Identification of a four-center intermediate in a Grignard addition reaction to a P-S bond

The reaction between tert-butylmagnesium chloride (or tert-pentylmagnesium chloride) and the particular phosphorus-sulfur bond of a benzothiadiphospholic system showed, for the first time, evidence of formation of intermediates with a four-center structure. The possibility, for the phosphorus atom, to have very stable hypervalent coordinations makes it possible to observe its hypervalent states during the course of a reaction. The benzothiadiphosphole, with its bicyclic folded structure, further stabilizes the hypervalent coordinations thus making the intermediates sufficiently stable to be detected during the course of the reaction by ³¹P NMR spectroscopy, which revealed the nature and the stability of the species involved in this reaction, carried out also using other Grignard reagents.     

Mononuclear ruthenium complexes containing two different phosphines in trans position: II. Catalytic hydrogenation of CC and CO bonds

Bis(acetate) ruthenium(II) complexes of the general formula Ru(CO)₂(OAc)₂(PⁿBu₃)[P(p-XC₆H₄)₃] (OAc = acetate, X = CH₃O, CH₃, H, F or Cl), containing different phosphine ligands trans to PⁿBu₃, have been employed as catalyst precursors for the hydrogenation of 1-hexene, acetophenone, 2-butanone and benzylideneacetone. For comparative purposes, analogous reactions have been performed using the homodiphosphine precursors Ru(CO)₂(OAc)₂(PⁿBu₃)₂ and Ru(CO)₂(OAc)₂(PPh₃)₂. The catalytic activity of the heterodiphosphine complexes depends on the basicity of the triarylphosphine trans to PⁿBu₃ as this factor controls, inter alia, the rate of formation of hydride(acetate), Ru(CO)₂(H)(OAc)(PⁿBu₃)[P(p-XC₆H₄)₃], or dihydride, Ru(CO)₂(H)₂(PⁿBu₃)[(p-XC₆H₄)₃], complexes, by hydrogenation of the bis(OAc) precursors. The catalytic hydrogenation of the CC double bond is best accomplished by homodiphosphine dihydride catalysts, while heterodiphosphine monohydrides are more efficient catalysts than the homo- and heterodiphosphine dihydrides for the reduction of the keto CO bond.     

A novel heterobidentate chiral phosphine and its coordination chemistry in transition metal clusters

The optically active ligand R,R-PHAZAN (1,3-bis[(1R)-1-Phenylethyl]-2-(2-thienyl)-1,3,2-diazaphospholane) has been prepared and the products resulting from the reactions with Rh₆(CO)₁₅NCMe, H₃RhOs₃(CO)₁₂, and H₄Ru₄(CO)₁₂ have been investigated by X-ray crystallography and a variety of multinuclear NMR methods. X-ray studies show that PHAZAN can behave as a bidentate ligand in Rh₆(CO)₁₄(μ₂,κ²-R,R-PHAZAN) (with coordination through P and S) or a monodentate ligand (through P coordination) in H₄Ru₄(CO)₁₁(κ¹-R,R-PHAZAN) and NMR studies show that these structures are retained in solution. In Rh₆(CO)₁₄(μ₂,κ²-R,R-PHAZAN), edge-bridging coordination of PHAZAN results in the formation of an additional two novel chiral centres and these are observed in solution. Reaction of PHAZAN with H₃RhOs₃(CO)₁₂ results in cleavage of the thienyl group and formation of the phosphido cluster, H₂RhOs₃(CO)₁₁(μ₂-PNN), (PNN = 1,3-bis-(1-phenylethyl)-[1,3,2]diazaphospholidine-2-yl). A variety of NMR measurements show that the hydride site-occupancies in the solid state are retained in solution and there is evidence for interaction of an ortho-phenyl hydrogen and a hydride through “dihydrogen” bonding.     

Towards the synthesis of perfluoroalkylated derivatives of Xantphos

An analogue of Xantphos incorporating four perfluoroalkyl groups has been prepared and successfully used as a ligand in the rhodium-catalysed hydroformylation of 1-octene in toluene. A number of perfluoroalkylated xanthene backbones have also been synthesised, but their conversion into preferentially perfluorocarbon solvent soluble Xantphos-type ligands, suitable for catalysis in fluorocarbon solvents, has not been successful.     

Synthetic studies on bafilomycin A1: first formation of the 16-membered macrolide via an intramolecular Stille reaction

The 16-membered macrolide formation of a bafilomycin A₁ synthesis intermediate showed to be very difficult to achieve via an intramolecular Stille reaction. Complex reactions were observed, depending on the nature of the palladium source, ligand, solvent and reaction conditions. Unexpected reactions of the 2-furyl group transfer of trifurylphosphine were observed on the vinylic iodide and (or) the vinylstannane. Best conditions were found with Pd₂(dba)₃/AsPh₃/i-Pr₂NEt in DMF, at 40 °C, to afford the desired macrocycle in 28% yield (33% corrected), the structure of which was definitely confirmed by chemical filiation.     

Hydrosilylation reactions catalyzed by rhodium complexes with phosphine ligands functionalized with imidazolium salts

Hydrosilylation reactions of styrene with triethoxysilane catalyzed by rhodium complexes with phosphine ligands functionalized with imidazolium salts are reported. In comparison with Wilkinson’s catalyst, Rh(PPh₃)₃Cl, all of the present rhodium complexes with phosphines functionalized with imidazolium salts exhibit higher catalytic activity and selectivity.     

Electrochemical Investigations Give Some Insights into the Coordination Chemistry of New Stable Iridium(+1), Iridium(0), and Iridium(−1) Complexes

The redox chemistry of the stable tetracoordinated 16 valence electron d⁸‐[Ir^+I(tropp^Ph)₂]⁺(PF₆)^? and pentacoordinated 18 valence d⁸‐[Ir^+I(tropp^Ph)₂Cl] complexes was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (tropp^Ph=dibenzotropylidenyl phosphine). The experiments were performed using a platinum microelectrode varying scan rates (100 mV/s–10 V/s) and temperatures (? 40 to 20 °C) in tetrahydrofuran, THF, or acetonitrile, ACN, as solvents. In THF, the overall two‐electron reduction of the 16 valence electron d⁸‐[Ir^+I(tropp^Ph)₂]⁺(PF₆)^? proceeds in two well separated slow heterogeneous electron transfer steps according to: d⁸‐[Ir^+I (tropp^Ph)₂]⁺+e^?→d⁹‐[Ir⁰(tropp^Ph)₂]+e^?→d¹⁰‐[Ir^?I(tropp^Ph)₂]^?, [k^s₁=2.2×10^?3 cm/s for d⁸‐Ir^+I/d⁹‐Ir⁰ and k^s₂=2.0×10^?3 cm/s for d⁹‐Ir⁰/d¹⁰‐Ir^?I]. In ACN, the two redox waves merge into one “two‐electron” wave [k^s_1,2=7.76×10^?4 cm/s for d⁸‐Ir^+I/d⁹‐Ir⁰ and d⁹‐Ir⁰/d¹⁰‐Ir^?I] most likely because the neutral [Ir⁰(tropp^Ph)₂] complex is destabilized. At low temperatures (ca. ? 40 °C) and at high scan rates (ca. 10 V/s), the two‐electon redox process is kinetically resolved. In equilibrium with the tetracoordianted complex [Ir^+I(tropp^Ph)₂]⁺ are the pentacoordinated 18 valence [Ir^+I(tropp^Ph)₂L]⁺ complexes (L=THF, ACN, Cl^?) and their electrochemical behavior was also investigated. They are irreversibly reduced at rather high negative potentials (? 1.8 to ? 2.4 V) according to an ECE mechanism 1) [Ir^+I(tropp^Ph)₂(L)]+e^?→[Ir⁰(tropp^Ph)₂(L)]; 2) [Ir⁰(tropp^Ph)₂(L)]→[Ir(tropp^Ph)₂]+L, iii) [Ir⁰(tropp^Ph)₂]+e^?→[Ir^?I(tropp^Ph)₂]^?. Since all electroactive species were isolated and structurally characterized, our measurements allow for the first time a detailed insight into some fundamental aspects of the coordination chemistry of iridium complexes in unusually low formal oxidation states.     

The cyclometallation of bis(di-p-methylbenzylphosphino)methane

The new diphosphine (4-MeC₆H₄CH₂)₂PCH₂P(4-MeC₆H₄CH₂)₂, L, was reacted with [MnMe(CO)₅] to give the novel cyclometallated compound [Mn{(4-MeC₆H₃CH₂)(4-MeC₆H₄CH₂)PCH₂P(4-MeC₆H₄CH₂)₂}(CO)₃], as the mer isomer, and with the ligand in a terdentate [C,P,P] fashion.     

Reactions and spectroscopic studies of Group 6 metal carbonyls with pyrazinecarboxamide and certain phosphine ligands

Substitution reactions of phosphine ligands, triphenylphosphine (PPh₃), tri(m-chlorophenyl)phosphine (m-ClPPh₃), tri(p-methoxyphenyl)phosphine (p-MeOPPh₃) and tri(benzyl)phosphine (PBz₃) with [M(CO)₄(PCA)] (M?=?Cr, Mo and W, PCA?=?pyrazinecarboxamide) were found to be dependent on the type of metal and phosphine ligand. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, and IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. UV–vis spectra of the complexes in different solvents showed bands due to metal-to-ligand charge transfer.     

A new application of the Mitsunobu reaction in the synthesis of phosphonium salts

The condensation of methanol or primary alcohols with triphenylphosphonium tetrafluoroborate in the presence of ethyl azodicarboxylate and triphenylphosphine in THF at room temperature gives the respective alkyltriphenylphosphonium salts in good yields. The reaction also worked for the conversion of N-acyl-2-hydroxyglycinates into N-acyl-2-triphenylphosphonioglycinates.