Synthesis and Catalytic Properties of Di- and Trinuclear Palladium Complexes with PCP-Pincer Ligands

Linear and branched conjugated pincer ligands having Ph₂P groups were synthesized: 3,3',5,5'- tetrakis(diphenylphosphinomethyl)diphenylacetylene, 3,3',5,5'-tetrakis(diphenylphosphinomethyl)diphenyldi- acetylene, 1,3,5-tris[3,5-bis(diphenylphosphinomethyl)phenylethynyl]benzene, and hexakis[3,5-bis(diphenylphosphinomethyl)phenylethynyl]benzene. Palladation of these ligands by heating with Pd(BF₄)₂(MeCN)₄ in boiling acetonitrile gave the corresponding di- and trinuclear ionic pincer palladium complexes. No individual complex was obtained from hexakis[3,5-bis(diphenylphosphinomethyl)phenylethynyl]benzene. The ionic com- plexes were converted into the corresponding chloride complexes by treatment with sodium chloride in a mixture of water with methylene chloride. The structure of the ionic palladium complex with 3,3',5,5'-tetrakis(diphenylphosphinomethyl)diphenylacetylene was established by X-ray analysis. The obtained palladium complexes exhibited a considerable catalytic activity in the Heck reaction of iodobenzene with ethyl acrylate and in the Michael addition of ethyl cyanoacetate with methyl vinyl ketone. The catalytic activity per palladium atom decreases as the number of palladium atoms in the complex increases.     

Electrical transport and magnetic ordering in R 2Ti3Ge4 (R=Dy, Ho and Er) compounds

New R ₂Ti₃Ge₄ (R=Dy, Ho and Er) intermetallic compounds have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction and low temperature ac magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity and thermoelectric power measurements were carried out. The compounds crystallize in the parent, Sm₅Ge₄-type orthorhombic structure (space group Pnma) and lanthanide contraction is observed as one moves along the rare-earth series. The changeover from paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic phase happens at low temperatures and the ordering temperature scales with the de Gennes factor. The electrical resistivity is metallic with a negative curvature above 100 K. Thermopower displays a weak maximum at temperatures less than 50 K signifying the possible phonon and magnon drag effects.     

Dimethylsulfonium Methylide in Methylation of Silylphosphines

Selective monodesilylation of bissilylated alkyl- or arylphosphines under the action of dimethylsulfonium methylide and the subsequent methylation of the resulting silyl phosphides with the sulfonium salt offers a convenient route to difficultly accessible monosilylated secondary methylalkyl(aryl)phosphines.     

Elastic properties of the Ta–V system: bcc Ta0.33V0.67 and C15 TaV2

Resonant ultrasound spectroscopy was used to measure the elastic constants of bcc Ta_0.33V_0.67 over the temperature range 3.5–300?K; the results were compared to earlier measurements on C15 TaV₂. The temperature dependence of the polycrystalline shear modulus is completely different in the two phases; that of the bcc phase decreases with temperature whereas that of the C15 phases increases in an anomalous fashion. This difference is consistent with a model involving doubly-degenerate levels at the X point of the Brillouin zone in the C15 phase with the Fermi level lying near the doubly degenerate level. This model accounted for the unusual behaviour of the C15 phase. Debye temperatures were determined from the ultrasonic measurements: 295?K for the C15 phase and 315?K for the bcc phase.     

Template-Directed Synthesis of Macroheterocycles by Ring-Closing Metathesis of Olefin-Substituted Pyridines in the Coordination Sphere of a Triplatinum Complex

Mono- and tris-3,5- and 2,6-pyridinediyl-containing macroheterocycles were synthesized by metathesis of olefin-substituted pyridines in the coordination sphere of mono- and tris-platinum complexes, respectively. Tris(2,6-pyridinediyl)-containing macroheterocycles were hydrogenated over palladium catalyst. The hydrogenated macrocycle was used as ligand for the triplatinum template. The structure of the resulting complex was established by X-ray analysis.     

Hydroxy- and mercaptopyridine pincer platinum and palladium complexes generated by silver-free halide abstraction

A silver-free route has been employed for the synthesis of a number of Pd and Pt complexes supported by an NCN "pincer" ligand (NCN = [2,6-(Me2NCH2)2C6H3]-) via halide abstraction. This was achieved by the use of o-, m-, and p-hydroxypyridines or o- and p-mercaptopyridines in basic ethanol solutions. The acidic OH or SH protons are removed to generate the formally anionic ligands. X-ray crystal structure determination of these complexes shows that the bonding of the substituted pyridine ligands occurs exclusively through the pyridine N for hydroxypyridines and exclusively through the thiol S in mercaptopyridines. In the hydroxypyridine case, the ortho and para isomers tautomerize to generate pyridone structures with a covalent M-N bond, whereas the m-hydroxypyridine complex, which is unable to tautomerize, is found to still be bound through the pyridine N but in a zwitterionic structure. The mercaptopyridine complexes are the first reported examples of pincer-ligated Pd and Pt thiolate species. The pyridine ligands can be quantitatively exchanged for chloride by reaction with excess NH4Cl, a potentially useful chemical switch for ligation/decomplexation of this ligand type.     

Mono N,C,N-pincer complexes of titanium, vanadium and niobium. Synthesis, structure and catalytic activity in olefin polymerisation

Transmetallation of 4,4'-bis{(2,6-bis[(dimethylamino)methyl]phenylgold)diphenyl-phosphino}biphenyl (3) with MCl(4) (M = Ti, NbCl, V) in benzene gave the corresponding transition metal pincer complexes (4) and insoluble 4,4'-bis[P-(chloro gold(I))diphenylphosphino]biphenyl (2), which can be quantitatively recovered and recycled. Interestingly, 3 did not react with TiCl(3). However, reaction of 2,6-bis[(dimethylamino)methyl]phenyllithium (1) with TiCl(3) resulted in formation of the novel diaryltitanium(IV) compound 5 (16% yield), comprising one N,C,N-mer bound NCN-pincer ligand and a second NCN-pincer ligand that is rearranged from a 1,2,6-isomer to a 1,2,4 one. The latter NCN-ligand is dianionic and is bidentate bonded; one of the CH(2)NMe(2) substituents (para to C'(ipso)) is non-coordinated, while the second CH(2)NMe(2) group, after C-H activation of one of the Me groups, is η(2)-C,N-bonded to the titanium centre trans to C(ipso) of the mer-NCN ligand. The new NCN-pincer metal complexes 2,6-bis[(dimethylamino)methyl]phenylTiCl(3) (4a) and 2,6-bis[(dimethylamino)methyl]-phenylVCl(2) (4d) gave, after immobilization on MgCl(2)-based supports, very high activity in ethene polymerisation.