Metal‐Mediated Production of Isocyanates,R3ENCO from Dinitrogen,Carbon Dioxide,and R3ECl

A highly efficient and versatile chemical cycle has been developed for the production of isocyanates through the molecular fixation of N₂, CO₂ and R₃ECl (E=C, Si, and Ge). Key steps include a ‘one‐pot’ photolytic N N bond cleavage of a Group 6 dinuclear dinitrogen complex with in situ trapping by R₃ECl to provide a metal terminal imido complex that can engage in simultaneous nitrene‐group transfer and oxygen‐atom transfer to generate an intermediate metal terminal oxo complex with release of the isocyanate product. Reaction of the oxo complex with additional equivalents of R₃ECl regenerates a metal dichloride that is the precursor for dinuclear dinitrogen starting material.     

Reductive Nitric Oxide Coupling at a Dinickel Core: Isolation of a Key cis‐Hyponitrite Intermediate en route to N2O Formation

Reductive coupling of nitric oxide (NO) to give N₂O is an important reaction in the global nitrogen cycle. Here, a dinickel(II) dihydride complex 1 that releases H₂ upon substrate binding and serves as a masked dinickel(I) scaffold is shown to reductively couple two molecules of NO within the bimetallic cleft. The resulting hyponitrite complex 2 features an unprecedented cis‐[N₂O₂]^2? binding mode that has been computationally proposed as a key intermediate in flavodiiron nitric oxide reductases (FNORs). NMR and DFT evidence indicate facile rotational fluxionality of the [N₂O₂]^2? unit, which allows to access an isomer that is prone to N₂O release. Protonation of 2 is now found to trigger rapid N₂O evolution and formation of a hydroxido bridged complex, reminiscent of FNOR reactivity. This work provides fundamental insight into the biologically relevant reductive coupling of two NO molecules and the subsequent trajectory towards N₂O formation at bimetallic sites.     

Dimetallapoly‐yn‐diylidynes: LnM≡C−(C≡C)x−C≡MLn (x=0–4)

Synthetic routes to dimetallated C_x carbon wires in which two metals are separated by a linear carbon chain involving terminal metal–carbon triple bonds are described for the complexes [(Tp*)(CO)₂W≡C?(C≡C)_n?C≡W(CO)₂(Tp*)] (Tp*=hydrotris(dimethylpyrazolyl)borate) where n=1, 3 or 4, joining the previously known examples with n=0, 1 and 2 to complete the series as models for linear carbyne C_∞.     

Trapping and Reactivity of a Molecular Aluminium Oxide Ion

Aluminium oxides constitute an important class of inorganic compound that are widely exploited in the chemical industry as catalysts and catalyst supports. Due to the tendency for such systems to aggregate via Al‐O‐Al bridges, the synthesis of well‐defined, soluble, molecular models for these materials is challenging. Here we show that reactions of the potassium aluminyl complex K₂[( NON )Al]₂ ( NON =4,5‐bis(2,6‐diiso‐propylanilido)‐2,7‐di‐tert‐butyl‐9,9‐dimethylxanthene) with CO₂, PhNCO and N₂O all proceed via a common aluminium oxide intermediate. This highly reactive species can be trapped by coordination of a THF molecule as the anionic oxide complex [( NON )AlO(THF)]^?, which features discrete Al?O bonds and dimerizes in the solid state via weak O???K interactions. This species reacts with a range of small molecules including N₂O (to give a hyponitrite ([N₂O₂]^2?) complex) and H₂, the latter offering an unequivocal example of heterolytic E?H bond cleavage across a main group M?O bond.     

Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Theoretical Studies of PCSe−, AsCS−, AsCSe−, and NCSe−: Insights into the Electronic Structures of the Whole Family of ECX− Anions (E=N,P, As; X=O,S, Se)

The newly synthesized phosphorus‐ and arsenic‐containing analogues of the thio‐ and seleno‐cyanate anions, PCSe^?, AsCS^?, and AsCSe^?, as well as the known ion NCSe^? were investigated in the gas phase by negative‐ion photoelectron spectroscopy (NIPES), velocity‐map imaging (VMI) spectroscopy, and quantum‐chemical computations. The electron affinities (EA), spin–orbit (SO) splittings, and “symmetric”/“asymmetric” stretching frequencies of the neutral radicals ECX^. (E=N, P, As; X=S, Se), generated by electron detachment from the corresponding anions, were obtained from the spectra. The calculated EAs, SO splittings, and vibrational frequencies are in excellent agreement with the experimental measurements. These newly obtained values, when combined with those previously determined for the lighter analogues, show interesting trends on descending the pnictogen and chalcogen series. These trends are rationalized based on electronegativity arguments, the electron distributions in the HOMOs, and NBO/NRT analyses.     

Accessing Ambiphilic Phosphine Boronates through C−H Borylation by an Unforeseen Cationic Iridium Complex

Ambiphilic molecules, which contain a Lewis base and Lewis acid, are of great interest based on their unique ability to activate small molecules. Phosphine boronates are one class of these substrates that have interesting catalytic activity. Direct access to these phosphine boronates is described through the iridium‐catalyzed C?H borylation of phosphines. An unconventional cationic iridium catalyst was identified as optimal for a range of phosphines, providing good yields and selectivity across a diverse class of phosphine boronates (isolated as the borane‐protected phosphine). A complimentary catalyst system (quinoline‐based silane ligand with [(COD)IrOMe]₂) was optimal for biphenyl‐based phosphines. Selective polyborylation was also shown providing bis‐ and tris‐borylated phosphines. Deprotection of the phosphine boronate provided free ambiphilic phosphine boronates, which do not have detectable interactions between the phosphorus and boron atoms in solution or the solid state.     

Erweiterung und Revision des von‐Baeyer‐Systems zur Benennung polycyclischer Verbindungen (einschließlich bicyclischer Verbindungen)

Die Übersetzung basiert auf der „Extension and Revision of the von Baeyer System for Naming Polycyclic Compounds (Including Bicyclic Compounds)“ der Commission on Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry (III.1) der Organic Chemistry Division der International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, veröffentlicht in Pure Appl. Chem. 1999 , 71, 513–529. Sie ist auch im Internet unter der Adresse http://www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/iupac/vonBaeyer/ zugänglich. Das Original wurde von G. P. Moss (Queen Mary University, London) für die Veröffentlichung vorbereitet.     

B(C6F5)3‐Catalyzed Ring Opening and Isomerization of Unactivated Cyclopropanes

Catalytic amounts of B(C₆F₅)₃ promote the ring opening and subsequent isomerization of a series of unactivated cyclopropanes to afford terminal olefins in good yields when a hydrosilane and 2,6‐dibromopyridine are employed as additives.