence‐electron configuration are reported. Both compounds promote the dehydrogenation of N,N‐dimethylaminoborane, and the former is a precatalyst for the dehydrogenative alcoholysis of silanes. No indications for heterogeneous catalyses were found. High activities and complete conversions were observed particularly with [NaFe^I(trop₂dae)(thf)₃].     

Physicochemical Characterization of Four Gadolinium(III) DTPA‐like Complexes

The analysis of ¹⁷O NMR transverse relaxation rates and EPR transverse electronic relaxation rates for aqueous solutions of the four DTPA‐like (DTPA = diethylenetriamine‐N,N,N′,N″,N″‐pentaacetic acid) complexes, [Gd(DTPA‐PY)(H₂O)]^? (DTPA‐PY = N′‐(2‐pyridylmethyl)), [Gd(DTPA‐HP)(H₂O)₂]^? (DTPA‐HP = N′‐(2‐hydroxypropyl)), [Gd(DTPA‐H1P)(H₂O)₂]^? (DTPA‐H1P = N′‐(2‐hydroxy‐1‐phenylethyl)) and [Gd(DTPA‐H2P)(H₂O)₂] (DTPA‐H2P = N′‐(2‐hydroxy‐2‐phenylethyl)), at various temperatures allows us to understand the water exchange dynamics of these four complexes. The water‐exchange lifetime (τM) parameters for [Gd(DTPA‐PY)(H₂O)]^?, [Gd(DTPA‐HP)(H₂O)₂]^?, [Gd(DTPA‐H1P)(H₂O)₂]^? and [Gd(DTPA‐H2P)(H₂O)₂] are of 585, 98, 163, and 69 ns, respectively. Compared with [Gd(DTPA)(H₂O)]^2? (τM = 303 ns), the τM value of [Gd(DTPA‐PY)(H₂O)]^? is slightly higher, but the other three complexes values are significantly lower than those of [Gd(DTPA)(H₂O)]^2?. This difference is explained by the fact that the gadolinium(III) complexes of DTPA‐HP, DTPA‐H1P, and DTPA‐H2P have two inner‐sphere waters. The ²H longitudinal relaxation rates of the labeled diamagnetic lanthanum complex allow the calculation of its rotational correlation time (τR). The τR values calculated for DTPA‐PY, DTPA‐HP, DTPA‐H1P, and DTPA‐H2P are of 127, 110, 142 and 147 ps, respectively. These four values are higher than the value of [La(DTPA)]^2? (τR = 103 ps), because the rotational correlation time is related to the magnitude of its molecular weight.     

Nitrosyltechnetium(I) Complexes with 2‐(Diphenylphosphanyl)aniline

[Tc^I(NO)Cl(H₂L1)₂]⁺ cations (H₂L1 = 2‐(diphenylphosphanyl)aniline) are formed during reactions of H₂L1 with (NBu₄)[Tc(NO)Cl₄(MeOH)] or (NH₄)TcO₄/HCl/NH₂OH mixtures. Different isomers were isolated depending on the counterions and solvents used. The technetium(I) complexes cis‐NO,Cl,trans‐P,P‐[Tc^I(NO)Cl(H₂L1)₂]Cl, trans‐NO,Cl,cis‐P,P‐[Tc^I(NO)Cl(H₂L1)₂]₂(TcCl₆), and trans‐NO,Cl,trans‐P,P‐[Tc^I(NO)Cl(H₂L1)₂](PF₆) were isolated in crystalline form and studied by spectroscopic methods and X‐ray crystallography. DFT calculations show that there are only minor energy differences between the three isomers and the formation of the individual compounds is most probably strongly influenced by interactions with solvents and counterions.     

Insertion of Molecular Oxygen in Transition‐Metal Hydride Bonds,Oxygen‐Bond Activation,and Unimolecular Dissociation of Metal Hydroperoxide Intermediates. Short Communication

Thermal activation of molecular oxygen is observed for the late‐transition‐metal cationic complexes [M(H)(OH)]⁺ with M=Fe, Co, and Ni. Most of the reactions proceed via insertion in a metal? hydride bond followed by the dissociation of the resulting metal hydroperoxide intermediate(s) upon losses of O, OH, and H₂O. As indicated by labeling studies, the processes for the Ni complex are very specific such that the O‐atoms of the neutrals expelled originate almost exclusively from the substrate O₂. In comparison to the [M(H)(OH)]⁺ cations, the ion? molecule reactions of the metal hydride systems [MH]⁺ (M=Fe, Co, Ni, Pd, and Pt) with dioxygen are rather inefficient, if they occur at all. However, for the solvated complexes [M(H)(H₂O)]⁺ (M=Fe, Co, Ni), the reaction with O₂ involving O? O bond activation show higher reactivity depending on the transition metal: 60% for the Ni, 16% for the Co, and only 4% for the Fe complex relative to the [Ni(H)(OH)]⁺/O₂ couple.     

Mechanistic Studies on the Gas‐Phase Dehydrogenation of Alkanes at Cyclometalated Platinum Complexes

In the ion/molecule reactions of the cyclometalated platinum complexes [Pt(L? H)]⁺ (L=2,2′‐bipyridine (bipy), 2‐phenylpyridine (phpy), and 7,8‐benzoquinoline (bq)) with linear and branched alkanes C_nH_2n+2 (n=2–4), the main reaction channels correspond to the eliminations of dihydrogen and the respective alkenes in varying ratios. For all three couples [Pt(L? H)]⁺/C₂H₆, loss of C₂H₄ dominates clearly over H₂ elimination; however, the mechanisms significantly differs for the reactions of the “rollover”‐cyclometalated bipy complex and the classically cyclometalated phpy and bq complexes. While double hydrogen‐atom transfer from C₂H₆ to [Pt(bipy? H)]⁺, followed by ring rotation, gives rise to the formation of [Pt(H)(bipy)]⁺, for the phpy and bq complexes [Pt(L? H)]⁺, the cyclometalated motif is conserved; rather, according to DFT calculations, formation of [Pt(L? H)(H₂)]⁺ as the ionic product accounts for C₂H₄ liberation. In the latter process, [Pt(L? H)(H₂)(C₂H₄)]⁺ (that carries H₂ trans to the nitrogen atom of the heterocyclic ligand) serves, according to DFT calculation, as a precursor from which, due to the electronic peculiarities of the cyclometalated ligand, C₂H₄ rather than H₂ is ejected. For both product‐ion types, [Pt(H)(bipy)]⁺ and [Pt(L? H)(H₂)]⁺ (L=phpy, bq), H₂ loss to close a catalytic dehydrogenation cycle is feasible. In the reactions of [Pt(bipy? H)]⁺ with the higher alkanes C_nH_2n+2 (n=3, 4), H₂ elimination dominates over alkene formation; most probably, this observation is a consequence of the generation of allyl complexes, such as [Pt(C₃H₅)(bipy)]⁺. In the reactions of [Pt(L? H)]⁺ (L=phpy, bq) with propane and n‐butane, the losses of the alkenes and dihydrogen are of comparable intensities. While in the reactions of “rollover”‐cyclometalated [Pt(bipy? H)]⁺ with C_nH_2n+2 (n=2–4) less than 15 % of the generated product ions are formed by C? C bond‐cleavage processes, this value is about 60 % for the reaction with neo‐pentane. The result that C? C bond cleavage gains in importance for this substrate is a consequence of the fact that 1,2‐elimination of two hydrogen atoms is no option; this observation may suggest that in the reactions with the smaller alkanes, 1,1‐ and 1,3‐elimination pathways are only of minor importance.     

Structure and Magnetization Dynamics of Dy−Fe and Dy−Ru Bonded Complexes

We present an investigation of isostructural complexes that feature unsupported direct bonds between a formally trivalent lanthanide ion (Dy³⁺) and either a first‐row (Fe) or a second‐row (Ru) transition metal (TM) ion. The sterically rigid, yet not too bulky ligand PyCp₂^2? (PyCp₂^2?=[2,6‐(CH₂C₅H₃)₂C₅H₃N]^2?) facilitates the isolation and characterization of PyCp₂Dy?FeCp(CO)₂ ( 1 ; d(Dy–Fe)=2.884(2) Å) and PyCp₂Dy?RuCp(CO)₂ ( 2 ; d(Dy–Ru)=2.9508(5) Å). Computational and spectroscopic studies suggest strong TM→Dy bonding interactions. Both complexes exhibit field‐induced slow magnetic relaxation with effectively identical energy barriers to magnetization reversal. However, in going from Dy?Fe to Dy?Ru bonding, we observed faster magnetic relaxation at a given temperature and larger direct and Raman coefficients, which could be due to differences in the bonding and/or spin–phonon coupling contributions to magnetic relaxation.     

Lanthanide(III) Complexes of 4,10‐Bis(phosphonomethyl)‐1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,7‐diacetic acid (trans‐H6do2a2p) in Solution and in the Solid State: Structural Studies Along the Series

Complexes of 4,10‐bis(phosphonomethyl)‐1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,7‐diacetic acid (trans‐H₆do2a2p, H₆ L ) with transition metal and lanthanide(III) ions were investigated. The stability constant values of the divalent and trivalent metal‐ion complexes are between the corresponding values of H₄dota and H₈dotp complexes, as a consequence of the ligand basicity. The solid‐state structures of the ligand and of nine lanthanide(III) complexes were determined by X‐ray diffraction. All the complexes are present as twisted‐square‐antiprismatic isomers and their structures can be divided into two series. The first one involves nona‐coordinated complexes of the large lanthanide(III) ions (Ce, Nd, Sm) with a coordinated water molecule. In the series of Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Er, Yb, the complexes are octa‐coordinated only by the ligand donor atoms and their coordination cages are more irregular. The formation kinetics and the acid‐assisted dissociation of several Ln^III–H₆ L complexes were investigated at different temperatures and compared with analogous data for complexes of other dota‐like ligands. The [Ce( L )(H₂O)]^3? complex is the most kinetically inert among complexes of the investigated lanthanide(III) ions (Ce, Eu, Gd, Yb). Among mixed phosphonate–acetate dota analogues, kinetic inertness of the cerium(III) complexes is increased with a higher number of phosphonate arms in the ligand, whereas the opposite is true for europium(III) complexes. According to the ¹H NMR spectroscopic pseudo‐contact shifts for the Ce–Eu and Tb–Yb series, the solution structures of the complexes reflect the structures of the [Ce(H L )(H₂O)]^2? and [Yb(H L )]^2? anions, respectively, found in the solid state. However, these solution NMR spectroscopic studies showed that there is no unambiguous relation between ³¹P/¹H lanthanide‐induced shift (LIS) values and coordination of water in the complexes; the values rather express a relative position of the central ions between the N₄ and O₄ planes.     

Magnetocaloric Properties of Heterometallic 3d–Gd Complexes Based on the [Gd(oda)3]3− Metalloligand

A series of heterometallic 3d–Gd³⁺ complexes based on a lanthanide metalloligand, [M(H₂O)₆][Gd(oda)₃] ? 3 H₂O [M=Cr³⁺ ( 1‐Cr )] (H₂oda=2,2′‐oxydiacetic acid), [M(H₂O)₆][MGd(oda)₃]₂ ? 3 H₂O [M=Mn²⁺ ( 2‐Mn ), Fe²⁺ ( 2‐Fe ) and Co²⁺ ( 2‐Co )], and [M₃Gd₂(oda)₆(H₂O)₆] ? 12 H₂O [M=Ni²⁺ ( 3‐Ni ), Cu²⁺ ( 3‐Cu ), and Zn²⁺ ( 3‐Zn )], are reported. Magnetic and heat‐capacity studies revealed a significant impact on the magnetocaloric effect depending on the anisotropy of the 3d transition metal ions, as confirmed by comparison of the observed maximum values of ?ΔS_m between complexes 2‐Co and 1‐Cr . In these two complexes, the 3d metal ions have the same spin (S=3/2 for Co²⁺ and Cr³⁺ ions), and the theoretical calculation suggested a larger ?ΔS_m value for 2‐Co (47.8 J K^?1 kg^?1) than 1‐Cr (37.5 J K^?1 kg^?1); however, the significant anisotropy of Co²⁺ ions in 2‐Co , which can result in smaller effective spins, gives a smaller value of ?ΔS_m for 2‐Co (32.2 J K^?1 kg^?1) than for 1‐Cr (35.4 J K^?1 kg^?1) at ΔH=9 T.     

Four Complexes with the Rigid Ligand 1,4‐Bis(1H‐imidazol‐4‐yl)benzene and Varied Carboxylate Ligands

Four metal‐organic coordination polymers [Co₂(L)₃(nipa)₂]·6H₂O ( 1 ), [Cd(L)(nipa)]·3H₂O ( 2 ), [Co(L) (Hoxba)₂] ( 3 ) and [Ni₂(L)₂(oxba)₂(H₂O)]·1.5L·3H₂O ( 4 ) were synthesized by reactions of the corresponding metal(II) salts with the rigid ligand 1,4‐bis(1H‐imidazol‐4‐yl)benzene (L) and different derivatives of 5‐nitroisophthalic acid (H₂nipa) and 4,4′‐oxybis(benzoic acid) (H₂oxba), respectively. The structures of the complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, FT‐IR spectroscopy and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Complexes 1 and 3 have the same one‐dimensional (1D) chain while 2 is a 6‐connected twofold interpenetrating three‐dimensional (3D) network with α ‐Po 4¹²·6³ topology based on the binuclear Cd^II subunits. Compound 4 features a puckered two‐dimensional (2D) (4,4) network, and the large voids of the packing 2D nets have accommodated the uncoordinated L guest molecules. An abundant of N–H···O, O–H···O and C–H···O hydrogen bonding interactions exist in complexes 1–4 , which contributes to stabilize the crystal structure and extend the low‐dimensional entities into high‐dimensional frameworks. Lastly, the photoluminiscent properties of compounds 2 were also investigated.     

Synthesis,Structures, and Properties of Lanthanide Complexes with Pyrimidine‐2‐carboxylic Acid

Six lanthanide complexes [Ln(pmc)₂NO₃]_n [Hpmc = pyrimidine‐2‐carboxylic acid, Ln = La ( 1 ), Pr ( 2 )], [Ln(pmc)₂(H₂O)₃]NO₃ · H₂O [Ln = Eu ( 3 ), Tb ( 4 ) Dy ( 5 ), Er ( 6 )] were synthesized by the reactions of lanthanide nitrate and pyrimidine‐2‐carboxylic acid in water at room temperature. These complexes were characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis, elemental analysis, IR, circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence spectra. Structure analysis shows that complexes 1 and 2 are isostructural with P4₃2₁2 space group, whereas isostructural complexes 3 – 6 belong to the P2₁/c space group. In complexes 1 and 2 , the central metal atoms are coordinated by nitrates and pmc^–, which are self‐assembled to construct a 3D porous network with 6₂.6₂.6₂.6₂.6₂.6₂ (6⁶) topology. In complexes 3 – 6 , H₂O and pmc^– ligands are coordinated and the complexes exhibit a one‐dimensional zigzag chain, which is further expanded into a 3D structure by hydrogen bonding. In addition, the circular dichroism of 1 and 2 proves that the two complexes are both chiral with achiral ligand of Hpmc. Luminescent measurements of compounds 3 – 5 indicate that the characteristic fluorescence of Eu³⁺, Tb³⁺, and Dy³⁺ are observed.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Metal Complexes (M = Al,Ti, W,Zn) Containing Pyrrole‐imine Ligands

A series of metal compounds (M = Al, Ti, W, and Zn) containing pyrrole‐imine ligands have been prepared and structurally characterized. The reactions of AlMe₃ with one and three equivs of pyrrole‐imine ligand [C₄H₃NH‐(2‐CH=N? CH₂Ph)] ( 1 ) generated aluminum compounds Al[C₄H₃N‐(2‐CH=N? CH₂Ph)]Me₂ ( 2 ) and Al[C₄H₃N‐(2‐CH=NCH₂Ph)]₃ ( 3 ), respectively, in relatively high yield. Reacting two equivs of 1 with Ti(OⁱPr)₄, W(NH^tBu)₂(=N^tBu)₂, or ZnMe₂ afforded Ti[C₄H₃N‐(2‐CH=NCH₂Ph)]₂(OⁱPr)₂ ( 4 ), W[C₄H₃N‐(2‐CH=NCH₂Ph)]₂(=N^tBu)₂ ( 5 ), and Zn[C₄H₃N‐(2‐CH=NCH₂Ph)]₂ ( 6 ), respectively. All the compounds have been characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. Compounds 3 – 6 have also been characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray structural analysis. The biting angles of pyrrole‐imine ligand with metals decrease and their related M? N_pyrrole and M? N_imine bond lengths increase in the order of 6 , 3 , 4 , and 5 .     

Observation of Transition‐Metal–Boron Triple Bonds in IrB2O− and ReB2O−

Multiple bonds between boron and transition metals are known in many borylene (:BR) complexes via metal d_π→BR back‐donation, despite the electron deficiency of boron. An electron‐precise metal–boron triple bond was first observed in BiB₂O^? [Bi≡B?B≡O]^? in which both boron atoms can be viewed as sp‐hybridized and the [B?BO]^? fragment is isoelectronic to a carbyne (CR). To search for the first electron‐precise transition‐metal‐boron triple‐bond species, we have produced IrB₂O^? and ReB₂O^? and investigated them by photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum‐chemical calculations. The results allow to elucidate the structures and bonding in the two clusters. We find IrB₂O^? has a closed‐shell bent structure (C_s, ¹A′) with BO^? coordinated to an Ir≡B unit, (^?OB)Ir≡B, whereas ReB₂O^? is linear (C_∞v, ³Σ^?) with an electron‐precise Re≡B triple bond, [Re≡B?B≡O]^?. The results suggest the intriguing possibility of synthesizing compounds with electron‐precise M≡B triple bonds analogous to classical carbyne systems.     

Mixed‐Ligand Complexes of Zinc(II) with α‐Hydroxycarboxylates and Aromatic N‐N Donor Ligands: Synthesis,Crystal Structures and Effect of Weak Interactions on their Crystal Packing

Several new two‐ligand complexes of zinc(II) with the aromatic N, N‐donor ligands 2, 2′‐bipyridine or 1, 10‐phenanthroline and one of three different α‐hydroxycarboxylates (HL′) derived of the α‐hydroxycarboxylic acids (H₂L′) (2‐methyllactic, H₂mL; mandelic, H₂M or benzilic, H₂B) were prepared. The compounds of formula [Zn(HL′)₂(NN)]·nH₂O (HL′ = HM, HB) were isolated as white powders and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The complexes of general formula [Zn(HL′)(NN)₂](HL′)·nH₂O (HL′ = HmL, HM) and [Zn(HB)₂(NN)₂], were obtained as single crystals and were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and X‐ray diffractometry. In all cases, the zinc atom is in a distorted octahedral environment. In [Zn(HL′)(NN)₂](HL′)·nH₂O the α‐hydroxycarboxylato ligands behave as bidentate chelating monoanion and an α‐hydroxycarboxylate as counterion is also present. In [Zn(HB)₂(NN)₂], the monoanionic benzilato ligand behaves as monodentate through one oxygen atom of the carboxylate function. The effect of the classical and no‐classical hydrogen bonding and of the π‐π and C‐H…π interactions in the 3D supramolecular arrangement of these molecular complexes is analyzed.     

Synthesis,Structural Characterization,and Theoretical Studies of Silver(I) Complexes of Dihydrobis(2‐mercapto‐benzothiazolyl) Borate

The complexes [Ag{κ³‐S,S′,H‐H₂B(mbz)₂}(PR₃)]_x, ( 1 : x = 2, R = Ph; 2 : x = 1, R = Cy) (mbz = 2‐mercaptobenzothiazolyl) and amidine based dihydro(2‐mercaptobenzo‐thiazolyl) borates, [HN=C(Ph)–NH(R)–H₂B(mbz)] ( 3 : R = 2,6‐diisopropylphenyl and 4 : R = Ph) were synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic methods and single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography. Complex [Ag{κ³‐S,S′,H‐H₂B(mbz)₂}(PPh₃)]₂ ( 1 ) has a dimeric structure in its crystalline state, in which central silver(I) atoms adopt a distorted trigonal bipyramid arrangement. In contrast, complex [Ag{κ³‐S,S′,H‐H₂B(mbz)₂}(PCy₃)] ( 2 ) has a monomeric structure in its crystalline state, in which the central silver(I) atoms adopt a distorted trigonal planar arrangement. Infrared spectroscopy was utilized as a tool for investigating the presence of M ··· H–B interactions. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to analyse the B–H ··· [M] bonding interaction in the metal borate complexes.     

Dinuclear Macrocyclic Quinoline Bridged Mercury and Silver Bis(N‐heterocyclic Carbene) Complexes: Synthesis,Structure, and Spectroscopic Studies

Quinoline bridged imidazolium precursors 5,8‐bis(N‐R‐imidazolylidenylmethylene)quinoline PF₆^– salts [H₂L](PF₆)₂ [R = Me ( 1a ), R = naphthylmethyl ( 1b )] were prepared by quaternization of N‐methylimidazole and N‐naphthylmethylimidazole with 5,8‐bis(bromomethyl)quinoline, respectively. Reaction of the imidazolium ligands 1a and 1b with Hg(OAc)₂ and Ag₂O in acetonitrile gave the macrocyclic transition metal carbene complexes [Hg₂L₂](PF₆)₄ ( 2a and 2b ) and [Ag₂L₂](PF₆)₂ ( 3a and 3b ), respectively. All the N‐heterocyclic carbene complexes were characterized in detail by NMR, ESI‐MS, and elemental analysis. Structures of complexes 2a and 3a were determined by X‐ray diffraction studies. Structural studies revealed that the coordination arrangement of the central mercury atom in complex 2a displays a tricoordinate mode and the molecular conformation results in a“closed” form with the bridging quinoline functionality in the macrocycle, whereas the silver complex 3a does not show an coordiantion between the bridging quinoline and the Ag^I ion, which results in an “open” conformation of the macrocycle. The Hg^II and Ag^I NHC complexes showed similar UV absorption and luminescence in acetonitrile solutions.     

Two New Polyoxovanadate‐supported Transition Metal Complexes: [Zn(en)2][Zn(en)2(H2O)2][{Zn(en)(enMe)}As6V15O42(H2O)]·4H2O and [Zn2(enMe)2(en)3][{Zn(enMe)2}As6V15O42(H2O)]·4H2O

Two novel As‐V‐O cluster supported transition metal complexes, [Zn(en)₂][Zn(en)₂(H₂O)₂][{Zn(en)(enMe)}As₆V₁₅O₄₂(H₂O)]·4H₂O ( 1 ) and [Zn₂(enMe)₂(en)₃][{Zn(enMe)₂}As₆V₁₅O₄₂(H₂O)]·4H₂O ( 2 ), have been hydrothermally synthesized. The single X‐ray diffraction studies reveal that both compounds consist of discrete noncentral polyoxoanions [{Zn(en)(enMe)}As₆V₁₅O₄₂(H₂O)]^4? or [{Zn(enMe)₂}As₆V₁₅O₄₂(H₂O)]^4? cocrystallized with respective zinc coordination complexes. Interestingly, compounds 1 and 2 exhibit the first two polyoxovanadates containing As₈V₁₅O₄₂‐(H₂O)]^6? cluster decorated by only one transition metal complex. Crystal data: 1 , monoclinic, P2₁/n, a = 14.9037(4) Å, b = 18.1243(5) Å, c = 27.6103(7) Å, β = 105.376(6)°, Z = 4; 2 monoclinic, P2₁/n, a = 14.9786(7) Å, b = 33.0534(16) Å, c = 14.9811(5) Å, Z = 4.