Mechanochemical Formation,Solution Rearrangements,and Catalytic Behavior of a Polymorphic Ca/K Allyl Complex

Without solvents present, the often far-from-equilibrium environment in a mechanochemically driven synthesis can generate high-energy, non-stoichiometric products not observed from the same ratio of reagents used in solution. Ball milling 2 equiv. K[A’] (A’=[1,3-(SiMe₃)₂C₃H₃]⁻) with CaI₂ yields a non-stoichiometric calciate, K[CaA’₃], which initially forms a structure ( 1 ) likely containing a mixture of pi- and sigma-bound allyl ligands. Dissolved in arenes, the compound rearranges over the course of several days to a structure ( 2 ) with only η³-bound allyl ligands, and that can be crystallized as a coordination polymer. If dissolved in alkanes, however, the rearrangement of 1 to 2 occurs within minutes. The structures of 1 and 2 have been modeled with DFT calculations, and 2 initiates the anionic polymerization of methyl methacrylate and isoprene; for the latter, under the mildest conditions yet reported for a heavy Group 2 species (one-atm pressure and room temperature).     

Disappearing Polymorphs in Metal–Organic Framework Chemistry: Unexpected Stabilization of a Layered Polymorph over an Interpenetrated Three-Dimensional Structure in Mercury Imidazolate

The “disappearing polymorph” phenomenon is well established in organic solids, and has had a profound effect in pharmaceutical materials science. The first example of this effect in metal-containing systems in general, and in coordination-network solids in particular, is here reported. Specifically, attempts to mechanochemically synthesize a known interpenetrated diamondoid (dia) mercury(II) imidazolate metal–organic framework (MOF) yielded a novel, more stable polymorph based on square-grid (sql) layers. Simultaneously, the dia-form was found to be highly elusive, observed only as a short-lived intermediate in monitoring solvent-free synthesis and not at all from solution. The destabilization of a dense dia-framework relative to a lower dimensionality one is in contrast to the behavior of other imidazolate MOFs, with periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations showing that it arises from weak interactions, including structure-stabilizing agostic C−H⋅⋅⋅Hg contacts. While providing a new link between MOFs and crystal engineering of organic solids, these findings highlight a possible role for agostic interactions in directing topology and stability of MOF polymorphs.     

An η3‐Bound Allyl Ligand on Magnesium in a Mechanochemically Generated Mg/K Allyl Complex

Milling two equivalents of K[1,3‐(SiMe₃)₂C₃H₃] (=K[A′]) with MgX₂ (X=Cl, Br) produces the allyl complex [K₂MgA′₄] ( 1 ). Crystals grown from toluene are of the solvated species [((η⁶‐tol)K)₂MgA′₄] ([ 1 ?2(tol)]), a trimetallic monomer with both bridging and terminal (η¹) allyl ligands. When recrystallized from hexanes, the unsolvated 1 forms a 2D coordination polymer, in which the Mg is surrounded by three allyl ligands. The C?C bond lengths differ by only 0.028 Å, indicating virtually complete electron delocalization. This is an unprecedented coordination mode for an allyl ligand bound to Mg. DFT calculations indicate that in isolation, an η³‐allyl configuration on Mg is energetically preferred over the η¹‐ (σ‐bonded) arrangement, but the Mg must be in a low coordination environment for it to be experimentally realized. Methyl methacrylate is effectively polymerized by 1 , with activities that are comparable to K[A′] and greater than the homometallic magnesium complex [{MgA′₂}₂].     

The first noncoordinated phosphonium diylide, [Me2P(C13H8)2]-, and its ylidic and cationic counterparts: synthesis, structural characterization, and interaction with the heavy group 2 metals

Treatment of potassium or lithium fluorenide with MePCl2 generates the organophosphine MeP(C13H9)2, which on reaction with methyl iodide produces the phosphonium species [Me2P(C13H9)2]I in 74% yield. In the solid state, H...I contacts of < 3.3 A help generate a layered structure in which the fluorenyl rings are nearly parallel. On subsequent reaction of [Me2P(C13H9)2]I with either KH or K[N(SiMe3)2], the corresponding neutral phosphoylide, Me2P(C13H9)(C13H8), forms in 67% yield and was structurally characterized. The phosphonium iodide [Me2P(C13H9)2]I was allowed to react with Ae[N(SiMe3)2]2 (Ae = Ca, Ba), and the product from the reaction with the calcium complex was structurally identified as the salt [CaI(thf)5][Me2P(C13H8)2]. The anion, which is outside the coordination sphere of the calcium, represents the first structurally authenticated example of a free phosphonium diylide. The P-C(ylidic) bond length of 1.748(4) A reflects some partial multiple bond character. 1H and 31P NMR spectra suggest that the barium analogue is similar. Density functional theory calculations were performed on representative phosphonium diylides as an aid to interpreting the bonding in this class of compounds. Despite the strong electrostatic attraction that usually drives metal-ligand binding in highly ionic systems, calcium and barium prefer to coordinate to a single iodide ion and several neutral oxygen donors rather than to the charged diylide.     

Corner ion,edge-center ion,and face-center ion Madelung expressions for sodium chloride

Building on work of Tyagi (Progr Theor Phys 114(3):517–521, 2005), we present expressions for calculating the corner ion, edge-center ion, and face-center ion Madelung constants for bulk sodium chloride crystals.     

2,4-Pentanediolate as an alkoxide/diketonate "hybrid" ligand and the formation of aluminum and zirconium derivatives

When 2,4-pentanediol (2,4-H(2)pd) is deprotonated, the resulting dianion (2,4-pd) serves as a type of "hybrid" ligand, i.e., an alkoxide that possesses structural features of a β-diketonate. 2,4-Pentanediol reacts with Al(O-s-Bu)(3) and Zr(O-i-Pr)(4) to form chelated multinuclear complexes. The aluminum-containing product is first isolated as the insoluble [Al(2,4-pd)(2,4-Hpd)](n); on sublimation, a hydrocarbon-soluble mixture of polymetallic species is generated. Mass spectral evidence suggests that both Al(4)(2,4-pd)(6) and Al(5)(2,4-pd)(7)(2,4-Hpd) are present. The zirconium complex is isolated as an adduct, [Zr(2,4-pd)(2)](2)·(2,4-H(2)pd). The pentanediolates decompose on heating to form Al(2)O(3) and ZrO(2). Unlike the mononuclear Al(acac)(3) and Zr(acac)(4) derivatives (acac = acetylacetonate), the formation of aggregates with the 2,4-pd ligand suggests that the latter has more coordinative flexibility. The geometries of several model aluminum complexes with oxygen donor ligands were studied with density functional theory methods. The optimized structures were used with the gauge, including atomic orbital (GIAO) method to calculate their (27)Al NMR magnetic shielding values for comparison with experiment.     

Reductive isomierization of icosahedral metallocarbaboranes

When reduced over a sodium amalgam, a variety of icosahedral metal-locarbaboranes are found to isomerize under mild experimental conditions. Complexes containing second-row transition metals (Ru and Rh) rearrange rapidly at room temperature, but even cobaltacarbaboranes will isomerize in refluxing 1,2-dimethoxyethane (85°C) or diethylene glycol dimethyl ether (162°C). The direction of rearrangement is that found in straight thermally-induced isomerizations.     

Spin-state alteration from sterically enforced ligand rotation in bis(indenyl)chromium(II) complexes

The rotational orientation of cyclopentadienyl rings usually has no effect on d-orbital energy levels and splitting in transition metal complexes. With related but less symmetrical carbocyclic ligands, however, the magnetic properties of the associated complexes can be altered by the alignment of the ligands. Examples of this effect are found in substituted organochromium(II) bis(indenyl) complexes. The monosubstituted compounds (1-RC(9)H(6))(2)Cr (R = t-Bu, SiMe(3)) are prepared from the substituted lithium indenides and CrCl(2) in THF; they are high-spin species with four unpaired electrons. Their spin state likely reflects that in the unknown monomeric (C(9)H(7))(2)Cr, which is calculated to have a high-spin (S = 2) ground state in the staggered configuration (180 degrees rotation angle). However, the analogous bis(indenyl) complexes containing t-Bu or SiMe(3) groups in both the 1 and 3 positions on the indenyl ligands ((1,3-R(2)C(9)H(5))(2)Cr) are low-spin compounds with two unpaired electrons. X-ray diffraction results indicate that [1-(t-Bu)C(9)H(6)](2)Cr exists in a staggered conformation, with Cr-C (av) = 2.32(4) A. In contrast, the average Cr-C distances in [1,3-(t-Bu or SiMe(3))(2)C(9)H(5)](2)Cr are 2.22(2) and 2.20(2) A, respectively, and the rings are in a gauche configuration, with rotation angles of 87 degrees. The indenyl conformations are sterically imposed by the bulk of the t-Bu and SiMe(3) substituents. The change from a staggered to a gauche indenyl orientation lowers the symmetry of a (C(9)H(7))(2)M complex and allows greater mixing of metal and ligand orbitals. Calculations indicate that previously nonbonding pi orbitals of the indenyl anion are able to interact with the chromium d orbitals, producing bonding and antibonding combinations. The latter remain unpopulated, and the resulting increase in the HOMO-LUMO gap forces the complexes to adopt a low-spin configuration. The possibility of using sterically imposed ligand rotation as a means of spin-state manipulation makes indenyl compounds a potentially rich source of magnetically adjustable molecules.     

Bis(1,2,3-trimethylindenyl)iron(III) 2,3-dicyanonaphtho-1,4-quinonide, a non-metallocene, charge-transfer salt metamagnet with complementary donor-acceptor geometries

Bis(1,2,3-trimethylindenyl)iron(III) can be paired with 2,3-dicyanonaphtho-1,4-quinone to give an air-stable pi-stacked metamagnet with T(c) = 4.1 K, the first example of a non-metallocene CT salt magnet in this class. A single crystal X-ray structure of the Fe(1,2,3-Me(3)C(9)H(4))(2)[DCNQ] salt indicates that it consists of stacks of alternating donors and acceptors, in which the DCNQ ring systems are aligned with indenyl groups above and below, and the long axes of the DCNQ and the indenyl ligand are parallel to each other. This arrangement suggests that the magnetic properties arise from favorable interactions due to geometric similarities between the donor and acceptor, and not from a unique property of the donor itself.