An original route to poly[silylene-co-(2,4-disilapentane-2,4-diyl)] oligomers,efficient precursors of silicon carbide-based ceramics with variable C/Si ratios

Novel oligomers possessing a backbone formed of ((TRIPLE BOND)Si(SINGLE BOND)CH₂(SINGLE BOND)Si(TRIPLE BOND)) and (SINGLE BOND)Si(SINGLE BOND)_n units were prepared by the copolycondensation of bis(chlorosilyl)methanes and various dichlorosilanes in the presence of sodium, in refluxing toluene. The effect of the respective molar ratios of comonomers on the yields and the structure of the copolymers was investigated. The role of substituents on silicon atoms in the ability of these materials to provide convenient ceramic precursors upon pyrolysis was examined. When (TRIPLE BOND)Si(SINGLE BOND)H bonds were present, thermal cross-linking was readily performed and ceramics possessing variable C/Si ratios were prepared.     

π-Bonding contribution to restricted internal rotations in saccharides

Extensive semiempirical SCF-MO calculations confirm that the exo-anomeric effect in methyl O-, N- and S-glycosides deals with an interaction of π-character along the C₁(SINGLE BOND)Y₁ bond in a X₅(SINGLE BOND)C₁(SINGLE BOND)Y₁(SINGLE BOND)Me moiety (where X = O, S; Y = O, NH, S). The bond-order between orbitals of pπ symmetry on C₁ and Y₁ serves as a measure of all significant molecular orbital interactions responsible for the exo-anomeric stabilization. The set of simpler compounds X(SINGLE BOND)CH₂(SINGLE BOND)Y (X = OH, SH, SeH, TeH; Y = OH, SH, SeH, TeH, NH₂) on which the anomeric effect has been well studied was also calculated and it is noticeable that the π-bond-orders accord with the results of other analyses of the ab initio wave function accounting for the anomeric effect. Although the AM1 and the PM3 parameterizations of MNDO do not accurately reproduce the anomeric effect energetic, they do reproduce accordingly the expected variations in the molecular conformations of complex carbohydrates, and thus it follows that there are maximal π-bond-orders for the synclinal arrangement around the C₁(SINGLE BOND)Y₁ bond. In addition, the π-bond-orders show the same behavior for conformational preferences around the C₁(SINGLE BOND)C′₁ and the C₅(SINGLE BOND)C₆ bonds in methyl C-glycosides and in the hydroxymethyl group of α-D -glucose, respectively. © 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Ab initio studies of three-membered ring formation through intramolecular nucleophilic substitution

Three-membered ring (3MR) forming processes of ⁻X(SINGLE BOND)CH₂(SINGLE BOND)CH₂(SINGLE BOND)F and ⁻CH₂(SINGLE BOND)C((SINGLE BOND)Y)(SINGLE BOND)CH₂(SINGLE BOND)F (X(DOUBLE BOND)CH₂, O, or S and Y(DOUBLE BOND)0 or S) through a gas phase neighboring group mechanism (S_Ni) are studied theoretically using the ab initio molecular orbital method with the 6–31+G* basis set. When electron correlation effects are considered, the activation (ΔG^≠) and reaction energies (ΔG⁰) are lowered by ca. 10 kcal mol⁻¹, indicating the importance of the electron correlation effect in these reactions. The contribution of entropy of activation (−TΔS^≠) at 298 K to ΔG^≠ is very small, and the reactions are enthalpy controlled. The ΔG^≠ and ΔG⁰ values for these ring closure processes largely depend on the stabilities of the reactants and the heteroatom acting as a nucleophilic center. The Bell–Evans–Polanyi principle applies well to all these reaction series. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 18 : 1773–1784, 1997     

The hydroxyl radical reaction rate constant and products of ethyl 3-ethoxypropionate

The relative rate technique has been used to measure the hydroxyl radical (OH) reaction rate constant of ethyl 3-ethoxypropionate (EEP, CH₃CH₂(SINGLE BOND)O(SINGLE BOND)CH₂CH₂C(O)O(SINGLE BOND)CH₂CH₃). EEP reacts with OH with a bimolecular rate constant of (22.9±7.4)×10⁻¹² cm³ molecule⁻¹s⁻¹ at 297±3 K and 1 atmosphere total pressure. In order to more clearly define EEP's atmospheric reaction mechanism, an investigation into the OH+EEP reaction products was also conducted. The OH+EEP reaction products and yields observed were: ethyl glyoxate (EG, 25±1% HC((DOUBLE BOND)O)C((DOUBLE BOND)O)(SINGLE BOND)O(SINGLE BOND)CH₂CH₃), ethyl (2-formyl) acetate (EFA, 4.86±0.2%, HC((DOUBLE BOND)O)(SINGLE BOND)CH₂(SINGLE BOND)C((DOUBLE BOND)O)(SINGLE BOND)O(SINGLE BOND)CH₂CH₃), ethyl (3-formyloxy) propionate (EFP, 30±1%, HC((DOUBLE BOND)O)(SINGLE BOND)O(SINGLE BOND)CH₂CH₂(SINGLE BOND)C((DOUBLE BOND)O)(SINGLE BOND)O(SINGLE BOND)CH₂CH₃), ethyl formate (EF, 37±1%, HC((DOUBLE BOND)O)O(SINGLE BOND)CH₂CH₃), and acetaldehyde (4.9±0.2%, HC((DOUBLE BOND)O)CH₃). Neither the EEP's OH rate constant nor the OH/EEP reaction products have been previously reported. The products' formation pathways are discussed in light of current understanding of oxygenated hydrocarbon atmospheric chemistry. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Internal conrotation and disrotation in H2BCH2BH2 and diborylmethane 1,3 H exchange

The paths of correlated internal disrotation (barrier less than 0.4 kcal/mol) and conrotation (barrier around 1.9 kcal/mol) of the two BH₂ groups in H₂BCH₂BH₂ have been computed employing ab initio [MP2(full)/6–31G**] and density functional theory (Becke3LYP/6–311+G**) methods. Two B(SINGLE BOND)C(DOTTED BOND)B(p) hyperconjugative interactions stabilize the C_s symmetric H₂BCH₂BH₂ isomer ( 1 ). The B(SINGLE BOND)C(DOTTED BOND)B(p) hyperconjugative stabilization, evaluated by homodesmotic reactions and using the orbital deletion procedure (which “deactivates” the “vacant” born p orbital), is less than 6 kcal/mol in diborylmethane. The B(SINGLE BOND)C(DOTTED BOND)B(p) stabilization is shown to be remarkably large in C₄B₆H₁₀ (Td). At MP2(fu)/6–31G**, disproportionation into 1 and methane is only 5.6 kcal/mol exothermic. The 1,3 H exchange in diborylmethane is an asynchronous process and proceeds via a doubly bridged cyclic intermediate with 9.3 kcal/mol barrier. Structures with “planar tetracoordinate” carbon are stabilized considerably by BH₂ substituents, but they are still high in energy. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 18 : 1792–1803, 1997     

Solvent effect in the polymerization of e-caprolactone initiated with diethylaluminum ethoxide

Kinetics of ϵ-caprolactone (ϵCL) polymerization initiated with diethylaluminum ethoxide in benzene (C₆H₆) and acetonitrile (CH₃CN) as solvents was studied and compared with the previously studied polymerization conducted in tetrahydrofuran (THF) solvent. Kinetic data were analyzed in terms of the kinetic scheme: “propagation with aggregation,” assuming that actually propagating active species (P_n*) aggregate reversibly into the unreactive (dormant) species . The determined equilibrium constants of deaggregation (K_da) decrease with decreasing solvent polarity, namely K_da (in mol²·L⁻²) = (1.3 ± 0.7)·10⁻² (CH₃CN), (1.8 ± 0.5)·10⁻⁵ (THF), (4.1 ± 0.7)·10⁻⁶(C₆H₆), whereas for the rate constants of propagation the opposite is true, k_p (in mol⁻¹·L·s⁻¹) = (7.5 ± 0.3)·10⁻³ (CH₃CN), (3.87 ± 0.01)·10⁻² (THF), (8.6 ± 0.9)·10⁻² (C₆H₆) (25°C). The latter effect is explained by a specific solvation (the stronger the higher solvent polarity) of the active species already in the ground state in the elementary reaction of the poly(ϵCL) chain growth: C₂H₅[OC(O)(CH₂)₅]_nO(SINGLE BOND)Al(C₂H₅)₂ + ϵCL → C₂H₅[OC(O)(CH₂)₅]_n+1O(SINGLE BOND)Al(C₂H₅)₂. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

G2 ab initio calculations on three-membered rings: Role of hydrogen atoms

G2 ab initio calculations on all ABX three-membered rings (TMRs) that can be derived from cyclopropane by systematic substitution of the (SINGLE BOND)CH₂ groups by (SINGLE BOND)NH or (SINGLE BOND)O groups have been performed. Our results show that the decrease in the A(SINGLE BOND)B bond length as the electronegativity of X increases is significantly larger than that found for the corresponding acyclic analogs. In general, a systematic substitution of the (SINGLE BOND)CH₂ groups of cyclopropane by (SINGLE BOND)NH or (SINGLE BOND)O groups implies significant geometric changes that are not reflected in a parallel change of the corresponding conventional ring strain energy (CRSE). When the electronegativity of the groups forming the TMR increases the effect on the CRSE of the system is small, although the charge delocalization inside the ring decreases. The near constancy of the CRSE along the series can be explained in terms of the charge redistribution of the system where the (SINGLE BOND)CH₂ groups play a crucial role. There are, however, significant changes in the hydrogenation energies of the TMR investigated; our results show that, when in an ABX three-membered ring, the electronegativity of X increases the hydrogenation energy of A(SINGLE BOND)B bond decreases and vice versa. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 19: 1072–1086, 1998     

C3(SINGLE BOND)Mα Bond contribution to polarizability tensor and 3J(C1Mα) NMR coupling constant in 1-X-3-M-bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes

In the present work, the relationship between the large substituent effects on ³J(C₁H) in 1-X-3-M-bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes, I , and the polarizability of the bridgehead C₃(SINGLE BOND)M_α bond is investigated. The existence of such a relationship is suggested by the finding that the effect of an electronegative substituent X on ³J(C₁M_α) couplings in I (M=H) is due to a distortion of the C₃(SINGLE BOND)H bond toward the C₁ center, which enhances the Fermi contact interaction. If such distortion originates in an electrostatic effect, then in other members of this series it can be expected that the substituent effects on ³J(C₁M_α) couplings should depend strongly on the C₃(SINGLE BOND)M_α bond polarizability. Two approaches are followed. First, the ab initio CLOPPA-IPPP method is applied to study the C₃(SINGLE BOND)M_α bond contribution to the molecular static polarizability tensor in I (M=H, F, CH₃). Such bond polarizabilities are found to follow the same trend as calculated as well as experimentally determined substituent effects on ³J(C₁M_α) couplings, which were measured as part of this work in I [X=H, Cl; M=F, CH₃ and X=OCH₃; M=Sn(CH₃)₃]. Second, ³J(C₁M_α) couplings (M=H, CH₃) are calculated at an ab initio level for X=H, F, and they are compared with those obtained in the parent compound (X=H) if the calculation is carried out in the presence of an inhomogeneous electric field. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 19: 181–188, 1998     

Density functional calculations on Jahn-Teller effect of tetrachloromethane cation

Density functional (DF) calculations of the tetrachloromethane cation and its most important competitive process, the formation of CCl⁺₃, were carried out to explain the possible stability of CCl⁺₄. From results obtained with B-LYP and B-P86 methods, it is possible to produce a slight Jahn-Teller (JT) effect for a C_s planar structure of the cation type CCl₂(SINGLE BOND)Cl(SINGLE BOND)Cl⁺ compatible with the experimental data obtained by electron-spin resonance spectroscopy. A complex of C_3v structure CCl⁺₃(SINGLE BOND)Cl which is similar to the previous one found in CF⁺₄ appears when symmetry-broken wave functions are used in HF-LYP and HF-P86 methods. Depending of the DF method employed, either one of the minima [C_s (planar) and C_3v] is the most stable and competes with the dissociation of the molecular ion to give CCl⁺₃. The JT stabilization energy is smaller when the JT active coordinates are considered. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthese und Charakterisierung donor-funktionalisierter ansa-Metallocene von Yttrium,Neodym, Samarium,Erbium und Lutetium

Organometallic Compounds of the Lanthanides. 133 Synthesis and Characterization of donor-functionalised ansa -Metallocenes of Yttrium, Neodymium, Samarium, Erbium, and Lutetium The reaction of Me₂SiCl₂ with K[C₅H₄^tBu], Li[C₅H₄SiMe₃] or K[C₅H₃^tBuMe-3] followed by treatment with K[C₅H₄CH₂CH₂NMe₂] yields mixed substituted dicyclopentadienyldimethylsilanes which after double deprotonation with KH afford the dipotassium salts K₂[Me₂Si(C₅H₃^tBu-3)(C₅H₃CH₂CH₂NMe₂-3)] ( 1 ), K₂[Me₂Si · (C₅H₃SiMe₃-3)(C₅H₃CH₂CH₂NMe₂-3)] ( 2 ), and K₂[Me₂Si · (C₅H₂^tBu-3-Me-5)(C₅H₃CH₂CH₂NMe₂-3)] ( 3 ), respectively. The reaction of 1 , 2 , or 3 with LnCl₃(THF)_x (Ln = Y, La, Nd, Sm, Er, Lu) leads to the complexes [Me₂Si(C₅H₃^tBu-3) · (C₅H₃CH₂CH₂NMe₂-3)]LnCl [Ln = Y ( 4 a ), Sm ( 4 c ), Lu ( 4 e )], [Me₂Si(C₅H₃SiMe₃-3)(C₅H₃CH₂CH₂NMe₂-3)]LnCl [Ln = Y ( 5 a ), Sm ( 5 c ), Lu ( 5 e )], and [Me₂Si(C₅H₂^tBu-3-Me-5)(C₅H₃CH₂CH₂NMe₂-3)]LnCl [Ln = Y ( 6 a ), Nd ( 6 b ), Sm ( 6 c ), Er ( 6 d ), Lu ( 6 e )], respectively. Alkylation of 4 a , 4 c , 5 a , and 6 b , 6 e with LiCH₃, LiCH₂SiMe₃, and LiCH(SiMe₃)₂ produces the alkylmetallocenes [Me₂Si(C₅H₃^tBu-3) · (C₅H₃CH₂CH₂NMe₂-3)]LnR [R = CH₃, Ln = Y ( 7 a ), Sm ( 7 c ); R = CH₂SiMe₃, Ln = Y ( 8 a )], [Me₂Si(C₅H₃SiMe₃-3) · (C₅H₃CH₂CH₂NMe₂-3)]YCH₃ ( 9 a ), and [Me₂Si(C₅H₂^tBu3-Me-5)(C₅H₃CH₂CH₂NMe₂-3)]LnR (R = CH₃, Ln = Lu ( 10 e ); R = CH₂SiMe₃, Ln = Lu ( 11 e ); R = CH(SiMe₃)₂, Ln = Nd ( 12 b ), Lu ( 12 e )], respectively. All new compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The molecular structure of 6 c and 6 e was determined by single crystal X-ray structure analysis.     

Molecular Cage Assembly by Sn−O−Sn Bridging of Di-, Tri- and Tetranuclear Organotin Tectons: Extending the Spacing in Double Ladder Structures

Hydrolysis reactions of di- and trinuclear organotin halides yielded large novel cage compounds containing Sn−O−Sn bridges. The molecular structures of two octanuclear tetraorganodistannoxanes showing double-ladder motifs, viz., [{Me₃SiCH₂(Cl)SnCH₂YCH₂Sn(OH)CH₂SiMe₃}₂(μ-O)₂]₂ [ 1 , Y=p-(Me)₂SiC₆H₄-C₆H₄Si(Me)₂] and [{Me₃SiCH₂(I)SnCH₂YCH₂Sn(OH)CH₂SiMe₃}₂(μ-O)₂]₂ ⋅ 0.48 I₂ [ 2⋅ 0.48 I₂, Y=p-(Me)₂SiC₆H₄-C₆H₄Si(Me)₂], and the hexanuclear cage-compound 1,3,6-C₆H₃(p-C₆H₄Si(Me)₂CH₂Sn(R)₂OSn(R)₂CH₂Si(Me)₂C₆H₄-p)₃C₆H₃-1,3,6 ( 3 , R=CH₂SiMe₃) are reported. Of these, the co-crystal 2⋅ 0.48 I₂ exhibits the largest spacing of 16.7 Å reported to date for distannoxane-based double ladders. DFT calculations for the hexanuclear cage and a related octanuclear congener accompany the experimental work.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(N-acyl or N-aroyl ethylenimines) containing various pendant functional groups. I. Copolymers with pendant olefin groups

Decenyl (D) and heptyl (H) oxazolines were copolymerized in o-dichlorobenzene solvent using methyl 4-nitrobenzenesulfonate as an initiator. A series of decenyl/heptyl oxazolines random copolymers (or DH copolymers) with a total degree of polymerization of 100 and narrow molecular weight distribution were obtained. These copolymers are considered as the poly(N-acylethylenimine)s with allyl pendant groups randomly attached to the far end of their polymethylene, (SINGLE BOND)(CH₂)₇(SINGLE BOND), side chains. The polymers were characterized by NMR, FT–IR. Both DSC and x-ray diffractometer demonstrated that the polymers are highly crystalline. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Estimates of the structure and dimerization energy of polyacetylene from ab initio calculations on finite polyenes

Ab initio calculations at the Hartree-Fock (HF) and the second-order Møller-Plesset (MP2) levels are performed for finite polyenes C_2nH_2n+2 to estimate the structure and dimerization energy (E_dim) of polyacetylene. The effect of electron correlation on the structure of finite polyenes is analyzed in detail. The MP3/6–31G* C(DOUBLE BOND)C and C(SINGLE BOND)C bond lengths in polyacetylene are estimated by a simple extrapolation method using empirical corrections for the MP2 deficiencies, yielding values [C(DOUBLE BOND)C(MP3) ∼ 1.36 Å and C(SINGLE BOND)C(MP3) ∼ 1.44 Å] that are in a good agreement with experiment (C(DOUBLE BOND)C (DOUBLE BOND) 1.36 Å and C(SINGLE BOND)C (DOUBLE BOND) 1.44–1.45 Å). Comparison is also made with other theoretical estimates of polyacetylene structure. E_dim is approximated by the energy difference between the equilibrium and hypothetical polyenic structures. It is estimated that E_dim is ∼ 1.4–1.5 kcal/mol (0.06–0.07 eV) per carbon-carbon bond at the HF level with 4–21G and 6–31G* basis sets and ∼ 0.3–0.5 kcal/mol (0.013–0.022 eV) at the MP2 level with the 6–31G* basis set. It is concluded that E_dim is very sensitive to the level of approximation employed so that a proper treatment of electron correlation is essential to obtain a reliable estimate of the dimerization energy. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Chain transfer by addition-fragmentation mechanism. VII. Radical polymerization of vinyl monomers in the presence of ethyl 2-[1-(trimethylsilylperoxy)ethyl]propenoate and related compounds

Ethyl 2-[1-(trimethylsilylperoxy)ethyl]propenoate 1 , ethyl 2-[1-(dimethylvinylsilylperoxy)-ethyl]propenoate 2 , ethyl 2-[1-(1-(2-ethoxycarbonyl-1-methyl-2-propenylperoxysilyl)-1-methylethylperoxy)ethyl]propenoate 3 , and 2-phenyl-2-trimethylsilylperoxypropane 4 were synthesized and added to the free radical polymerization of vinylic monomers. 1 and 2 were found to show no homopolymerizability but act as effective chain transfer reagents in radical polymerizations of methyl methacrylate (MMA), styrene (St), and n-butyl acrylate (BA). The estimated chain transfer constants (C_tr) are as follows: C_tr ( 1 ) = 0.15 for MMA, 0.90 for St, and 2.03 for BA at 60°C; C_tr ( 2 ) = 0.12 for MMA, 1.16 for St, and 1.9 for BA at 60°C. ¹H–NMR spectra of poly(St) formed in the presence of 1 is consistent with the view that the polymers bear an oxirane at one terminal and an trimethylsilyloxy fragment at the other end. Moreover, peroxysilane 4 showed very low transfer properties by direct homolytic substitution (SH₂). These findings indicate that the ethyl 2-[1-(substituted dimethylsilylperoxy)ethyl]-propenoates 1–3 undergo chain transfer reaction via a intramolecular homolytic substitution (SHi) following an addition process. Preparation of poly(styrene) up to high conversion in the presence of 3 yielded to the formation of the corresponding polymeric structures bearing hydrolysable C(SINGLE BOND)O(SINGLE BOND)Si(SINGLE BOND)O(SINGLE BOND)C bonds. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The application of the density matrix method for the investigation of the trans-effect of heteroatom in σ-electron systems

The dependence of the intramolecular charge transfer through the σ-electron systems of substituted hydrocarbons on the spatial arrangement of the X(SINGLE BOND)C_α and C_β(SINGLE BOND)C_γ bonds has been studied using the perturbation theory for the one-electron density matrix (DM). Analytical expressions for the populations of the orbitals pertinent to the cis- and trans-bonds with respect to the X(SINGLE BOND)C_α bond have been obtained and analyzed. The Hamiltonian matrix elements determining the predominant direction of the above-defined charge transfer (cis or trans) have been revealed. The electron-accepting and electron-donating substituents (X) have been considered separately and the dependence of the resulting charge-transfer direction on the properties of substituent has been established. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis,isomerization, and polymerization of mixed phosphoranimines

A series of phosphites were prepared bearing various combinations of phenoxy, methoxy, and trifluoroethoxy substituents. (PhO)₃P, (CF₃CH₂O)(PhO)₂P, (CF₃CH₂O)₂(PhO)P, and (CH₃OCH₂CH₂O)(PhO)₂P were polymerized during the course of the Staudinger reaction with azidotrimethylsilane to form low molecular weight polyphosphazenes. Similar reactions with (CH₃O)(CF₃CH₂O)₂P, (CH₃O)(PhO)₂P, (CH₃O)₂(CF₃CH₂O)P, (CH₃O)₂(PhO)P, and (CH₃O)₃P produced the desired phosphoranimine as well as the corresponding phosphoramidate isomer. Studies were performed on these systems in order to understand the nature of this isomerization. (CH₃O)(PhO)₂P (DOUBLE BOND) N (SINGLE BOND) Si(CH₃)₃ and (CH₃O)₂(PhO)P (DOUBLE BOND) N (SINGLE BOND) Si(CH₃)₃ polymerize at temperatures above 150°C. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and Characterisation of 1‐[9‐(H,Me3Si,Me3Ge,Me3Sn)9‐Fluorenyl]‐3,7,10‐trimethylgermatranes. The Crystal Structure Analysis of 1‐(9‐Fluorenyl)‐3,7,10‐trimethylgermatrane

The title compounds, viz. C₁₃H₈(R)Ge · (OCHMeCH₂)₃N ( 1 : R = H, 2 : R = Me₃Si; 3 : R = Me₃Ge) were prepared as mixtures of diastereomers by the reaction of N(CH₂CHMeOSnAlk₃)₃ ( 7 : Alk = Et; 8 : Alk = Bu) with C₁₃H₈(R)GeBr₃ ( 4 : R = H, 5 : R = Me₃Si; 6 : R = Me₃Ge), respectively. The synthesis of C₁₃H₈(Me₃Sn)Ge · (OCHMeCH₂)₃N ( 13 ) by the reaction of germatrane ( 1 ) with Me₃SnNMe₂ is reported. Identity and structures were established by elemental analyses, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The crystal structure of 1 was determined by X‐ray diffraction methods.     

Aromaten(phosphan)metall-komplexe: X. Protonierungsreaktionen der dimethylruthenium(II)-verbindungen C6Me6Ru(CH3)2PR3 und eine metallzentrierte bildung von 2-styryldiphenylphosphan

The compounds C₆Me₆Ru(CH₃)₂PR₃ (I, II) react with HBF₄/OEt₂ in the presence of CO or C₂H₄ to give the arene(methyl)ruthenium(II) complexes [C₆Me₆RuCH₃(CO)PRh₃]BF₄ (IV) and [C₆Me₆RuCH₃(C₂H₄)PP₃]BF₄ (V, VI), respectively. The hydrido(2-styryldiphenylphosphane) complex [C₆Me₆RuH(PPh₂C₆H₄CHCH₂)]BF₄ (VII) is formed from V (R = Ph) at room temperature by elimination of CH₄ and formation of a new CC bond. The reaction of I (R = Ph) with 50% HBF₄/H₂O in propionic anhydride gives the compound [C₆Me₆Ru(OCOEt)PPh₃]BF₄ (III) in which the propionate anion is coordinated as a chelate ligand.     

A density functional study of Fe(SINGLE BOND)N2, Fe(SINGLE BOND)N+2, and Fe(SINGLE BOND)N−2

The interaction of an iron atom with molecular nitrogen was studied using density functional theory. Calculations were of the all-electron type and both conventional local and gradient-dependent models were used. A ground state of linear structure was found for Fe(SINGLE BOND)N₂, with 2S + 1 = 3, whereas the triangular Fe(SINGLE BOND)N₂ geometry, of C_2v symmetry, was located 2.1 kcal/mol higher in energy, at least for the gradient-dependent model. The reversed order was found using the conventional local approximation. In Fe(SINGLE BOND)N₂, the N(SINGLE BOND)N bond is strongly perturbed by the iron atom: It has a bond order of 2.4, a vibrational frequency of 1886 cm⁻¹, and an equilibrium bond length of 1.16 Å: These values are 3.0, 2359 cm⁻¹, and 1.095 Å, respectively, for the free N₂ molecule. With the gradient-dependent model and corrections for nonsphericity of the Fe atom, a very small binding energy, 8.8 kcal/mol, was calculated for Fe(SINGLE BOND)N₂. Quartet ground states were found for both Fe(SINGLE BOND)N⁺₂ and Fe(SINGLE BOND)N⁻₂. The adiabatic ionization potential, electron affinity, and electronegativity were also computed; the predicted values are 7.2, 1.22, and 4.2 eV, respectively. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Gold(I) and Silver(I) Complexes with Thioether Functionalized Silylamido Ligands

The thioether functionalized aminosilanes Me₂Si(NH‐C₆H₄‐2‐SR)₂ (R = Ph, Me) were lithiated with nBuLi and subsequently reacted with AgCl in the presence of PMe₃ or with [AuCl(PMe₃)]. In the case of Me₂Si(NH‐C₆H₄‐2‐SPh)₂ the dinuclear complexes [M₂{Me₂Si(NC₆H₄‐2‐SPh)₂}(PMe₃)₂] (M = Ag; Au) were isolated. The analogous reactions starting from Me₂Si(NH‐C₆H₄‐SMe)₂ afforded the dinuclear gold complex [Au₂{Me₂Si(NC₆H₄‐2‐SMe)₂}(PMe₃)₂] and the tetranuclear silver complex [Ag₄{Me₂Si(NC₆H₄‐2‐SMe)₂}₂(PMe₃)₂]. In the dinuclear compounds of the type [M₂{Me₂Si(NC₆H₄‐2‐SR)₂}(PMe₃)₂], each of the silylamide N atoms is connected to a M(PMe₃) group to give a nearly linear N–M–P arrangement with Ag–N and Au–N bonds in the range of 212.0(4)–213.3(4) pm and 205.3(3)–208.1(9) pm, respectively. [Ag₄{Me₂Si(NC₆H₄‐2‐SMe)₂}₂(PMe₃)₂] consists of a central Si₂N₄Ag₂ ring with linearly coordinated Ag atoms (Ag‐N: 223.1(4)–222.1(4) pm) and two peripheral Ag(PMe₃) units, which are connected to the amido N atoms in a chelating mode. The relatively short transannular Ag ··· Ag separation (277.6(1) pm) within the Si₂N₄Ag₂ ring hints for argentophilic interactions. The peripheral Ag atoms are three coordinated with Ag–N distances of 233.9(4)–242.8(4) pm.