Synthesis,Structure, Reactivity and Catalytic Implications of a Cationic,Acetylide-Bridged Trigold–JohnPhos Species

The cationic complex [(JohnPhos–Au)₃(acetylide)][SbF₆] (JohnPhos=(2-biphenyl)di-tert-butylphosphine, L1) has been characterised structurally and features an acetylide–trigold(I)–JohnPhos system; the trinuclear–acetylide unit, coordinated to the monodentate bulk phosphines, adopts an unprecedented μ,η¹,η²,η¹ coordination mode with an additional interaction between distal phenyl rings and gold centres. Other cationic σ,π-[(gold(I)L1)₂] complexes have also been isolated. The reaction of trimethylsilylacetylene with various alcohols (iPrOH, nBuOH, n-HexOH) catalysed by cationic [Au^IL1][SbF₆] complexes in CH₂Cl₂ at 50 °C led to the formation of acetaldehyde acetals with a high degree of chemo- and regioselectivity. The reaction mechanism was studied, and several organic and inorganic intermediates have been characterised. A comparative study with the analogous cationic [Cu^IL1][PF₆] complex revealed different behaviour; the copper metal is lost from the coordination sphere leading to the formation of cationic vinylphosphonium and copper nanoparticles. Additionally, a new catalytic approach for the formation of this high-value cationic vinylphosphonium has been established.     

A Germylene Supported by Two 2-Pyrrolylphosphane Groups as Precursor to PGeP Pincer Square-Planar Group 10 Metal(II) and T-Shaped Gold(I) Complexes

An efficient synthesis of 2-di-tert-butylphosphanylmethylpyrrole (HpyrmPtBu₂), by treating 2-dimethylaminomethylpyrrole (HpyrmNMe₂) with tBu₂PH at 135 °C in the absence of any solvent, has allowed the preparation of the new PGeP germylene Ge(pyrmPtBu₂)₂ ( 1 ), by treating [GeCl₂(dioxane)] with LipyrmPtBu₂, in which the Ge atom is stabilized by intramolecular interactions with one (solid state) or both (solution) of its phosphane groups. Reactions of germylene 1 with Group 10 metal dichlorido complexes containing easily displaceable ligands have led to [MCl{κ³P,Ge,P-GeCl(pyrmPtBu₂)₂}] [M=Ni ( 2 ), Pd ( 3 ), Pt ( 4 )], which have an unflawed square-planar metal environment. Treatment of germylene 1 with [AuCl(tht)] (tht=tetrahydrothiophene) rendered [Au{κ³P,Ge,P-GeCl(pyrmPtBu₂)₂}] ( 5 ), which is a rare case of a T-shaped gold(I) complex. The hydrolysis of 5 gave the linear gold(I) derivative [Au(κP-HpyrmPtBu₂)₂]Cl ( 6 ). Complexes 2 – 5 contain a PGeP pincer chloridogermyl ligand that arises from the insertion of the Ge atom of germylene 1 into a M−Cl bond of the corresponding metal reagent. The bonding in these molecules has been studied by DFT/NBO/QTAIM calculations. These results demonstrate that the great flexibility of germylene 1 makes it a better precursor to PGeP pincer complexes than the previously known germylenes of this type.     

Two Types of σ-Allenyl Complexes from Reactions of Silylenes and Germylenes with Chromium Fischer Alkynyl(alkoxy)carbenes

The reactivity of amidinatotetrylenes of the type E(tBu₂bzm)R¹ (E=Si, Ge; tBu₂bzm=N,N′-bis(tertbutyl)benzamidinate; R¹=alkyl or aryl) with the chromium Fischer alkynylcarbene complexes [Cr{C(OEt)C₂R²}(CO)₅] (R²=Ph; ferrocenyl, Fc) has been studied. At room temperature, two different reaction pathways have been identified: (a) attack of the amidinatotetrylene to the alkynyl C² atom (γ-attack), which leads to σ-allenyl complexes in which the original C_carbene atom maintains its attachment to the Cr(CO)₅ and OEt groups (compounds 3 ), and (b) attack of the amidinatotetrylene to the C_carbene atom (α-attack), which ends in σ-allenyl complexes in which the original C_carbene atom is not attached to the metal atom and has been inserted into an E−N bond of the amidinatotetrylene forming an E-C-N-C-N five-membered ring (compounds 4 ). It has been found that compounds 3 are thermodynamically less stable than their corresponding 4 isomers and that some of the former (E=Ge; R¹=CH₂SiMe₃) can be transformed into the latter upon heating. At high temperatures (>70 °C) the reactions involving bulky amidinatotetrylenes (R¹=Mes, tBu) end in the carbene-substitution products [Cr{E(tBu₂bzm)R¹}(CO)₅].     

Highly Selective Zeolite Topologies for Flue Gas Separation

The separation of carbon dioxide from flue gas is essential for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In adsorptive methods, the challenge lies in the choice of suitable porous materials. Among all zeolite topologies, a number of adsorbents with pore dimensions in the range of the guest molecules were identified to allow an excellent separation by diffusion, and MRE and AFO zeolite topologies appear to be the best candidates based on equilibrium adsorption. Also, it was found that the behavior of this gas mixture in DFT and APD zeolites differed from the normal behavior.     

Analytical potential of a laser ablation–glow discharge–optical emission spectrometry system for the analysis of conducting and insulating materials

The analytical capabilities of a glow discharge (GD) as a secondary source for excitation/ionization of the material provided by laser ablation (LA) have been compared to conventional laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). In LA–GD both sources can be independently adjusted to optimize the sampling process and then its subsequent excitation. This could involve a number of analytical performance advantages, such as reduced matrix dependence, greater precision and sensitivity than those encountered in LIBS. For such purpose, an ablation chamber design including two electrodes to generate the GD discharge has been built and assayed. A comparison between LIBS and LA–GD–OES has been carried out, both, under reduced argon and helium atmospheres. Different sets of samples (conducting reference materials, glass and fluorine pellets) have been used to evaluate the novel coupled technique. The LA–GD coupled system has shown to provide lower detection limits. In addition, best linear correlations between intensities and concentrations and lower matrix effects have also been found using the coupled system. Moreover, special advantages of the LA–GD–OES have also been demonstrated for the analysis of fluorine.     

Gap formulas for closed linear relations

A classical formula for the gap between two densely defined closed operators in a Hilbert space is extended to the case of linear relations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dihydrogen Catalysis of the Reversible Formation and Cleavage of CH and NH Bonds of Aminopyridinate Ligands Bound to (η5‐C5Me5)IrIII

This study focuses on a series of cationic complexes of iridium that contain aminopyridinate (Ap) ligands bound to an (η⁵‐C₅Me₅)Ir^III fragment. The new complexes have the chemical composition [Ir(Ap)(η⁵‐C₅Me₅)]⁺, exist in the form of two isomers ( 1⁺ and 2⁺ ) and were isolated as salts of the BAr_F^? anion (BAr_F=B[3,5‐(CF₃)₂C₆H₃]₄). Four Ap ligands that differ in the nature of their bulky aryl substituents at the amido nitrogen atom and pyridinic ring were employed. In the presence of H₂, the electrophilicity of the Ir^III centre of these complexes allows for a reversible prototropic rearrangement that changes the nature and coordination mode of the aminopyridinate ligand between the well‐known κ²‐N,N′‐bidentate binding in 1⁺ and the unprecedented κ‐N,η³‐pseudo‐allyl‐coordination mode in isomers 2⁺ through activation of a benzylic C?H bond and formal proton transfer to the amido nitrogen atom. Experimental and computational studies evidence that the overall rearrangement, which entails reversible formation and cleavage of H?H, C?H and N?H bonds, is catalysed by dihydrogen under homogeneous conditions.     

Experimental and Computational Studies of the Molybdenum‐Flanking Arene Interaction in Quadruply Bonded Dimolybdenum Complexes with Terphenyl Ligands

To clarify the nature of the Mo?C_arene interaction in terphenyl complexes with quadruple Mo?Mo bonds, ether adducts of composition [Mo₂(Ar′)(I)(O₂CR)₂(OEt₂)] have been prepared and characterized (Ar′=Ar^Xyl₂, R=Me; Ar′=ArMes₂, R=Me; Ar′=Ar^Xyl2, R=CF₃) (Mes=mesityl; Xyl=2,6‐Me₂C₆H₃, from now on xylyl) and their reactivity toward different neutral Lewis bases investigated. PMe₃, P(OMe)₃ and PiPr₃ were chosen as P‐donors and the reactivity studies complemented with the use of the C‐donors CNXyl and CN₂C₂Me₄ (1,3,4,5‐tetramethylimidazol‐2‐ylidene). New compounds of general formula [Mo₂(Ar′)(I)(O₂CR)₂( L )] were obtained, except for the imidazol‐2‐ylidene ligand that yielded a salt‐like compound of composition [Mo₂(Ar^Xyl2)(O₂CMe)₂(CN₂C₂Me₄)₂]I. The Mo?C_arene interaction in these complexes has been analyzed with the aid of X‐ray data and computational studies. This interaction compensates the coordinative and electronic unsaturation of one of the Mo atoms in the above complexes, but it seems to be weak in terms of sharing of electron density between the Mo and C_arene atoms and appears to have no appreciable effect in the length of the Mo?Mo, Mo?X, and Mo? L bonds present in these molecules.