Design of PEO‐based ruthenium carbene for aqueous metathesis polymerization. Synthesis by the “macromonomer method” and application in the miniemulsion metathesis polymerization of norbornene

Novel water‐soluble ruthenium carbene complexes with finely tuned structure and properties in solution are reported. These ruthenium‐based initiators were found to exhibit great catalytic activity in aqueous miniemulsion ring‐opening metathesis polymerization of norbornene. Stable particles of polynorbornene could be generated in the 200–250 nm size range stabilized with a nonionic surfactant (polystyrene‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide)). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2784–2793, 2006     

Synthesis and characterization of indenyl-functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene complex of Ni(II)

A new type of Ind-NHC ligand precursor (Ind = indenyl), [C₉H₇-(CH₂)₃-(CH{NCHCHNⁱPr})]Br (HL·HBr, 1), was designed and prepared. The reaction of in situ generated anionic indenyl-functionalized NHC ligand LLi with (DME)NiCl₂ affords a novel mono-ligand Ni(II) bromide, [C₉H₆-(CH₂)₃-(C{NCHCHNⁱPr})]NiBr (2), which was characterized by elemental analysis, NMR and X-ray crystal determination. Complex 2 in combination with NaBPh₄ can catalyze the polymerization of styrene at 80 °C.     

Rare‐Earth‐Metal Methylidene Complexes

Transition‐metal carbene complexes have been known for about 50 years and widely applied as reagents and catalysts in organic transformations. In contrast, the carbene chemistry of the rare‐earth metals is much less developed, but has attracted the research interest in the recent years. In this field rare‐earth‐metal alkylidene, especially methylidene, compounds are an emerging class of compounds with a high synthetic potential for organometallic chemistry and maybe in the future also for organic chemistry.     

Azavinylidenephosphoranes: A Class of Cyclic Push–Pull Carbenes

The synthesis of a novel family of cyclic push–pull carbenes, namely, azavinylidene phosphoranes, is described. The methodology is based on a formal [3+2] cycloaddition between terminal alkynes and phosphine–imines followed by an oxidation/deprotonation step. Carbenes 6 , obtained by simple deprotonation, exhibit typical transient carbene reactivity like the intramolecular C?H insertion reaction and a pronounced ambiphilic character exemplified by [2+1] cycloaddition with electron‐poor methyl acrylate. Owing to the cyclic structure, carbenes 6 also exhibit an excellent coordination ability toward transition metals. Rh^I complex 10 was obtained in excellent yield and was fully characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray crystallography. The corresponding Rh^I–carbonyl complex was also prepared; this indicates that carbenes 6 belong to the strongest σ‐donating ligands to date. DFT calculations confirmed the high σ‐donation ability of 6 and their classification as push–pull carbenes with a relatively small singlet–triplet energy gap of 23.2–24.3 kcal mol^?1.     

Synthesis of 3-acyl-5,6-dihydro-1,4-oxathiines through ring expansion of thiiranes

Synthesis of 3-acyl-5,6-dihydro-1,4-oxathiines has been achieved via reactions of thiiranes and α-diazo-β-1,3-dicarbonyl compounds under microwave and copper sulfate-assisted conditions. The current method provides a direct and simple strategy in efficient preparation of 3-acyl-1,4-oxathiines from readily available thiiranes and trans-3-acyl-5,6-dihydro-1,4-oxathiines as stereospecific products for 1,2-disubstituted cis-thiiranes. The reaction mechanism was also proposed.     

The first example of a two‐coordinated AuI atom bonded to an FeII atom and an N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand

The aurophilicity exhibited by Au^I complexes depends strongly on the nature of the supporting ligands present and the length of the Au–element (Au—E) bond may be used as a measure of the donor–acceptor properties of the coordinated ligands. A binuclear iron–gold complex, [1,3‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene‐2κC²]dicarbonyl‐1κ²C‐(1η⁵‐cyclopentadienyl)gold(I)iron(II)(Au—Fe) benzene trisolvate, [AuFe(C₅H₅)(C₂₇H₃₆N₂)(CO)₂]·3C₆H₆, was prepared by reaction of K[CpFe(CO)₂] (Cp is cyclopentadienyl) with (NHC)AuCl [NHC = 1,3‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene]. In addition to the binuclear complex, the asymmetric unit contains three benzene solvent molecules. This is the first example of a two‐coordinated Au atom bonded to an Fe and a C atom of an N‐heterocyclic carbene.     

A Dimetalloxycarbene Bonding Mode and Reductive Coupling Mechanism for Oxalate Formation from CO2

We describe the stable and isolable dimetalloxycarbene [(TiX₃)₂(μ₂‐CO₂‐κ²C,O:κO′)] 5 , where X=N‐(tert‐butyl)‐3,5‐dimethylanilide, which is stabilized by fluctuating μ₂‐κ²C,O:κ¹O′ coordination of the carbene carbon to both titanium centers of the dinuclear complex 5 , as shown by variable‐temperature NMR studies. Quantum chemical calculations on the unmodified molecule indicated a higher energy of only +10.5 kJ mol^?1 for the μ₂‐κ¹O:κ¹O′ bonding mode of the free dimetalloxycarbene compared to the μ₂‐κ²C,O:κ¹O′ bonding mode of the masked dimetalloxycarbene. The parent cationic bridging formate complex [(TiX₃)₂(μ₂‐OCHO‐κO:κO′)][B(C₆F₅)₄], 4 [B(C₆F₅)₄], was simply deprotonated with the strong base K(N(SiMe₃)₂) to give 5 . Complex 5 reacts smoothly with CO₂ to generate the bridging oxalate complex [(TiX₃)₂(μ₂‐C₂O₄‐κO:κO′′)], 6 , in a C? C bond formation reaction commonly anticipated for oxalate formation by reductive coupling of CO₂ on low‐valent transition‐metal complexes.     

Direct X‐Ray Scattering Evidence for Metal–Metal Interactions in Solution at the Molecular Level

The study of the aggregation of small molecules in solution induced by metallophilic interactions has been traditionally performed by spectroscopic methods through identification of chemical changes in the system. Herein we demonstrate the use of SAXS (small‐angle X‐ray scattering) to identify structures in solution, taking advantage of the excellent scattering intensity of heavy metals which have undergone association by metallophilic interactions. An analysis of the close relationship between solid‐state and solution arrangements of a dynamic [Ag₂(bisNHC)₂]²⁺ (NHC=N‐heterocyclic carbene) system, and how they are complementary to each other, is reported.     

Design,Synthesis, and Structural Analysis of Divalent NI Compounds and Identification of a New Electron‐Donating Ligand

The dative‐bond representation (L→E) in compounds with main group elements (E) has triggered extensive debate in the recent past. The scope and limits of this nonclassical coordination bond warrant comprehensive exploration. Particularly compounds with (L→N←L′)⁺ arrangement are of special interest because of their therapeutic importance. This work reports the design and synthesis of novel chemical species with the general structural formula (L→N←L′)⁺ carrying the unusual ligand cyclohexa‐2,5‐diene‐4‐(diaminomethynyl)‐1‐ylidene. Four species belonging to the (L→N←L′)⁺ class carrying this unconventional ligand were synthesized. Quantum chemical and X‐ray diffraction analyses showed that the electronic and geometric parameters are consistent with those of already reported divalent N^I compounds. The molecular orbital analysis, geometric parameters, and spectral data clearly support the L→N and N←L′ interactions in these species. The newly identified ligand has the properties of a reactive carbene and high nucleophilicity.     

Ruthenium N‐heterocyclic–carbene catalyzed diarylation of arene C?H bond

Novel ruthenium‐1,3‐dialkylimidazolin‐2‐ylidene complexes ( 2a–e ) have been prepared and characterized by C, H, N analysis, ¹H‐NMR and ¹³C‐NMR. The ortho position of the aromatic ring of pyridyl group substituted aromatic compound was directly arylated with aryl bromides and chlorides in the presence of a catalytic amount of [RuCl₂(1,3‐dialkylimidazolin‐2‐ylidene)] complexes. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.