Assessment of the electronic properties of P ligands stemming from secondary phosphine oxides

We report the study of the net donating ability of monodentate and bidentate P ligands stemming from secondary phosphine oxides (SPOs). We experimentally measured and/or calculated the frequencies of CO stretching modes of various metal carbonyl complexes. The inferred electronic properties of the ligands span an unprecedented range, going from π-accepting phosphite-like compounds, to extremely electron-donating ligands outclassing N-heterocyclic carbenes.     

Anionic N-heterocyclic carbenes with N,N'-bis(fluoroaryl) and N,N'-bis(perfluoroaryl) substituents

A series of rhodium complexes, [Rh(cod)(NHC-F(x))(OH(2))] (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene; NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene), incorporating anionic N-heterocyclic carbenes with 2-tert-butylmalonyl backbones and 2,6-dimethylphenyl (x = 0), 2,6-difluorophenyl (x = 4), 2,4,6-trifluorophenyl (x = 6), and pentafluorophenyl (x = 10) N,N'-substituents, respectively, has been prepared by deprotonation of the corresponding zwitterionic precursors with potassium hexamethyldisilazide, followed by immediate reaction of the resulting potassium salts with [{RhCl(cod)}(2)]. These complexes could be converted to the related carbonyl derivatives [Rh(CO)(2)(NHC-F(x))(OH(2))] by displacement of the COD ligand with CO. IR and NMR spectroscopy demonstrated that the degree of fluorination of the N-aryl substituents has a considerable influence on the σ-donating and π-accepting properties of the carbene ligands and could be effectively used to tune the electronic properties of the metal center. The carbonyl groups on the carbene ligand backbone provided a particularly sensitive probe for the assessment of the metal-to-ligand π donation. The ortho-fluorine substituents on the N-aryl groups in the carbene ligands interacted with the other ligands on rhodium, determining the conformation of the complexes and creating a pocket suitable for the coordination of water to the metal center. Computational studies were used to explain the influence of the fluorinated N-substituents on the electronic properties of the ligand and evaluate the relative contribution of the σ- and π-interactions to the ligand-metal interaction.     

杂双核(H)Rh-Cr配合物中乙烯插入RhI—H键反应的密度泛函研究

采用密度泛函理论B3LYP方法研究了配体和配位数对乙烯插入杂双核(CO)₄Cr(m-PH₂)₂RhH(L_n) (L＝CO或PH₃, n＝1或2)配合物中Rh—H键反应的影响. 计算结果表明, 六配位乙烯复合物中乙烯与铑之间轨道相互作用主要为乙烯到铑中心的s供体相互作用; 而五配位乙烯复合物中乙烯与铑中心间相互作用涉及乙烯到铑中心的s供体相互作用和铑到乙烯的p反馈作用. PH₃配体在热力学上不利于该反应. 处于氢配体对位的膦配体能加速乙烯插入反应. 乙烯插入的五配位反应途径占优势. Cr(CO)₄部分的引入降低了乙烯插入反应的活化能.     

Catalysis by rhodium complexes bearing pyridine ligands: Mechanistic aspects

The present review describes several examples of the use of soluble and immobilized complexes of rhodium with pyridine ligands as catalysts. Examples include the water-gas shift reaction, the carbonylation of methanol, the reduction of nitroarenes, the hydrocarboxylation and oligomerization of CO/ethylene, the hydrocarbonylation of 1-hexene, the hydroesterification and hydroformylation–acetalization of 1-hexene, the hydrodechlorination of dichloroethane, the carbonylation of naphtha and the hydrogenation and hydroformylation of alkenes.     

杂双核Rh(I)-Cr配合物催化乙炔氢甲酰化反应机理的密度泛函研究

用密度泛函B3LYP方法对杂双核(CO)4Cr(μ-PH2)2RhH(CO)(PH3)配合物催化乙炔氢甲酰化反应机理进行了详细研究. 对结合和解离机理所涉及中间体和过渡态的结构进行详细分析, 在此基础上阐明了金属铬的协同性. 计算结果表明解离机理占主导地位. 乙炔氢甲酰化反应的决速步骤为炔烃插入步骤, 在298.15 K和101.325 kPa下的活化自由能为73.72 kJ/mol. 乙炔插入和醛还原消除步骤均在热力学上不可逆. Cr(CO)4部分的引入并没有改变乙炔氢甲酰化反应机理. Rh与Cr间的d轨道相互作用在反应过程起重要作用.     

Valence-to-core X-ray emission spectroscopy: a sensitive probe of the nature of a bound ligand

The sensitivity of iron Kβ X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) to the nature of the bound ligands (σ-donating, π-donating, and π-accepting) has been explored. A combination of experiment and theory has been employed, with a DFT approach being utilized to elucidate ligand effects on the spectra and to assign the spectral intensity mechanisms. Knowledge of the various contributions to the spectra allows for a deeper understanding of spectral features and demonstrates the sensitivity of this method to the identity of the interacting ligands. The potential of XES for identifying intermediate species in nonheme iron enzymes is highlighted.     

CO2 insertion into metal-carbon bonds: a computational study of Rh(I) pincer complexes

Catalytic carboxylation reactions that use CO(2) as a C1 building block are still among the 'dream reactions' of molecular catalysis. To obtain a deeper insight into the factors that control the fundamental steps of potential catalytic cycles, we performed a detailed computational study of the insertion reaction of CO(2) into rhodium-alkyl bonds. The minima and transition-state geometries for 38 pincer-type complexes were characterized and the according energies for the C-C bond-forming step were determined. The electronic properties of the Rh-alkyl bond were found to be more important for the magnitude of the activation barrier than the interaction between rhodium and CO(2). The charge of the alkyl-chain carbon atom, as well as agostic and orbital interactions with the rhodium, exhibit the most pronounced influence on the energy of the transition states for the CO(2) insertion reaction. By varying the backbone and the donor groups of the pincer ligand those properties can be tuned over a very broad range. Thus, it is possible to match the electronic and steric properties with the fundamental requirements of the CO(2) insertion into rhodium-alkyl bonds of the ligand framework.     

An Imidazolylidene-Based Mesoionic Carbene–Mn(I) Complex and Its Catalytic Potential in N-Heteroarene Hydrogenation

Herein we report the first mesoionic carbene (MIC)-Mn(I) complex Mn-bim-MIC^imz derived from imidazolylidene motif. Structurally the octahedral Mn(I) complex Mn-bim-MIC^imz was assembled with an anionic benzimidazolato-anchored imidazolylidene MIC-based bidentate ligand ( bim-MIC^imz ) and four CO ligands, as supported by detailed characterization using NMR and FTIR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and single crystal X-ray diffraction study. We reckoned that the bim-MIC^imz ligand would provide a robust and stable bonding with the Mn(I) centre, and also enhance electron density at the Mn(I) centre through its stronger σ-donating/weaker π-accepting property. These structural and electronic attributes triggered to exploit Mn-bim-MIC^imz in catalytic hydrogenation of N-heteroarenes, where efficient hydride (Mn−H) delivery is a key step.     

Elektronenstruktur von Rh4(CO)12, ein Modell für linear und brückenförmig gebundenes CO an Rhodiumkatalysatoren

Electronic Structure of Rh₄(CO)₁₂, a Model for Linear- and Bridge-bonded CO on Rhodium Catalysts The electronic structure of the Rh₄(CO)₁₂ cluster containing both linear- and bridgebonded CO groups has been studied by the EHMO method and compared with that of the Ir₄(CO)₁₂ cluster with only linear-bonded CO ligands. The charge distribution shows a distinctly higher π-back donation for the bridge-bonded CO groups. This result is compared with experimental data such as bond lengths, force constants of the C? O stretching frequencies and XPS data. It allows further an interpretation of results of CO hydrogenation on supported rhodium catalysts and on rhodium model complexes.     

螯合型羰基铑配合物催化甲醇羰基化反应的机理研究

报道了螯合型正方平面羰基铑配合物催化甲醇羰基化反应的机理研究. 通过含有两种与铑具有不同配位能力的授体的配体, 与四羰基二氯二铑形成螯合型正方平面阳离子配合物. 研究证明, 该类配合物在催化甲醇羰基化反应过程中, 其活性物种区别于文献报道的[Rh(CO)2I2]－阴离子. 配合物中铑与吡啶环上共轭N形成的N→Rh配键, 在羰基化反应过程中并非通常认为的断裂而是形成新的活性物种, 即配体与铑作为整体参与了CH3I的氧化加成及CH3COI的生成过程. 通过对相应的聚合物配体铑催化剂的研究, 进一步证实了这个反应机理. 这一结果, 对该类催化剂分子设计, 以及克服其工业使用中的催化剂沉淀失活等现象均有重要意义.     

Rhodium complex with ethylene ligands supported on highly dehydroxylated MgO: synthesis, characterization, and reactivity

Mononuclear rhodium complexes with reactive olefin ligands, supported on MgO powder, were synthesized by chemisorption of Rh(C(2)H(4))(2)(C(5)H(7)O(2)) and characterized by infrared (IR), (13)C MAS NMR, and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopies. IR spectra show that the precursor adsorbed on MgO with dissociation of acetylacetonate ligand from rhodium, with the ethylene ligands remaining bound to the rhodium, as confirmed by the NMR spectra. EXAFS spectra give no evidence of Rh-Rh contributions, indicating that site-isolated mononuclear rhodium species formed on the support. The EXAFS data also show that the mononuclear complex was bonded to the support by two Rh-O bonds, at a distance of 2.18 A, which is typical of group 8 metals bonded to oxide supports. This is the first simple and nearly uniform supported mononuclear rhodium-olefin complex, and it appears to be a close analogue of molecular catalysts for olefin hydrogenation in solution. Correspondingly, the ethylene ligands bonded to rhodium in the supported complex were observed to react with H(2) to form ethane, and the supported complex was catalytically active for the ethylene hydrogenation at 298 K. The ethylene ligands also underwent facile exchange with C(2)D(4), and exposure of the sample to carbon monoxide led to the formation of rhodium gem dicarbonyls.     

Investigating the Mechanism of Palladium‐Catalyzed Radical Oxidative C(sp3)−H Carbonylation: A DFT Study

Palladium (Pd)‐catalyzed radical oxidative C?H carbonylation of alkanes is a useful method for functionalizing hydrocarbons, but there is still a lack of understanding of the mechanism, which restricts the application of this reaction. In this work, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out to study the mechanism for a Pd‐catalyzed radical esterification reaction. Two plausible reaction pathways have been proposed and validated by DFT calculations. The computational results reveal that the generated alkyl radical prefers to add to the carbon monoxide (CO) molecule to form a carbonyl radical before bonding with the Pd species. Radical addition onto Pd followed by CO migratory insertion was unfavorable owing to the high energy barrier of the migratory insertion step. The regioselectivity of the C(sp³)?H carbonylation was also investigated by DFT. The results show that the regioselectivity is controlled by both the bond dissociation energy of the reacting C?H bond and the stability of the corresponding generated carbon radical. Competitive side reactions also affected the yield and regioselectivity owing to the rapid consumption of the stable radical intermediate.     

Tuning the π-Accepting Properties of Mesoionic Carbenes: A Combined Computational and Experimental Study

Mesoionic imidazolylidenes are recognized as excellent electron-donating ligands in organometallic and main group chemistry. However, these carbene ligands typically show poor π-accepting properties. A computational analysis of 71 mesoionic imidazolylidenes that bear different aryl or heteroaryl substituents in C2 position was performed. The study has revealed that a diphenyltriazinyl (Dpt) substituent renders the corresponding carbene particularly π-acidic. The computational results could be corroborated experimentally. A mesoionic imidazolylidene with a Dpt substituent was found to be a better σ-donor and a better π-acceptor compared to an Arduengo-type N-heterocyclic carbene. To demonstrate the utility of the new carbene, the ligand was used to stabilize a low-valent paramagnetic tin compound.     

Towards a rational design of ruthenium CO2 hydrogenation catalysts by Ab initio metadynamics

Complete reaction pathways relevant to CO2 hydrogenation by using a homogeneous ruthenium dihydride catalyst ([Ru(dmpe)2H2], dmpe=Me2PCH2CH2PMe2) have been investigated by ab initio metadynamics. This approach has allowed reaction intermediates to be identified and free-energy profiles to be calculated, which provide new insights into the experimentally observed reaction pathway. Our simulations indicate that CO2 insertion, which leads to the formation of formate complexes, proceeds by a concerted insertion mechanism. It is a rapid and direct process with a relatively low activation barrier, which is in agreement with experimental observations. Subsequent H2 insertion into the formate--Ru complex, which leads to the formation of formic acid, instead occurs via an intermediate [Ru(eta2-H2)] complex in which the molecular hydrogen coordinates to the ruthenium center and interacts weakly with the formate group. This step has been identified as the rate-limiting step. The reaction completes by hydrogen transfer from the [Ru(eta2-H2)] complex to the formate oxygen atom, which forms a dihydrogen-bonded Ru--HHO(CHO) complex. The activation energy for the H2 insertion step is lower for the trans isomer than for the cis isomer. A simple measure of the catalytic activity was proposed based on the structure of the transition state of the identified rate-limiting step. From this measure, the relationship between catalysts with different ligands and their experimental catalytic activities can be explained.     

碱金属阳离子对Cu+Y催化甲醇氧化羰基化性能影响的密度泛函理论研究

基于密度泛函理论方法构建并优化了CuMY(M为碱金属阳离子)分子筛的稳定构型, 采用速控步骤CO插入CH₃O形成CH₃OCO反应, 研究了碱金属阳离子对Cu⁺Y分子筛中活性中心周围电子环境及催化甲醇氧化羰基化合成碳酸二甲酯性能的影响. 计算结果表明, Li⁺, Na⁺和K⁺稳定落位于Y分子筛小笼中, 且随着金属离子半径的增大, CH₃OH, CO, CH₃O在CuMY上的吸附能和CO/CH₃O的共吸附能均逐渐增加, CO插入CH₃O反应的过渡态结构稳定性逐渐降低, 活化能逐渐上升, 相应的反应活性逐渐下降. 而落位在超笼中Ⅱ^*位的Rb⁺与Cs⁺则随着离子半径的增大, 反应过渡态的结构稳定性提高, 克服的活化能降低, 反应活性升高. 不同CuMY分子筛上催化活性顺序为CuLiY-Ⅰ'>CuCsY-Ⅱ^*>CuNaY-Ⅰ'>CuRbY-Ⅱ^*>CuKY-Ⅰ'>CuCuY-Ⅰ', 其中CuLiY-Ⅰ'分子筛克服速控反应的活化能垒(52.74 kJ/mol)最低.     

Development and Molecular Understanding of a Pd-Catalyzed Cyanation of Aryl Boronic Acids Enabled by High-Throughput Experimentation and Data Analysis

A synthetic method for the palladium-catalyzed cyanation of aryl boronic acids using bench stable and non-toxic N-cyanosuccinimide has been developed. High-throughput experimentation facilitated the screen of 90 different ligands and the resultant statistical data analysis identified that ligand σ-donation, π-acidity and sterics are key drivers that govern yield. Categorization into three ligand groups – monophosphines, bisphosphines and miscellaneous – was performed before the analysis. For the monophosphines, the yield of the reaction increases for strong σ-donating, weak π-accepting ligands, with flexible pendant substituents. For the bisphosphines, the yield predominantly correlates with ligand lability. The applicability of the designed reaction to a wider substrate scope was investigated, showing good functional group tolerance in particular with boronic acids bearing electron-withdrawing substituents. This work outlines the development of a novel reaction, coupled with a fast and efficient workflow to gain understanding of the optimal ligand properties for the design of improved palladium cross-coupling catalysts.     

Computational insight into the Rh-mediated activation of white phosphorus

Density functional calculations on the reaction of white phosphorus with the ligand bis(diphenylphosphino)methyl (dppm) at a rhodium center are presented. The cationic transition metal fragment can react as a nucleophilic as well as an electrophilic species, driven by a simple twisting of the four-membered rings. As a consequence of the conformational controlled philicity, the insertion reaction into white phosphorus occurs with a small energy barrier. The white phosphorus tetrahedron can be chelated by two cationic transition metal fragments into an opened bicyclobutane moiety, strongly stabilized by π-stacking interactions of the phenyl groups at the two transition metal fragments. It causes a 2:1 coordination; in the first stage of the reaction two molecules of the fragment add to one molecule of white phosphorus. The resulting dicationic complex easily undergoes dissociation into a cationic monoaddition product plus one cationic transition metal fragment. The ring expansion reaction of one ligand is explained by a j-step mechanism in one intermediary product. One ligand of the transition metal fragment dissociates and facilitates, by a cascade of low-energy processes, the rearrangement of the P(4)-moiety. Under bipyramid formation a PP-bond is broken, and the free ligand finally attaches to one phosphorus atom. Overall the reaction can be divided in low-energy processes, which pass through different unstable intermediates and more high-energy processes, requiring ligand dissociation.     

The effect of the axial ligand on distinct reaction tunneling for methane hydroxylation by nonheme iron(iv)-oxo complexes

Comprehensive density functional theory computations on substrate hydroxylation by a range of nonheme iron(iv)-oxo model systems [Fe(IV)(O)(NH(3))(4)L](+) (where L = CF(3)CO(2)(-), F(-), Cl(-), N(3)(-), NCS(-), NC(-), OH(-)) have been investigated to establish the effects of axial ligands with different degrees of electron donor ability on the reactivity of the distinct reaction channels. The results show that the electron-pushing capability of the axial ligand can exert a considerable influence on the different reaction channels. The σ-pathway reactivity decreases as the electron-donating ability of the axial ligand strengthens, while the π-pathway reactivity follows an opposite trend. Moreover, the apparently antielectrophilic trend observed for the energy gap between the triplet π- and quintet σ-channel (ΔG(T-Q)) stems from the fact that the reaction reactivity can be fine-controlled by the interplay between the exchange-stabilization benefiting from the (5)TS(H) relative to the (3)TS(H) by most nonheme enzymes and the destabilization effect of the orbital by the anionic axial ligand. When the former counteracts the latter, the quintet σ-pathway will be more effective than the other alternatives. Nevertheless, when the dramatic destabilization effect of the orbital by a strong binding axial σ-donor ligand like OH(-) counteracts but does not override the exchange-stabilization, the barrier in the quintet σ-pathway will remain identical to the triplet π-pathway barrier. Indeed, the axial ligand does not change the intrinsic reaction mechanism in its respective pathway; however, it can affect the energy barriers of different reaction channels for C-H activation. As such, the tuning of the reactivity of the different reaction channels can be realised by increasing/decreasing the electron pushing ability.     

Surface‐Mediated Synthesis of Dimeric Rhodium Catalysts on MgO: Tracking Changes in the Nuclearity and Ligand Environment of the Catalytically Active Sites by X‐ray Absorption and Infrared Spectroscopies

The preparation of dinuclear rhodium clusters and their use as catalysts is challenging because these clusters are unstable, evolving readily into species with higher nuclearities. We now present a novel synthetic route to generate rhodium dimers on the surface of MgO by a stoichiometrically simple surface‐mediated reaction involving [Rh(C₂H₄)₂] species and H₂. X‐ray absorption and IR spectra were used to characterize the changes in the nuclearity of the essentially molecular surface species as they formed, including the ligands on the rhodium and the metal‐support interactions. The support plays a key role in stabilizing the dinuclear rhodium species, allowing the incorporation of small ligands (ethyl, hydride, and/or CO) and enabling a characterization of the catalytic performance of the supported species for the hydrogenation of ethylene as a function of the metal nuclearity and ligand environment. A change in the nuclearity from one to two Rh atoms leads to a 58‐fold increase in the catalytic activity for ethylene hydrogenation, a reaction involving unsaturated, but stable, dimeric rhodium species.     

Reactivity of Rhodium(I) Complexes Bearing Nitrogen-Containing Ligands toward CH(3)I: Synthesis and Full Characterization of Neutral cis-[RhX(CO)(2)(L)] and Acetyl [RhI(μ-I)(COMe)(CO)(L)](2) Complexes

The neutral rhodium(I) square-planar complexes [RhX(CO)(2)(L)] [X = Cl (3), I (4)] bearing a nitrogen-containing ligand L [diethylamine (a), triethylamine (b), imidazole (c), 1-methylimidazole (d), pyrazole (e), 1-methylpyrazole (f), 3,5-dimethylpyrazole (g)] are straightforwardly obtained from L and [Rh(μ-X)(CO)(2)](2) [X = Cl (1), I (2)] precursors. The synthesis is extended to the diethylsulfide ligand h for 3h and 4h. According to the CO stretching frequency of 3 and 4, the ranking of the electronic density on the rhodium center follows the order b > a ≈ d > c > g > f ≈ h > e. The X-ray molecular structures of 3a, 3d-3f, 4a, and 4d-4f were determined. Results from variable-temperature (1)H and (13)C{(1)H} NMR experiments suggest a fluxional associative ligand exchange for 4c-4h and a supplementary hydrogen-exchange process in 4e and 4g. The oxidative addition reaction of CH(3)I to complexes 4c-4g affords the neutral dimeric iodo-bridged acetylrhodium(III) complexes [RhI(μ-I)(COCH(3))(CO)(L)](2) (6c-6g) in very good isolated yields, whereas 4a gives a mixture of neutral 6a and dianionic [RhI(2)(μ-I)(COCH(3))(CO)][NHMeEt(2)](2) and 4h exclusively provides the analogue dianionic complex with [SMeEt(2)](+) as the counterion. X-ray molecular structures for 6d(2) and 6e reveal that the two apical CO ligands are in mutual cis positions, as are the two apical d and e ligands, whereas isomer 6d(1) is centrosymmetric. Further reactions of 6d and 6e with CO or ligand e gave quantitatively the monomeric complexes [RhI(2)(COCH(3))(CO)(2)(d)] (7d) and [RhI(2)(COCH(3))(CO)(e)(2)] (8e), respectively, as confirmed by their X-ray structures. The initial rate of CH(3)I oxidative addition to 4 as determined by IR monitoring is dependent on the nature of the nitrogen-containing ligand. For 4a and 4h, reaction rates similar to those of the well-known rhodium anionic [RhI(2)(CO)(2)](-) species are observed and are consistent with the formation of this intermediate species through methylation of the a and h ligands. The reaction rates are reduced significantly when using imidazole and pyrazole ligands and involve the direct oxidative addition of CH(3)I to the neutral complexes 4c-4g. Complexes 4c and 4d react around 5-10 times faster than 4e-4g mainly because of electronic effects. The lowest reactivity of 4f toward CH(3)I is attributed to the steric effect of the coordinated ligand, as supported by the X-ray structure.