Functionalization of Intramolecular Frustrated Lewis Pairs by 1,1‐Carboboration with Conjugated Enynes

The vicinal P/B frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) Mes₂PCH₂CH₂B(C₆F₅)₂ undergoes 1,1‐carboboration reactions with the Me₃Si‐substituted enynes to give ring‐enlarged functionalized C₃‐bridged P/B FLPs. These serve as active FLPs in the activation of dihydrogen to give the respective zwitterionic [P]H⁺/[B]H^? products. One such product shows activity as a metal‐free catalyst for the hydrogenation of enamines or a bulky imine. The ring‐enlarged FLPs contain dienylborane functionalities that undergo “bora‐Nazarov”‐type ring‐closing rearrangements upon photolysis. A DFT study had shown that the dienylborane cyclization of such systems itself is endothermic, but a subsequent C₆F₅ migration is very favorable. Furthermore, substituted 2,5‐dihydroborole products are derived from cyclization and C₆F₅ migration from the photolysis reaction. In the case of the six‐membered annulation product, a subsequent stereoisomerization reaction takes place and the resultant compound undergoes a P/B FLP 1,2‐addition reaction with a terminal alkyne with rearrangement.     

Formation of Active Cyclic Five-membered Frustrated Phosphane/Borane Lewis Pairs and their Cycloaddition Reactions

The cyclic five-membered frustrated phosphane/borane Lewis pairs 11 a , b featuring the bulky octaethylhydrindacenyl- (Eind) substituent or its mono-bromo derivative (^BrEind) at phosphorus are monomeric at room temperature. The reactive frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) cleave dihydrogen. The cyclic FLP 11 b (^BrEind) undergoes 1,2-P/B addition to ethylene to give the zwitterionic heteronorbornane derivative 14 b . It reacts similarly with the carbon–carbon double bond of norbornene. With a variety of organic π-reagents, the cyclic FLP 11 b often undergoes reaction sequences reminiscent of the Alder–Rickert reaction: the cycloaddition reaction is followed by rapid cycloreversion to form new five-membered heterocyclic FLP products with extrusion of ethene. Reactions of 11 b with benzaldehyde or with acetylenes follow this reaction pattern.     

Aluminium Diphosphamethanides: Hidden Frustrated Lewis Pairs

The synthesis and characterisation of two aluminium diphosphamethanide complexes, [Al(tBu)₂{κ²P,P′‐Mes*PCHPMes*}] ( 3 ) and [Al(C₆F₅)₂{κ²P,P′‐Mes*PCHPMes*}] ( 4 ), and the silylated analogue, Mes*PCHP(SiMe₃)Mes* ( 5 ), are reported. The aluminium complexes feature four‐membered PCPAl core structures consisting of diphosphaallyl ligands. The silylated phosphine 5 was found to be a valuable precursor for the synthesis of 4 as it cleanly reacts with the diaryl aluminium chloride [(C₆F₅)₂AlCl]₂. The aluminium complex 3 reacts with molecular dihydrogen at room temperature under formation of the acyclic σ²λ³,σ³λ³‐diphosphine Mes*PCHP(H)Mes* and the corresponding dialkyl aluminium hydride [tBu₂AlH]₃. Thus, 3 belongs to the family of so‐called hidden frustrated Lewis pairs.     

Trapping of Difluorocarbene by Frustrated Lewis Pairs

Frustrated Lewis pairs consisting of diphenylphosphino and boryl groups located at the ortho‐position can trap difluorocarbene affording stable zwitterionic adducts. The reaction can be reversed to release difluorocarbene at elevated temperatures.     

Perfluoroalkylation of Alkenes by Frustrated Lewis Pairs

The activation of perfluoroalkyl iodides by the frustrated Lewis pair tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane and tri‐tert‐butylphosphine is described. By abstraction of both a fluorine and an iodine atom, an iodophosphonium fluoroborate salt is formed. In the presence of alkenes the corresponding iodoperfluoroalkylation products are generated regioselectively. First mechanistic investigations support a radical mechanism.     

Formylborane Formation with Frustrated Lewis Pair Templates

Boranes R₂BH react with carbon monoxide by forming the respective borane carbonyl compounds R₂BH(CO). The formation of (C₆F₅)₂BH(CO) derived from the Piers borane, HB(C₆F₅)₂, is a typical example. Subsequent CO‐hydroboration does not take place, since the formation of the formylborane is usually endothermic. However, an “η²‐formylborane” was formed by CO‐hydroboration with the Piers borane at vicinal phosphane/borane frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) templates. Subsequent treatment with pyridine liberated the intact formylborane from the FLP framework, and (pyridine)(C₆F₅)₂B? CHO was then isolated as a stable compound. This product underwent typical reactions of carbonyl compounds, such as Wittig olefination.     

Frustrated Lewis Pair Chemistry: Searching for New Reactions

Frustrated Lewis pair chemistry has taken a steep development in the recent years. It offers possibilities of developing new variants of known reactions and of finding new chemical transformations. This is demonstrated and described by the recently developed FLP‐formylborane chemistry, which has led to the formation of the unique (η²‐formylborane)FLP adducts and opened a way of preparing a genuine formylborane compound, which shows an interesting follow‐up chemistry. FLPs have helped finding phosphorus analogues of the enamine Stork reaction and the Claisen reaction. These reactions lead to new organophosphorus compounds and they make new phosphane/borane systems available. P/B FLPs add to a variety of small main group element oxides. They undergo 1,2‐addition reactions to CO₂, SO₂ and other heterocumulenes and they feature unique 1,1‐addition reactions to carbon monoxide, to isonitriles and even to nitric oxide (NO), the latter yielding examples of a new class of persistent nitroxide radicals, the FLPNO nitroxyls. Eventually, some remarkable radical reactions of FLPs and related compounds are briefly mentioned.     

受阻路易斯酸碱对在高分子聚合上的应用

受阻路易斯酸碱对(frustrated Lewis pairs,FLPs)是大位阻的路易斯酸和大位阻的路易斯碱在溶液中受空间位阻因素影响而不能形成配位键所得到的组合。 在这种特殊的组合中,路易斯酸和路易斯碱未能被中和淬灭,依旧保持着的反应活性。 而当H₂等小分子靠近时,FLPs可以将H₂的化学键异裂,进而得到一个阳离子和一个阴离子。 这种独特的反应特性使得FLPs在催化加氢、小分子气体活化、烯烃聚合和开环聚合等方面展现出了一些具有新特性的研究思想和方法。 尤其是在烯烃聚合和开环聚合中,FLPs具有很强的催化活性。 本文简要介绍了FLPs的发展历史及其在小分子活化中的应用,并重点介绍了其在高分子催化领域中的应用。     

Formation of Thermally Robust Frustrated Lewis Pairs by Electrocyclic Ring Closure Reactions

The phosphorus/boron‐substituted hexatriene systems 6 undergo thermally induced electrocyclic ring closure to yield the cyclohexadiene‐derived P/B frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) 7 . Subsequent TEMPO oxidation gives the phenylene‐bridged FLPs 8 . Both systems activate dihydrogen and the thermally robust FLPs undergo carbon–carbon coupling reactions at a mesityl group upon treatment with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate at elevated temperatures.     

Reactions of Diethylazo-Dicarboxylate with Frustrated Lewis Pairs

Reactions of PAr₃/B(C₆F₅)₃ (Ar=o-Tol, Mes, Ph) FLPs with diethyl azodicarboxylate (DEAD) afford the corresponding FLP addition products 1 – 3 in which P−N and B−O linkages are formed. In contrast, the reaction of BPh₃, PPh₃ and DEAD gave product 4 where P−N and N−B linkages were confirmed. In all cases, other binding modes were computed to be both higher in energy and readily distinguishable by ³¹P and ¹¹B NMR parameters. These data illustrate the influence of steric demands and electronic structures on the nature of the products of FLP reactions with DEAD.     

α‐Hydroxymethylation of Pyridines at a Frustrated Lewis Pair Template

The “η²‐formylborane” moiety formed by CO reduction with HB(C₆F₅)₂ at a P/B frustrated Lewis pair template undergoes a hydroxymethylation reaction at the α‐position to nitrogen in pyridine or isoquinoline. The analogous reaction with pyrimidine revealed a mechanism related to the Tschitschibabin reaction.     

Coupling of Carbon Monoxide with Nitrogen Monoxide at a Frustrated Lewis Pair Template

Coupling of carbon monoxide with nitrogen monoxide was achieved at a frustrated Lewis pair template. This unique reaction uses hydride as an auxiliary, which reductively activates carbon monoxide at the frustrated Lewis pair. The CO/NO coupling reaction then takes place through a pathway involving a radical reaction in which the hydrogen atom auxiliary is eventually removed again.     

The Hydride‐Ion Affinity of Borenium Cations and Their Propensity to Activate H2 in Frustrated Lewis Pairs

A range of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) containing borenium cations have been synthesised. The catechol (Cat)‐ligated borenium cation [CatB(PtBu₃)]⁺ has a lower hydride‐ion affinity (HIA) than B(C₆F₅)₃. This resulted in H₂ activation being energetically unfavourable in a FLP with the strong base PtBu₃. However, ligand disproportionation of CatBH(PtBu₃) at 100 °C enabled trapping of H₂ activation products. DFT calculations at the M06‐2X/6‐311G(d,p)/PCM (CH₂Cl₂) level revealed that replacing catechol with chlorides significantly increases the chloride‐ion affinity (CIA) and HIA. Dichloro–borenium cations, [Cl₂B(amine)]⁺, were calculated to have considerably greater HIA than B(C₆F₅)₃. Control reactions confirmed that the HIA calculations can be used to successfully predict hydride‐transfer reactivity between borenium cations and neutral boranes. The borenium cations [Y(Cl)B(2,6‐lutidine)]⁺ (Y=Cl or Ph) form FLPs with P(mesityl)₃ that undergo slow deprotonation of an ortho‐methyl of lutidine at 20 °C to form the four‐membered boracycles [(CH₂{NC₅H₃Me})B(Cl)Y] and [HPMes₃]⁺. When equimolar [Y(Cl)B(2,6‐lutidine)]⁺/P(mesityl)₃ was heated under H₂ (4 atm), heterolytic cleavage of dihydrogen was competitive with boracycle formation.     

Reaction of Frustrated Lewis Pairs with Ketones and Esters

The frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) Mes₂PCH₂CH₂B(C₆F₅)₂ ( 1 ) reacts with an enolizable conjugated ynone by 1,4‐addition involving enolate tautomerization to give an eight‐membered zwitterionic heterocycle. The conjugated endione PhCO‐CH?CH‐COPh reacts with the intermolecular FLP tBu₃P/B(C₆F₅)₃ by a simple 1,4‐addition to an enone subunit. The same substrate undergoes a more complex reaction with the FLP 1 that involves internal acetal formation to give a heterobicyclic zwitterionic product. FLP 1 reacts with dimethyl maleate by selective overall addition to the C?C double bond to give a six‐membered heterocycle. It adds analogously to the triple bond of an acetylenic ester to give a similarly structured six‐membered heterocycle. The intermolecular FLP P(o‐tolyl)₃/B(C₆F₅)₃ reacts analogously with acetylenic ester by trans‐addition to the carbon–carbon triple bond. An excess of the intermolecular FLP tBu₃P/B(C₆F₅)₃, which contains a more nucleophilic phosphane, reacts differently with acetylenic ester examples, namely by O? C(alkyl) bond cleavage to give the {R‐CO₂[B(C₆F₅)₃]₂^?}[alkyl‐PtBu₃⁺] salts. Simple aryl or alkyl esters react analogously by using the borane‐stabilized carboxylates as good leaving groups. All essential products were characterized by X‐ray diffraction.     

Stoichiometric Reduction of CO(2) to CO by Aluminum-Based Frustrated Lewis Pairs

Reducing frustration: The reaction of Mes(3) P(CO(2) )(AlI(3) )(2) in the presence of a CO(2) atmosphere results in the formation of Mes(3) P(CO(2) )(O(AlI(2) )(2) )(AlI(3) ) and [Mes(3) PI][AlI(4) ] (Mes=2,4,6-Me(3) C(6) H(2) ) with the evolution of CO.