Sensing of aqueous fluoride anions by cationic stibine-palladium complexes

Turn on the lantern! The stibine donor ligand of a cationic palladium complex acts as a Lewis acid and reacts with a fluoride anion to afford the corresponding fluorostiboranyl-palladium species (see scheme). Bindung of the fluoride anion to the antimony center induces a change in denticity of the triphosphine unit and leads to a bright-orange trigonal-bipyramidal d(8)?lantern complex.     

Squeezing Fluoride out of Water with a Neutral Bidentate Antimony(V) Lewis Acid

Because of hydration, fluoride ions in water typically elude complexation by neutral Lewis acids. Here, we show how this limitation can be overcome with a bidentate Lewis acid containing two antimony(V) centers. This derivative ( 2 ) is obtained by the simple reaction of 4,5‐bis(diphenylstibino)‐9,9‐dimethylxanthene ( 1 ) with two equivalents of 3,4,5,6‐tetrachlorobenzoquinone (o‐chloranil). It features two square‐pyramidal stiborane units oriented in a face‐to‐face fashion. Titration experiments show that this new bidentate Lewis acid binds fluoride in aqueous solutions containing 95 % water with a binding constant (K) of 700±30 M ^?1. The structure of the fluoride adduct confirms fluoride anion chelation between the two antimony centers.     

Establishing the Coordination Chemistry of Antimony(V) Cations: Systematic Assessment of Ph4Sb(OTf) and Ph3Sb(OTf)2 as Lewis Acceptors

The coordination chemistry of the stiboranes Ph₄Sb(OTf) ( 1 a , OTf = OSO₂CF₃) and Ph₃Sb(OTf)₂ ( 3 ) with Lewis bases has been investigated. The significant steric encumbrance of the Sb center in 1 a precludes interaction with most ligands, but the relatively low steric demands of 4‐methylpyridine‐N‐oxide (OPyrMe) and OPMe₃ enabled the characterization of [Ph₄Sb(OPyrMe)][OTf] ( 2 a ) and [Ph₄Sb(OPMe₃)][OTf] ( 2 b ), rare examples of structurally characterized complexes of stibonium acceptors. In contrast, 3 was found to engage a variety of Lewis bases, forming stable isolable complexes of the form [Ph₃Sb(donor)₂][OTf]₂ [donor=OPMe₃ ( 6 a ), OPCy₃ ( 6 b , Cy=cyclohexyl), OPPh₃ ( 6 c ), OPyrMe ( 6 d )], [Ph₃Sb(dmap)₂(OTf)][OTf] ( 6 e , dmap=4‐(dimethylamino)pyridine) and [Ph₃Sb(donor)(OTf)][OTf] [donor=1,10‐phenanthroline ( 7 a ) or 2,2′‐bipy ( 7 b , bipy=bipyridine)]. These compounds exhibit significant structural diversity in the solid‐state, and undergo ligand exchange reactions in line with their assignment as coordination complexes. Compound 3 did not form stable complexes with phosphine donors, with reactions instead leading to redox processes yielding SbPh₃ and products of phosphine oxidation.     

σ-Accepting properties of a chlorobismuthine ligand

BiZness as usual? Not exactly! The bismuth atom of the tridentate diphosphinobismuthine (o-(Ph(2)P)C(6)H(4))(2) BiCl behaves as a Z rather than L ligand when in the coordination sphere of late transition metals such as gold. The σ-acceptor behavior of Bi is supported by its disphenoid coordination geometry and theoretical studies, which show a Au→Bi interaction.     

Boron as a bridging ligand

The Lewis acidity of [(eta5-C5R5)Fe(CO)2(BX2)] (1: R = H, X = Cl) and the robust nature of the constituent Fe--B bond have been demonstrated by reaction with 4-methylpyridine to yield the corresponding Lewis acid-base adduct. These properties have subsequently been utilised in the construction of heterodinuclear bridging borylene, bridging boryl and mu(2)-boride complexes from analogues 3 (R = Me, X = Br) and 5 (R = Me, X = Cl). All the bimetallic species so formed exhibited unprecedented coordination modes for boron.     

Unprecedented Oxidative Addition and Metal‐Only Lewis Pair Chemistry of Antimony Trihalides

Reaction of the zero‐valent platinum complex [Pt(PCy₃)₂] with SbF₃ generates the cationic diplatinum stibenium complex [{(Cy₃P)₂Pt}₂(μ‐SbF₂)]⁺, the first unsupported metal‐only Lewis pair containing an antimony‐centered Lewis acid. In contrast, SbCl₃ undergoes oxidative addition to [Pt(PCy₃)₂], resulting in the dihalostibanyl complex trans‐[PtCl(SbCl₂)(PCy₃)₂], the first example of oxidative addition of an antimony–halide bond to a transition metal.     

Reactivity of Lewis Basic Platinum Complexes Towards Fluoroboranes

We herein report detailed investigations into the interaction of Lewis acidic fluoroboranes, for example BF₂Pf (Pf=perfluorophenyl) and BF₂Ar^F (Ar^F=3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl), with Lewis basic platinum complexes such as [Pt(PEt₃)₃] and [Pt(PCy₃)₂] (Cy=cyclohexyl). Two presumed Lewis adducts could be identified in solution and corresponding secondary products of these Lewis adducts were characterized in the solid state. Furthermore, the concept of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLP) was applied to the activation of ethene in the system [Pt(BPf₃)(CH₂CH₂)(dcpp)] (dcpp=1,3‐bis(dicyclohexylphosphino)propane; Pf=perfluorophenyl). Finally, DFT calculations were performed to determine the interaction between the platinum‐centered Lewis bases and the boron‐centered Lewis acids. Additionally, several possible mechanisms for the oxidative addition of the boranes BF₃, BCl_3, and BF₂Ar^F to the model complex [Pt(PMe₃)₂] are presented.     

Cover Picture: Trimeric Perfluoro‐ortho‐phenylenemercury: A Versatile Lewis Acidic Host (Chem. Eur. J. 21/2003)

The cover picture shows how trimeric perfluoro‐ortho‐phenylene mercury (center), one of the simplest trifunctional Lewis acidic hosts, interacts with organic molecules to afford various adducts. The planarity of this trinuclear complex as well as its overall polarizability compounded with relativistic effects at mercury permits the occurrence of noncovalent interactions and accounts for the tendency of this compound to form cofacial dimers as observed in the structure of the acetone adduct (top left). With a triply coordinated acetone molecule, the structure of this adduct also substantiates the cooperative effects that arise from the proximity and accessibility of the mercury centers. The complexation of arenes, such as benzene (bottom left) and naphthalene (bottom right), also occurs and leads to the formation of binary stacks in which the arene establishes multiple linkages with the mercury centers of the trifunctional Lewis acids. In addition to displaying unusual coordination environment, the arene units present in those stacks exhibit remarkable phosphorescent properties. For more details, see the paper by F. P. Gabbaï, R. E. Taylor, and M. R. Haneline on p. 5188 ff.     

A Simple and Sensitive Method for the Detection of Trace Pb(II) and Cd(II) based on Nafion‐coated Antimony Film Electrode

Nafion‐coated antimony film electrode (NCAFE) was prepared in situ by simultaneously plated antimony with analytes, and applied to the determination of trace Pb(II) and Cd(II) in non‐deaerated solutions by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV). Various experimental parameters, which influenced the response of the NCAFE to those metals, were thoroughly optimized and discussed. The results indicated that the sensitivity and resistance to surfactants at the NCAFE were remarkably improved with relative to the antimony film electrode (AFE). In the presence of 5 mg·L^?1 gelatin, the peak heights at the NCAFE showed 4‐fold enhancement for Pb and a 9‐fold enhancement for Cd over a bare AFE. Reproducibility of the sensor was satisfactory, and the relative standard deviations were 4.8% for 20 μg·L^?1 Pb and 3.2% for 25 μg·L^?1 Cd (n=15) with preconcentration time of 180 s. The determination limits (S/N=3) of this sensor were determined to be 0.15 μg·L^?1 for Pb and 0.30 μg·L^?1 for Cd with accumulation time of 300 s. The NCAFE was successfully applied to determining Pb(II) and Cd(II) in vegetable and water samples with satisfactory results.     

Promoting the Hydrosilylation of Benzaldehyde by Using a Dicationic Antimony‐Based Lewis Acid: Evidence for the Double Electrophilic Activation of the Carbonyl Substrate

The concomitant activation of carbonyl substrates by two Lewis acids has been investigated by using [1,2‐(Ph₂MeSb)₂C₆H₄]²⁺ ([ 1 ]²⁺), an antimony‐based bidentate Lewis acid obtained by methylation of the corresponding distibine. Unlike the simple stibonium cation [Ph₃MeSb]⁺, dication [ 1 ]²⁺ efficiently catalyzes the hydrosilylation of benzaldehyde under mild conditions. The catalytic activity of this dication is correlated to its ability to doubly activate the carbonyl functionality of the organic substrate. This view is supported by the isolation of [ 1 ‐μ₂‐DMF][OTf]₂, an adduct, in which the DMF oxygen atom bridges the two antimony centers.     

Polyfunctional Lewis Acids: Intriguing Solid‐State Structure and Selective Detection and Discrimination of Nitroaromatic Explosives

Synthesis and crystal structures of three porphyrin‐based polyfunctional Lewis acids 1 – 3 are reported. Intermolecular HgCl ??? HgCl (linear and μ‐type) interactions in the solid state of the peripherally ArHgCl‐decorated compound 3 lead to a fascinating 3D supramolecular architecture. Compound 3 shows a selective fluorescence quenching response to picric acid and discriminates other nitroaromatic‐based explosives. For the first time, an electron‐deficient polyfunctional Lewis acid is shown to be useful for the selective detection and discrimination of nitroaromatic explosives. The Stern–Volmer quenching constant and detection limits of compound 3 for picric acid are the best among the reported small‐molecular receptors for nitroaromatic explosives. The electronic structure, Lewis acidity, and selective sensing characteristics of 3 are well corroborated by DFT calculations.     

Redox and Anion Exchange Chemistry of a Stibine–Nickel Complex: Writing the L,X, Z Ligand Alphabet with a Single Element

According to the covalent bond classification (CBC) method, two‐electron donors are defined as L‐type ligands, one‐electron donors as X‐type ligands, and two‐electron acceptors as Z‐type ligands. These three ligand functions are usually associated to the nature of the ligating atom, with phosphine, alkyl, and borane groups being prototypical examples of L‐, X‐ and Z‐ligands, respectively. A new SbNi platform is reported in which the ligating Sb atom can assume all three CBC ligand functions. Using both experimental and computational data, it is shown that PhICl₂ oxidation of (o‐(Ph₂P)C₆H₄)₃SbNi(PPh₃) ( 1 ) into [(o‐(Ph₂P)C₆H₄)₃ClSb]NiCl ( 2 ) is accompanied by a conversion of the stibine L‐type ligand of 1 into a stiboranyl X‐type ligand in 2 . Furthermore, the reaction of 2 with the catecholate dianion in the presence of cyclohexyl isocyanide results in the formation of [(o‐(Ph₂P)C₆H₄)₃(o‐O₂C₆H₄Sb)]Ni(CNCy) ( 4 ), a complex featuring a nickel atom coordinated by a Lewis acidic, Z‐type, stiborane ligand.     

Mild,Efficient, and Selective Cleavage of Trityl Ethers with Antimony Trichloride

Selective detritylation is quite crucial in synthetic chemistry. A mild and efficient procedure for selective hydrolysis of trityl ethers in the presence of other frequently used hydroxy protecting groups: TBDPS, Bz, Bn, Ac and Ts with antimony trichloride was described and 5′‐trityl uridine was detritylated smoothly too.     

A Biphasic Mercury‐Ion Sensor: Exploiting Microfluidics to Make Simple Anilines Competitive Ligands

Combining the molecular wire effect with a biphasic sensing approach (analyte in water, sensor‐dye in 2‐methyltetrahydrofuran) and a microfluidic flow setup leads to the construction of a mercury‐sensitive module. We so instantaneously detect Hg²⁺ ions in water at a 500 μM concentration. The sensor, conjugated non‐water soluble polymer 1 (XFPF), merely supports dibutylaniline substituents as binding units. Yet, selective and sensitive detection of Hg²⁺‐ions is achieved in water. The enhancement in sensory response, when comparing the reference compound 2 to that of 1 in a biphasic system in a microfluidic chip is >10³. By manipulation of the structure of 1 , further powerful sensor systems should be easily achieved.     

氧杂双环烯烃开环反应的研究及其应用

有机金属试剂(其中包括镍、钯、铑、铁、铜)以及路易斯酸能选择性地催化氧杂双环烯烃的亲核开环反应,并建立多个手性中心。这种方法已经被用在一些生物活性分子的全合成过程当中,如甾体酮类似物等。