σ‐Noninnocence: Masked Phenyl‐Cation Transfer at Formal NiIV

Reductive elimination is an elementary organometallic reaction step involving a formal oxidation state change of ?2 at a transition‐metal center. For a series of formal high‐valent Ni^IV complexes, aryl–CF₃ bond‐forming reductive elimination was reported to occur readily (Bour et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015 , 137, 8034–8037). We report a computational analysis of this reaction and find that, unexpectedly, the formal Ni^IV centers are better described as approaching a +II oxidation state, originating from highly covalent metal–ligand bonds, a phenomenon attributable to σ‐noninnocence. A direct consequence is that the elimination of aryl–CF₃ products occurs in an essentially redox‐neutral fashion, as opposed to a reductive elimination. This is supported by an electron flow analysis which shows that an anionic CF₃ group is transferred to an electrophilic aryl group. The uncovered role of σ‐noninnocence in metal–ligand bonding, and of an essentially redox‐neutral elimination as an elementary organometallic reaction step, may constitute concepts of broad relevance to organometallic chemistry.     

M−C Bond Homolysis in Coinage‐Metal [M(CF3)4]− Derivatives

A comparative study of the homoleptic [M(CF₃)₄]^? complexes of all three coinage metals (M=Cu, Ag, Au) reveals that homolytic M?C bond cleavage is favoured in every case upon excitation in the gas phase (CID‐MS²). Homolysis also occurs in solution by photochemical excitation. Transfer of the photogenerated CF₃^. radicals to both aryl and alkyl carbon atoms was also confirmed. The observed behaviour was rationalized by considering the electronic structure of the involved species, which all show ligand‐field inversion. Moreover, the homolytic pathway constitutes experimental evidence for the marked covalent character of the M?C bond. The relative stability of these M?C bonds was evaluated by energy‐resolved mass spectrometry (ERMS) and follows the order Cu<Ag?Au. The qualitatively similar and rather uniform behaviour experimentally observed for all three coinage metals gives no ground to suggest variation in the metal oxidation state along the group.     

Reaktionen von Pentafulven‐Komplexen des Titans mit Nitrilen und iso‐Nitrilen — Synthese und Isomerisierungen von σ, π‐Chelatkomplexen mit Cp∼N‐Liganden

Reactions of Pentafulvene Complexes of Titanium with Nitriles and iso‐Nitriles — Synthesis and Isomerizations of σ, π‐Chelat Complexes with Cp∼N‐Ligands The reactions of fulvene complexes Cp*Ti{η⁶—C₅H₄=C(R)(R')}Cl (R = H, R' = tBu ( 1 ); R = Me, R' = iPr ( 4 )) with nitriles and iso‐nitriles, leading to σ, π‐chelat complexes with Cp∼N‐ligands, have been examined and the formed products characterized. Whereas in the reactions of 1 and 4 , respectively, with nitriles a 1, 2‐mono‐insertion of the CN‐group in the Ti—C(R)(R') (Fv) bond is observed, the reaction with iso‐nitrils leads to the insertion of two molecules iso‐nitrile. The nitrile insertion product of 1 is characterized by an imine‐enamine tautomerization. Whereas the primary built meta stable imine species ( 3 ) was only identified by NMR measurements in solution, the enamine tautomer ( 2 ) crystallized from n‐hexane, so that the crystal structure could be determined. The primary formed iminoacyl complex ( 7 ) rearranges due to the electrophilicity of the titanium centre and builds a Ti—N bond with significant N(pπ) → Ti(dπ) bonding character.