Reactivity of TCNE or TCNQ derivatives of quinonoid zwitterions: platinum-induced HCN elimination vs oxidative-addition

The reaction of the functional, zwitterionic quinonoid molecule (6E)-4-(butylamino)-6-(butyliminio)-3-oxo-2-(1,1,2,2-tetracyanoethyl)cyclohexa-1,4-dien-1-olate, C(6)H-2-{C(CN)(2)C(CN)(2)H}]-4,6-(···NH n-Bu)(2)-1,3(···O)(2) (2), which has been previously prepared by regioselective insertion of TCNE into the C-H bond adjacent to the C···O bonds of the zwitterionic benzoquinone monoimine (6E)-4-(butylamino)-6-(butyliminio)-3-oxocyclohexa-1,4-dien-1-olate, C(6)H(2)-4,6-(···NHn-Bu)(2)-1,3-(···O)(2) (1), with 2 equiv of Pt(C(2)H(4))(PPh(3))(2)], afforded the Pt(0) complex Pt(PPh(3))(2)(4)] (6) (4 = 2-HCN; (6E)-4-(butylamino)-6-(butyliminio)-3-oxo-2-(1,2,2-tricyanoethenyl)cyclohexa-1,4-dien-1-olate), in which a tricyanoethenyl moiety is π-bonded to the metal. A metal-induced HCN elimination reaction has thus taken place. The same complex was obtained directly by the reaction of 1 equiv of the Pt(0) complex Pt(C(2)H(4))(PPh(3))(2)] with the olefinic ligand C(6)H-2-{C(CN)═C(CN)(2)}]-4,6-(···NHn-Bu)(2)-1,3-(···O)(2)) (4), previously obtained by the reaction of 2 with NEt(3) in THF. A similar reactivity pattern was observed between 2 and 2 equiv of the Pd(0) precursor Pd(dba)(2)] in the presence of dppe, which led to Pd(dppe)(4)] (7), which was also directly obtained from 4 and 1 equiv Pd(dba)(2)]/dppe. In contrast to the behavior of the TCNE derivative 2, the reaction of the TCNQ derivative (6E)-4-(butylamino)-6-(butyliminio)-2-(dicyano(4-(dicyanomethyl)phenyl)methyl)-3-oxocyclohexa-1,4-dien-1-olate, C(6)H-2-{C(CN)(2)p-C(6)H(4)C(CN)(2)H}]-4,6-(···NHn-Bu)(2)-1,3-(···O)(2)) (3), with 2 equiv of Pt(C(2)H(4))(PPh(3))(2)] led to formal oxidative-addition of the C-H bond of the C(CN)(2)H moiety to give the Pt(II) hydride complex trans-PtH(PPh(3))(2){N═C═C(CN)p-C(6)H(4)C(CN)(2)-2-C(6)H-4,6-(···NHn-Bu)(2)-1,3-(···O)(2))}] (8). The molecular structures of 3, 4, 6·0.5(H(2)O), and 8·3(CH(2)Cl(2)) have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.