Ligand displacement and oxidation reactions of methyl(oxo)rhenium(V) complexes

Compounds that contain the anion [MeReO(edt)(SPh)](-) (3-) were synthesized with the countercations 2-picolinium (PicH+3-) and 2,6-lutidinium (LutH+3-), where edt is 1,2-ethanedithiolate. Both PicH+3- and MeReO(edt)(tetramethylthiourea) (4) were crystallographically characterized. The rhenium atom in each of these compounds exists in a five-coordinate distorted square pyramid. In the solid state, PicH+3- contains an anion with a short (d(SH) = 232 pm) and nearly linear hydrogen-bonded (N-H.S) interaction to the cation. Ligand substitution reactions were studied in chloroform. Displacement of PhSH by PPh(3) follows second-order kinetics, d[MeReO(edt)(PPh(3))]/dt = k[PicH+3-][PPh3], whereas with pyridines an unusual form was found, d[MeReO(edt)(Py)]/dt = k[PyH+3-][Py](2), in which the conversion of PicH+3- to PyH+3- has been incorporated. Further, added Py accelerates the formation of [MeReO(edt)(PPh3)], v = k.[PicH+3-].[PPh3].[Py]. Compound 4, on the other hand, reacts with both PPh(3) and pyridines, L, at a rate given by d[MeReO(edt)(L)]/dt = k.[4].[L]. When PicH+3- reacts with pyridine N-oxides, a three-stage reaction was observed, consistent with ligand replacement of SPh(-) by PyO, N-O bond cleavage of the PyO assisted by another PyO, and eventual decomposition of MeRe(O)(edt)(OPy) to MeReO(3). Each of first two steps showed a large substituent effect; Hammett analysis gave rho(1) = -5.3 and rho(2) = -4.3.