C-H activation and C=C double bond formation reactions in iridium ortho-methyl arylphosphane complexes

The Vaska-type iridium(I) complex [IrCl(CO){PPh(2)(2-MeC(6)H(4))}(2)] (1), characterized by an X-ray diffraction study, was obtained from iridium(III) chloride hydrate and PPh(2)(2,6-MeRC(6)H(3)) with R=H in DMF, whereas for R=Me, activation of two ortho-methyl groups resulted in the biscyclometalated iridium(III) compound [IrCl(CO){PPh(2)(2,6-CH(2)MeC(6)H(3))}(2)] (2). Conversely, for R=Me the iridium(I) compound [IrCl(CO){PPh(2)(2,6-Me(2)C(6)H(3))}(2)] (3) can be obtained by treatment of [IrCl(COE)(2)](2) (COE=cyclooctene) with carbon monoxide and the phosphane in acetonitrile. Compound 3 in CH(2)Cl(2) undergoes intramolecular C-H oxidative addition, affording the cyclometalated hydride iridium(III) species [IrHCl(CO){PPh(2)(2,6-CH(2)MeC(6)H(3))}{PPh(2)(2,6-Me(2)C(6)H(3))}] (4). Treatment of 2 with Na[BAr(f) (4)] (Ar(f)=3,5-C(6)H(3)(CF(3))(2)) gives the fluxional cationic 16-electron complex [Ir(CO){PPh(2)(2,6-CH(2)MeC(6)H(3))}(2)][BAr(f) (4)] (5), which reversibly reacts with dihydrogen to afford the delta-agostic complex [IrH(CO){PPh(2)(2,6-CH(2)MeC(6)H(3))}{PPh(2)(2,6-Me(2)C(6)H(3))}][BAr(f)(4)] (6), through cleavage of an Ir-C bond. This species can also be formed by treatment of 4 with Na[BAr(f)(4)] or of 2 with Na[BAr(f)(4)] through C-H oxidative addition of one ortho-methyl group, via a transient 14-electron iridium(I) complex. Heating of the coordinatively unsaturated biscyclometalated species 5 in toluene gives the trans-dihydride iridium(III) complex [IrH(2)(CO){PPh(2)(2,6-MeC(6)H(3)CH=CHC(6)H(3)Me-2,6)PPh(2)}][BAr(f) (4)] (7), containing a trans-stilbene-type terdentate ligand, as result of a dehydrogenative carbon-carbon double bond coupling reaction, possibly through an iridium carbene species.     

Cover Picture: Palladium‐Catalyzed Carbon–Carbon Bond Formation and Cleavage of Organo(hydro)fullerenes (Chem. Eur. J. 19/2009)

An unexpected C? H bond dimerization reaction and C? C bond‐cleavage reaction in organo(hydro)fullerenes have been discovered. In their Communication on page 4760 ff. , K. Itami and M. Nambo describe the use of Pd catalysts for a number of interesting reactions of such fullerenes.

     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Carbon–Carbon Bond Formation and Cleavage of Organo(hydro)fullerenes

Palladium can tailor fullerenes : Palladium catalysts enable a number of C? H bond transformations of organo(hydro)fullerene. In addition to anticipated coupling reactions (C? H bond allylation and arylation), an unexpected new C? H bond dimerization reaction and C? C bond‐cleavage reaction were also uncovered.

     

Methylene transfer from SnMe groups mediated by a rhodium(I) pincer complex: Sn-C, C-C, and C-H bond activation

The PCP-Rh(I) complex 1a based on the [1,3-phenylenebis(methylene)]bis(diisopropylphosphine) ligand reacts with [diazo(phenyl)methyl]trimethylstannane (2) at room temperature to give novel pincer-type phenyl(dimethylstannyl)methylene]hydrazinato complex 3a. The reaction sequence involves a unique combination of Sn-C bond cleavage, C-C bond formation, C-H activation and intramolecular deprotonation of a rhodium hydride intermediate, which results in methylene transfer from an SnMe group to the pincer system and PCP-chelate expansion. A methylene-transfer reaction was also demonstrated with tetramethyltin as the methylene source in the presence of KOC(CH(3))(3) at room temperature. The resulting unstable "chelate-expanded" Rh(I) complex [(C(10)H(5)(CH(2)PiPr(2))(2))(CH(2))Rh(L)] (L=N(2), THF; 4a) was isolated as its carbonyl derivative 5a. Heating 4a in benzene yielded an equimolar amount of toluene and 1a, which demonstrates the ability of the Rh(I) pincer complex to extract a methylene group from an unactivated alkyl tin substrate and transfer it, via C-C followed by C-H activation, to an arene. Use of fluorobenzene resulted in formation of fluorotoluene. Catalytic methylene-group transfer mediated by 1a was not possible, because of formation of o-xylylene complex 8 under the reaction conditions. Steric parameters play a decisive role in the reactivity with tin compounds; while iPrP derivative 1 a underwent facile reactions, tBuP complex 1b was inert.     

Aerobic and Electrochemical Oxidative Cross‐Dehydrogenative‐Coupling (CDC) Reaction in an Imidazolium‐Based Ionic Liquid

The ionic liquid 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [BMIm][BF₄] has demonstrated high efficiency when applied as a solvent in the oxidative nitro‐Mannich carbon? carbon bond formation. The copper‐catalyzed cross‐dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) between N‐phenyltetrahydroisoquinoline and nitromethane in [BMIm][BF₄] occurred with high yield under the described reaction conditions. Both the ionic liquid and copper catalyst were recycled nine times with almost no lost of activity. The electrochemical behavior of the tertiary amine substrate and β‐nitroamine product was investigated employing [BMIm][BF₄] as electrolyte solvent. The potentiostatic electrolysis in ionic liquid afforded the desired product with a high yield. This result and the cyclic voltammetric investigation provide a better understanding of the reaction mechanism, which involves radical and iminium cation intermediates.     

Application of unsymmetrical indirect covariance NMR methods to the computation of the (13)C <--> (15)N HSQC-IMPEACH and (13)C <--> (15)N HMBC-IMPEACH correlation spectra

Utilization of long-range (1)H--(15)N heteronuclear chemical shift correlation has continually grown in importance since the first applications were reported in 1995. More recently, indirect covariance NMR methods have been introduced followed by the development of unsymmetrical indirect covariance processing methods. The latter technique has been shown to allow the calculation of hyphenated 2D NMR data matrices from more readily acquired nonhyphenated 2D NMR spectra. We recently reported the use of unsymmetrical indirect covariance processing to combine (1)H--(13)C GHSQC and (1)H--(15)N GHMBC long-range spectra to yield a (13)C--(15)N HSQC-HMBC chemical shift correlation spectrum that could not be acquired in a reasonable period of time without resorting to (15)N-labeled molecules. We now report the unsymmetrical indirect covariance processing of (1)H--(13)C GHMBC and (1)H--(15)N IMPEACH spectra to afford a (13)C--(15)N HMBC-IMPEACH spectrum that has the potential to span as many as six to eight bonds. Correlations for carbon resonances long-range coupled to a protonated carbon in the (1)H--(13)C HMBC spectrum are transferred via the long-range (1)H--(15)N coupling pathway in the (1)H--(15)N IMPEACH spectrum to afford a much broader range of correlation possibilities in the (13)C--(15)N HMBC-IMPEACH correlation spectrum. The indole alkaloid vincamine is used as a model compound to illustrate the application of the method.     

Stepwise Degradation of Trifluoromethyl Platinum(II) Compounds

The action of moisture on the homoleptic organoplatinum(II) compound [NBu₄]₂[Pt(CF₃)₄] ( 1 ) gives rise to the carbonyl derivative [NBu₄][Pt(CF₃)₃(CO)] ( 2 ), which is itself moisture stable. However, treatment of compound 2 with HCl(aq) results in the formation of [NBu₄][cis‐Pt(CF₃)₂Cl(CO)] ( 3 ), which undergoes degradation of an additional CF₃ group by further treatment with HCl(aq) in large excess, affording [NBu₄][cis‐Pt(CF₃)Cl₂(CO)] ( 4 ). The carbonyl derivatives 2 – 4 are fairly stable species, in which the CO ligand, however, can be readily extruded by reaction with trimethylamine N‐oxide (ONMe₃). Thus, compound 2 reacts with ONMe₃ in the presence of a number of neutral or anionic ligands affording a series of singly or doubly charged derivatives with the general formulae [NBu₄][Pt(CF₃)₃(L)] [L=CNtBu ( 5 ), PPh₃ ( 6 ), P(o‐tolyl)₃ ( 7 ), tht ( 8 ; tht=tetrahydrothiophene)] and [NBu₄]₂[Pt(CF₃)₃X] [X=Cl ( 9 ), Br ( 10 ), I ( 11 )], respectively. Compound 2 also reacts with ONMe₃ and pyridin‐2‐thiol (C₅H₅NS) giving rise to the five‐membered metallacyclic derivative [NBu₄][Pt(CF₃)₂(CF₂NC₅H₄S‐κC,κS)] ( 12 ), which can be viewed as a difluorocarbene species stabilized by intramolecular base coordination. On the other hand, treatment of compound 3 with ONMe₃ in the presence of C₅H₅NS yields the four‐membered metallacyclic compound [NBu₄][Pt(CF₃)₂(NC₅H₄S‐κN,κS)] ( 13 ). The geometries of the metallacycles in compounds 12 and 13 are compared. In the absence of any additional ligand, compound 3 undergoes dimerization producing the dinuclear species [NBu₄]₂[{Pt(CF₃)₂}₂(μ‐Cl)₂] ( 14 ). Halide abstraction in the latter compound with AgClO₄ in THF yields the solvento compound cis‐[Pt(CF₃)₂(thf)₂] ( 15 ). The highly labile character of the THF ligands in compound 15 makes this species a convenient synthon of the “cis‐Pt(CF₃)₂” unit.