Synthesis and characterization of cobalt acrylate–melamine co-crystals

A new co-crystal of tetraaqua acrylato cobalt (II) complex and melamine, [Co(acr)₂(H₂O)₄]·4MA·2DMF (acr = acrylate, MA = melamine, DMF = dimethylformamide), has been synthesized and characterized using IR, UV-Vis, thermogravimetric analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The complex contains discrete unities of [Co(acr)₂(H₂O)₄], melamine, and DMF linked by hydrogen bonds. Investigations evidenced that Co(II) has an octahedral stereochemistry and both acrylate ions present unidentate coordination mode. Thermal decomposition occurs in four steps and denotes that melamine is lost at high temperatures, and this indicates a greater stability that may be associated with the presence of hydrogen bonds network.

     

The ansa‐zirconocene [bis(η5‐cyclopentadienyl)phenylphosphine]dichloridozirconium(IV)

In the title compound, [Zr(C₁₆H₁₃P)Cl₂], the geometry at the metal atom is distorted tetrahedral; the Cl—Zr—Cl angle is 101.490 (16)° and the cyclopentadienyl (Cp) centroids subtend an angle of 122.63 (3)° at the Zr atom. The P atom lies 0.474 (3) and 0.496 (3) Å out of the planes of the Cp rings. The C—P—C angle of 91.42 (7)° reflects the pincer effect of the two Cp rings. Three C—H...Cl, one C—H...P, one C—H...π and one Cl...P interaction link the molecules to form thick layers parallel to the bc plane.     

Synthesis and Reactivity of Boron‐, Silicon‐, and Tin‐Bridged ansa‐Cyclopentadienyl–Cycloheptatrienyl Titanium Complexes (Troticenophanes)

A novel one‐pot method was developed for the preparation of [Ti(η⁵‐C₅H₅)(η⁷‐C₇H₇)] (troticene, 1 ) by reaction of sodium cyclopentadienide (NaCp) with [TiCl₄(thf)₂], followed by reduction of the intermediate [(η⁵‐C₅H₅)₂TiCl₂] with magnesium in the presence of cycloheptatriene (C₇H₈). The [n]troticenophanes 3 (n=1), 4 , 8 , 10 (n=2), and 11 (n=3) were synthesized by salt elimination reactions between dilithiated troticene, [Ti(η⁵‐C₅H₄Li)(η⁷‐C₇H₆Li)] ? pmdta ( 2 ) (pmdta=N,N′,N′,N′′,N′′‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine), and the appropriate organoelement dichlorides Cl₂Sn(Mes)₂ (Mes=2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl), Cl₂Sn₂(tBu)₄, Cl₂B₂(NMe₂)₂, Cl₂Si₂Me₄, and (ClSiMe₂)₂CH₂, respectively. Their structural characterization was carried out by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. The stanna[1]‐ and stanna[2]troticenophanes 3 and 4 represent the first heteroleptic sandwich complexes bearing Sn atoms in the ansa bridge. The reaction of 3 with [Pt(PEt₃)₃] resulted in regioselective insertion of the [Pt(PEt₃)₂] fragment into the Sn? C_ipso bond between the tin atom and the seven‐membered ring, which afforded the platinastanna[2]troticenophane 5 . Oxidative addition was also observed upon treatment of 4 with elemental sulfur or selenium, to produce the [3]troticenophanes [Ti(η⁵‐C₅H₄SntBu₂)(η⁷‐C₇H₆SntBu₂)E] ( 6 : E=S; 7 : E=Se). The B? B bond of the bora[2]troticenophane 8 was readily cleaved by reaction with [Pt(PEt₃)₃] to form the corresponding oxidative addition product [Ti(η⁵‐C₅H₄BNMe₂)(η⁷‐C₇H₆BNMe₂)Pt(PEt₃)₂] ( 9 ). The solid‐state structures of compounds 5 , 6 , and 9 were also determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction.     

Nitrogen- and oxygen-bridged bidentate phosphaalkene ligands

An overview is given on synthesis and structures of new bidentate phosphaalkene ligands [(RMe₂Si)₂CP]₂E (E = O, NR, N^?) and (RMe₂Si)₂CPN(R′)PR′′₂. Exceptional properties of these ligands, extending beyond predictable properties of phosphaalkenes are: (i) the NSi bond cleavage of [(iPrMe₂Si)₂CP]₂NSiMe₃ with Au^I and Rh^I chloro complexes under mild conditions leading to binuclear complexes of the 6π-delocalised imidobisphosphaalkene anion [(iPrMe₂Si)₂CP]₂N^?, and (ii) the chlorotropic formation of molecular 1:2 Pd^II and Pt^II metallochloroylid complexes with novel ylid-type ligands [(RMe₂Si)₂CP(Cl)N(R)PR₂]^?, and the transformation of a P-platina-P-chloroylid complex into a C-platina phosphaalkene by intramolecular chlorosilane elimination. Properties of the heavier congeners [(RMe₂Si)₂CP]₂E (E = S, Se, Te, PR, P^?, As^?) and (RMe₂Si)₂CPEPR′′₂ (E = S, Se, Te) are also described.     

Complexes of manganese, iron and cobalt with sterically demanding indenyl ligands

A series of manganese, iron and cobalt complexes bearing sterically demanding 1,3-disubstituted indenyl ligands, 1,3-(Me(3)C)(2)C(9)H(5) (Ind(tBu)) (1) and 1,3-(C(6)H(11))(2)C(9)H(5) (Ind(cHexyl)) (2), has been prepared. These complexes have been fully characterised by various spectroscopic techniques, elemental analysis, and X-ray diffraction experiments. In addition the electronic and steric properties of these ligands have been evaluated. Although the cone angles and electronic properties are similar to 1,2,4-(Me(3)C)(3)C(5)H(2) (Cp'), indenyl iron half-sandwich complexes are only stable at low temperature. This has been demonstrated for 1-FeI using suitable trapping experiments such as CO or NaCp' addition to yield 1-Fe(CO)(2)I and 1-FeCp', respectively. Overall the metal-ligand bonds in these indenyl compounds are weaker than in the corresponding cyclopentadienyl derivatives. In addition, the bis(indenyl)manganese complexes, 1-Mn and 2-Mn, are high-spin, as established by solid state magnetic susceptibility studies in the temperature range 2-300 K.     

Binding of molecular magnesium hydrides to a zirconocene-enyne template

An enyne-zirconium complex stabilizes molecular magnesium hydride (MgH(2) ) and even a molecular hydride, nC(4) H(9) MgH. These systems feature magnesium olefin π?complexation.     

Heterobifunctional Rotaxanes for Asymmetric Catalysis

Heterobifunctional rotaxanes serve as efficient catalysts for the addition of malonates to Michael acceptors. We report a series of four different heterobifunctional rotaxanes, featuring an amine‐based thread and a chiral 1,1′‐binaphthyl‐phosphoric‐acid‐based macrocycle. High‐level DFT calculations provided mechanistic insights and enabled rational catalyst improvements, leading to interlocked catalysts that surpass their non‐interlocked counterparts in terms of reaction rates and stereoselectivities.     

Facile η5-η3 hapticity interconversion in pentamethylcyclopentadienyl ruthenium(II) complexes containing a phenylmethallyl ("open indenyl") ligand

The indenyl effect has been introduced to pentadienyl ("open cyclopentadienyl") chemistry by preparation of the phenylmethallyl ("open indenyl") ligand oInd(Me). The reaction of its potassium salt K(oInd(Me)) with [(η(5)-C(5)Me(5))RuCl](4) afforded the sandwich complex [(η(5)-C(5)Me(5))Ru(η(5)-oInd(Me))] (1), which, upon treatment with PMe(3), CO, and 2,6-dimethylphenyl isocyanide (CN-o-Xy), easily underwent η(5)-η(3) hapticity interconversion and formed the complexes [(η(5)-C(5)Me(5))Ru(η(3)-oInd(Me))(L)] (2, L = PMe(3); 3, L = CO; 4, L = CN-o-Xy). In these complexes, the η(3)-bound phenylmethallyl ligand adopts an anti-conformation with regard to the relative positions of the phenyl and methyl substituents. For the PMe(3) complex anti-2, slow conversion to the syn-isomer was observed, and this equilibrium reaction was monitored by NMR spectroscopy at 50 °C to determine a first order rate constant of k(323 K) = 6.57 × 10(-6) (± 0.02 × 10(-6)) s(-1) and an activation barrier of ΔG° = 26.8 kcal mol(-1). DFT calculations afforded a stabilization of syn-2 and syn-3 by ΔG(298) = -1.54 and -1.74 kcal mol(-1) over the respective anti-isomer.     

Cycloheptatrienyl zirconium sandwich complexes with lewis basic phospholyl ligands (phosphatrozircenes): synthesis, structure, bonding and coordination chemistry

The transmetalation reaction between [(η(7) -C(7) H(7) )ZrCl(tmeda)] (1; tmeda=N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine) and various phospholide anions leads to a new class of mixed sandwich complexes: [(η(7)-C(7)H(7))Zr(η(5)-C(4)PMe(4))] (2), [(η(7)-C(7)H(7))Zr(η(5)-C(4)PH(2)Me(2))] (3) and [(η(7)-C(7)H(7))Zr(η(5)-C(4)PPhHMe(2))] (4). The presence of Lewis basic phosphorus atoms and Lewis acidic zirconium atoms allows ambiphilic behaviour to be observed, and X-ray diffraction analysis reveals dimeric arrangements for 2 and 3 with long intermolecular Zr-P bonds, whereas 4 remains monomeric in the solid state. DFT calculations indicate that the metal-phosphorus interaction is weak, and accordingly, complexes 2-4 act as monodentate ligands upon reaction with [W(CO)(5)(thf)]. The resulting complexes [W(CO)(5)(L)] 5-7 (L=2-4) were studied by IR spectroscopy and compared with the [W(CO)(5) ] complex 9, containing the phosphane-functionalised trozircene [(η(7)-C(7)H(7))Zr(η(5)-C(5)H(4)PPh(2))] (8). They all show a close resemblance to simple phosphanes, such as PMe(3) , although molecular orbital analysis of 2 reveals that the free electron pair in the phosphatrozircenes is not the HOMO. Four equivalents of 2 can replace 1,4-cyclooctadiene (COD) in [Ni(cod)(2)] to form the homoleptic, distorted tetrahedral complex [Ni{2}(4)] (10).