Facile Synthesis of Nitrogen Tetradentate Ligands and Their Applications in CuI‐Catalyzed N‐Arylation and Azide–Alkyne Cycloaddition

Five new tetradentate ligands [NNNN] with benzimidazolyl‐imine or amine nitrogen donors have been synthesized in good yields under mild conditions from easily available substrates. trans‐N,N′‐bis(1‐Ethyl‐2‐benzimidazolylmethylene)cyclohexane‐1,2‐diimine is the best accelerating ligand in this series that supports the Cu^I‐catalyzed Ullmann N‐arylation and the direct three‐component azide–alkyne cycloaddition reaction to give the corresponding substituted imidazole, pyrazole, and triazole in high yields. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis of its complex with CuI reveals a novel one‐dimensional coordination polymer of the metal chain bridged alternately by the [NNNN] ligand and diiodides.     

Synthesis of Various Water Soluble and Stable Copper Complexes Bearing N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands and Their Activity in DNA Alkylation

We report here the synthesis and catalytic evaluation in DNA alkylation of a series of water‐soluble copper complexes bearing N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands. The NHC ligands were chosen to cover the gamut of commonly used scaffold variations, but in many cases, copper complexes could not be obtained or were unstable. Nevertheless, we identified several complexes that were both stable and catalytically active. Our studies provide guidance and starting scaffolds for any researchers interested in aqueous copper(I) catalysis. A key practical aspect of our findings is that azide‐bearing copper‐NHC complexes are excellent substrates for the azide‐alkyne cycloaddition, which allows late‐stage tailoring of the copper complexes.     

Triptycene‐Based Chiral and meso‐N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands and Metal Complexes

Based on 1‐amino‐4‐hydroxy‐triptycene, new saturated and unsaturated triptycene‐NHC (N‐heterocyclic carbene) ligands were synthesized from glyoxal‐derived diimines. The respective carbenes were converted into metal complexes [(NHC)MX] (M=Cu, Ag, Au; X=Cl, Br) and [(NHC)MCl(cod)] (M=Rh, Ir; cod=1,5‐cyclooctadiene) in good yields. The new azolium salts and metal complexes suffer from limited solubility in common organic solvents. Consequently, the introduction of solubilizing groups (such as 2‐ethylhexyl or 1‐hexyl by O‐alkylation) is essential to render the complexes soluble. The triptycene unit infers special steric properties onto the metal complexes that enable the steric shielding of selected areas close to the metal center. Next, chiral and meso‐triptycene based N‐heterocyclic carbene ligands were prepared. The key step in the synthesis of the chiral ligand is the Buchwald–Hartwig amination of 1‐bromo‐4‐butoxy‐triptycene with (1S,2S)‐1,2‐diphenyl‐1,2‐diaminoethane, followed by cyclization to the azolinium salt with HC(OEt)₃. The analogous reaction with meso‐1,2‐diphenyl‐1,2‐diaminoethane provides the respective meso‐azolinium salt. Both the chiral and meso‐azolinium salts were converted into metal complexes including [(NHC)AuCl], [(NHC)RhCl(cod)], [(NHC)IrCl(cod)], and [(NHC)PdCl(allyl)]. An in situ prepared chiral copper complex was tested in the enantioselective borylation of α,β‐unsaturated esters and found to give an excellent enantiomeric ratio (er close to 90:10).     

新型含氮配体多核铜配合物的合成、晶体结构及其性能研究

以1,10-邻菲罗啉(phen)为配体,采用溶剂蒸发法在水中分别合成了羟基桥连和氯离子桥连的两个新型的含氮配体多核铜离子配合物[Cu4(phen)4(H2O)2(OH)4·(NO3)4·2H2O(1)和Cu2(phen)2Cl4(2)],其结构经元素分析和X-射线单晶衍射表征。1属三斜晶系,空间群P-1,晶胞参数a=10.143 0(9),b=11.900 1(11),c=12.629 9(13),α=111.060(2)°,β=91.070 0(10)°,γ=110.920(2)°,Z=1,V=1 309.8(2)3,F(000)=692。2属单斜晶系,空间群Cc,晶胞参数a=9.860 9(8),b=17.852 9(13),c=13.412 3(15),β=106.583(11)°,Z=4,V=2 263.0(4)3,F(000)=1 256。用荧光光谱和热分析分别研究了1和2的荧光性质和热稳定性,结果表明:在310 nm激发波长激发下,与phen相比,1和2的荧光发射峰分别发生红移和蓝移,λem分别位于451 nm和374 nm。1和2的初始分解温度分别为298℃和300℃。     

First Dinuclear Copper/Gallium Complexes: Supporting Cu0 and CuI Centres by Low‐Valent Organogallium Ligands

The synthesis and structural characterisation of low‐valent dinuclear copper(I) and copper(0) complexes supported by organogallium ligands has been accomplished for the first time by the reductive coordination reaction of [GaCp*] (Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) and [Ga(ddp)] (ddp=HC(CMeNC₆H₃‐2,6‐iPr₂)₂ 2‐diisopropylphenylamino‐4‐diisopropylphenylimino‐2‐pentene) with readily available copper(II) and copper(I) precursors. The treatment of CuBr₂ and Cu(OTf)₂ (OTf=CF₃SO₃) with [Ga(ddp)] under mild conditions resulted in elimination of [Ga(L)₂(ddp)] (L=Br, OTf) and afforded the novel gallium(I)/copper(I) compounds [{(ddp)GaCu(L)}₂] (L=Br ( 1 ), OTf ( 2 )). The single‐crystal X‐ray structure determinations of 1 and 2 reveal that these molecules are composed of {(ddp)GaCu(L)} dimeric units, with planar Cu^I? Ga^I four‐membered rings and short Cu^I???Cu^I distances, with 2 exhibiting the shortest Cu^I???Cu^I contact reported to date of 2.277(3) Å. The all‐gallium coordinated dinuclear [Cu₂(GaCp*)(μ‐GaCp*)₃Ga(OTf)₃] ( 3 ) is formed when Cu(OTf)₂ is combined with [GaCp*] instead of [Ga(ddp)]. Notably, in the course of this redox reaction Lewis acidic Ga(OTf)₃ is formed, which coordinates to one of the electron‐rich copper(0) centres. Compound 3 is suggested as the first case of a structurally characterised complex of copper(0). By changing the copper(II) to a copper(I) source, that is, [Cu(cod)₂][OTf] (cod=1,5‐cyclooctadiene), the salt [Cu₂(GaCp*)₃(μ‐GaCp*)₂][OTf]₂ ( 4 ) is formed, the cationic part of which is related to previously described isoelectronic dinuclear d¹⁰ complexes of the type [M₂(GaCp*)₅] (M=Pd, Pt).     

N‐Heterocyclic Carbene–Phosphinidene Complexes of the Coinage Metals

Coinage metal complexes of the N‐heterocyclic carbene–phosphinidene adduct IPr ? PPh (IPr=1,3‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazolin‐2‐ylidene) were prepared by its reaction with CuCl, AgCl, and [(Me₂S)AuCl], which afforded the monometallic complexes [(IPr ? PPh)MCl] (M=Cu, Ag, Au). The reaction with two equivalents of the metal halides gave bimetallic [(IPr ? PPh)(MCl)₂] (M=Cu, Au); the corresponding disilver complex could not be isolated. [(IPr ? PPh)(CuOTf)₂] was prepared by reaction with copper(I) trifluoromethanesulfonate. Treatment of [(IPr ? PPh)(MCl)₂] (M=Cu, Au) with Na(BAr^F) or AgSbF₆ afforded the tetranuclear complexes [(IPr ? PPh)₂M₄Cl₂]X₂ (X=BAr^F or SbF₆), which contain unusual eight‐membered M₄Cl₂P₂ rings with short cuprophilic or aurophilic contacts along the chlorine‐bridged M???M axes. Complete chloride abstraction from [(IPr ? PPh)(AuCl)₂] was achieved with two equivalents of AgSbF₆ in the presence of tetrahydrothiophene (THT) to form [(IPr ? PPh){Au(THT)}₂][SbF₆]₂. The cationic tetra‐ and dinuclear complexes were used as catalysts for enyne cyclization and carbene transfer reactions.     

Facile Preparation of Homo‐ and Hetero‐Dimetallic Complexes with a 4‐Phosphino‐Substituted NHC Ligand. Toward the Design of Multifunctional Catalysts

A series of bimetallic complexes have been synthesized that are supported by a 4‐phosphino‐substituted NHC ligand. The use of this stable ligand reduces the number of synthetic steps and allows for a wide range of metal combinations to be introduced into the complexes.     

Easily Accessible Benzamide‐Derived P,O Ligands (Bphos) for Palladium‐Catalyzed Carbon–Nitrogen Bond‐Forming Reactions

Easily accessible benzamide‐derived hemilabile phosphine ligands were efficiently prepared through ortho‐directed lithiation of the corresponding N,N‐diethylbenzamide followed by quenching with chlorodialkylphosphines. These structurally simple hemilabile ligands were found to be highly effective in palladium‐catalyzed amination of aryl and heteroaryl chlorides. Various sterically congested and functionalized aryl halide substrates were compatible in these reaction conditions. By using optimized reaction conditions, remarkable catalyst productivity (total turnover number up to 8400) was obtained.     

Pyridyl Pyrrolide Boron Complexes: The Facile Generation of Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence and Preparation of Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes

The electron positive boron atom usually does not contribute to the frontier orbitals for several lower‐lying electronic transitions, and thus is ideal to serve as a hub for the spiro linker of light‐emitting molecules, such that the electron donor (HOMO) and acceptor (LUMO) moieties can be spatially separated with orthogonal orientation. On this basis, we prepared a series of novel boron complexes bearing electron deficient pyridyl pyrrolide and electron donating phenylcarbazolyl fragments or triphenylamine. The new boron complexes show strong solvent‐polarity dependent charge‐transfer emission accompanied by a small, non‐negligible normal emission. The slim orbital overlap between HOMO and LUMO and hence the lack of electron correlation lead to a significant reduction of the energy gap between the lowest lying singlet and triplet excited states (ΔE_T‐S) and thereby the generation of thermally activated delay fluorescence (TADF).     

Organotellurium Ligands & Their Metal Complexes: Recent Developments

Abstract

The ligand chemistry of telluroethers, halotellurium ligands, and polytellurides has received good attention in the last decade. Tellurium-containing species have been used to design clusters. In the recent past the ligation of di and tri-telluroethers (including bis(4-methoxyphenyltelluro)methane) has been studied. Hybrid organotellurium ligands, N-[2-(4-methoxyphenyltelluro)propyl]phthalimid (L ¹ ), 2-(4-ethoxyphenyltelluromethyl)-tetrahydro-2H-pyran (L ² ), 2-(2-{4-ethoxyphenyl} telluroethyl)-1,3-dioxane (L ³ ), N-{2-(4-methoxyphenyltelluro)ethyl}morpholine (L ⁴ ), N-{2-(4-methoxyphenyltelluro)ethyl}-pyrrolidine (L ⁵ ), bis{2-(pyrrolidine-N-yl)ethyl}telluride (L ⁶ ), 1-(4-methoxyphenyltelluro)-2-[3-(6-methyl-2-pyridyl) propoxy]ethane (L ⁷ ), and 2-[2-(4-methoxyphenyltelluro)ethyl]thiophene (L ⁸ ) have been designed recently and studied for their complexation reactions. The (Te, N) and (N, Te, N) ligands, L ⁵ and L ⁶ , coordinate with Hg(II) through Te and N both, but the bonding with N is some what weak. The morpholine nitrogen of L ⁴ does not coordinate with Pd(II) or Pt(II) along with Te. The L ⁷ behaving as a (Te, N) ligand has formed 20-membered metallomacrocycle ring with Pt(II). Tellurated Schiff bases 4-MeOC₆H₄TeCH₂CH₂N═C(CH₃)C₆H₄-2-OH (L ⁹ ) and 2-HO-C₆H₄-(CH₃)C═NCH₂CH₂TeCH₂CH₂N═C(CH₃)C₆H₄-2-OH (L ¹⁰ ) and their reduction products 4-MeOC₆H₄TeCH₂CH₂NHCH(CH₃)C₆H₄-2-OH (L ¹¹ ) and 2-HO-C₆H₄-(CH₃)CHNHCH₂CH₂TeCH₂CH₂NHCH(CH₃)C₆H₄-2-OH (L ¹² ) respectively have been synthesized and studied for ligation behaviour. The L ⁹ on reaction with the [Ru(p-cymene)Cl₂]₂ results in [Ru(p-cymene)(4-MeOC₆H₄TeCH₂CH₂NH₂)Cl]Cl · H₂O whereas in the reaction of L ¹⁰ with [Ru(p-cymene) Cl₂]₂, p-cymene ligand is lost resulting in [RuCl(L ¹⁰ -H)]. The recent developments, particularly designing of L ¹ to L ¹² and their ligand chemistry, are reviewed in the present paper.     

Phosphorescent Platinum(II) Complexes with Mesoionic 1H‐1,2,3‐Triazolylidene Ligands

The synthesis and characterization of eight unprecedented phosphorescent C^C* cyclometalated mesoionic aryl‐1,2,3‐triazolylidene platinum(II) complexes with different β‐diketonate ligands are reported. All compounds proved to be strongly emissive at room temperature in poly(methyl methacrylate) films with an emitter concentration of 2 wt %. The observed photoluminescence properties were strongly dependent on the substitution on the aryl system and the β‐diketonate ligand. Compared to acetylacetonate, the β‐diketonates with aromatic substituents (mesityl and duryl) were found to significantly enhance the quantum yield while simultaneously reducing the emission lifetimes. Characterization was carried out by standard techniques, as well as solid‐state structure determination, which confirmed the binding mode of the carbene ligand. DFT calculations, carried out to predict the emission wavelength with maximum intensity, were in excellent agreement with the (later) obtained experimental data.     

Relative Lability and Chemoselective Transmetallation of NHC in Hybrid Phosphine‐NHC Ligands: Access to Heterometallic Complexes

The relative lability and transmetallation aptitude of trialkylphosphine and NHC donors, integrated in semi‐rigid hybrid ligands attached to [Ag₄Br₄] pseudo‐cubanes, lies in favor of the NHC and is used to selectively access unprecedented NHC complexes with heterobimetallic cores, such as Ag–Cu ( 4^Cy ) and Ag–Ir ( 5 ^{t Bu} ). These can be viewed as an arrested state before the full transmetallation of both donors, which gives the homodinuclear Cu ( 3^Cy ) and Ir ( 6^Cy ) complexes. The observed NHC transmetallation aptitude and reactivity urges caution in the common notion that views the NHC as a universal spectator.     

Electrochemically Driven Cup‐and‐Ball CuI and CuII Complexes

The conformation of copper “funnel” complexes that contains a coordinating appended arm can be electrochemically switched between endo, which corresponds to the self‐coordination of the arm through the cavity, and exo positions. This process, which is reminiscent of a cup‐and‐ball device, is activated by an exogenous ligand for complexes that contain a hydroxy‐terminated arm. The exchange is electrochemically triggered and is operated in either Cu^I or Cu^II redox states, depending on the exogenous ligand, that is, CO or n‐butylamine, respectively.     

Di‐ and Trinuclear Gold Complexes of Diphenylphosphinoethyl‐Functionalised Imidazolium Salts and their N‐Heterocyclic Carbenes: Synthesis and Photophysical Properties

Diphenylphosphinoethyl‐functionalised imidazolium salts and their silver–carbene complexes were used to synthesise a series of di‐ and trinuclear gold complexes through ligand exchange and transmetallation, respectively. Besides a few positively charged macrocyclic compounds with different anions (both with and without activation of the carbene function), we were able to obtain neutral polynuclear complexes by varying the gold precursor. The synthesised gold complexes show a variety of photophysical properties, including bright white photoluminescence at ambient temperature.