Addition of nitriles to alkaline earth metal complexes of 1,2-bis[(phenyl)imino]acenaphthenes

Compounds [Sr(dpp-bian)(thf)4] (2), [Ba(dpp-bian)(dme)2.5] (3) and [Mg(dtb-bian)(thf)2] (4) (dpp-bian = 1,2-bis[(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imino]acenaphthene; dtb-bian = 1,2-bis[(2,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)imino]acenaphthene) were prepared by reduction of dpp-bian and dtb-bian with an excess of metallic Mg, Sr, or Ba in THF or DME. Reactions of [Mg(dpp-bian)(thf)3], 3, and 4 with diphenylacetonitrile gave keteniminates [Mg(dpp-bianH)(NCCPh2)(thf)2] (5), [Mg(dtb-bianH)(NCCPh2)(thf)2] (6), and [Ba(dpp-bianH)(NCCPh2)(dme)2] (7), respectively. The reaction of 2 with CH3C[triple chemical bond]N in THF gave [{Sr(dpp-bianH)[N(H)C(CH3)C(H)CN](thf)}2] (8). The compounds 2, 3, 5-8 were characterized by elemental analysis, and IR and NMR spectroscopy. Molecular structures of 2, 3, 7, and 8 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In contrast to reactions of alkali-metal reagents, magnesium amides, or yttriumalkyls with alpha-H acidic nitriles, which are accompanied by an amine or an alkane elimination, the reactions of [Mg(dpp-bian)(thf)3] (1), 2, 3, and 4 with such nitriles proceeded with formation of Mg, Sr, and Ba keteniminates and simultaneous protonation of one nitrogen atom of the bian ligand. The NMR spectroscopic data obtained for complex 5 indicated that in solution the amino hydrogen atom underwent the fast (on the NMR timescale) shuttle transfer between both nitrogen atoms of the dpp-bianH ligand.     

Stereoselective formation of ansa-metallocenes in reactions of radical-anionic salts of acenaphthylene with lanthanide and calcium halides

ansa-Metallocenes (⁵:⁵-C₂₄H₁₆)M(THF)₂ (M = Sm (1), Yb (2), Ca (3)) and (⁵:⁵-C₂₄H₁₆)MI(THF) (M = Dy (8), Er (9), Tm (10), Lu (11)) were prepared in 50—90% yields by the in situ reactions of two equivalents of potassium acenaphthylenide K⁺C₁₂H₈ ^– with MI₂ or MI₃, respectively. Complexes 2 and 3 were also obtained by direct reduction of acenaphthylene with ytterbium and calcium naphthalenides, respectively. An ESR signal of the acenaphthylene radical anion, which was observed upon dissolution of compound 2 in THF, indicates that the [C₂₄H₁₆]^2– ansa-ligand dissociated into two [C₁₂H₈]^·– radical anions. Hydrolysis of complex 2 in benzene afforded 1,1",3,3"-tetrahydro-3,3"-biacenaphthylene (4) and 3,3",4,4"-tetrahydro-3,3"-biacenaphthylene (5). The reaction of complex 2 with ZrCl₄ and the reaction of compound 3 with Me₃SiCl proceeded with the cleavage of the C—C bond between two acenaphthylene fragments of the [C₂₄H₁₆]^2– ansa-ligand to produce (²-C₁₂H₈)ZrCl₂(THF)₃ (6) and bis(trimethylsilyl)acenaphthene (Me₃Si)₂C₁₂H₈ (7), respectively. Compounds 1—3, 6, 7, and 11 were characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The temperature dependence of the ¹H NMR spectrum of compound 11 in tetrahydrofuran is indicative of the dynamic exchange of the solvent molecules in the coordination sphere of the Lu atom. After cooling of the solution to 210 K, the dynamic process was terminated as evidenced by the nonequivalence of the ¹H signals of two acenaphthylene fragments. According to the X-ray diffraction data for complex 11, dimerization of two acenaphthylene radical anions at the Lu atom gave rise to the rac-ansa-metallocene structure. In compound 11, the Lu atom is ⁵-coordinated by two five-membered rings of the acenaphthylene ligands and also by the I atom and the THF molecule. The coordination environment about the Lu atom is a distorted tetrahedron. The average distance between the lutetium atom and the carbon atoms of the five-membered rings is 2.623 .     

Reduction of 2,5-di-tert-butylcyclopentadienone and pyridine with thulium diiodide. Structures of the complexes TmI2(THF)2[η5-But2C5H2O]TmI2(THF)3 and [TmI2(C5H5N)4]2(μ2-N2C10H10)

Reduction of 2,5-di-tert-butylcyclopentadienone with two equivalents of thulium diiodide in tetrahydrofuran afforded the binuclear thulium(iii) complex with the cyclopentadienyl oxide ligand, viz., TmI₂(THF)₂[⁵-Bu^t ₂C₅H₂O]TmI₂(THF)₃ (1). Shielding of the carbonyl carbon atom with two tert-butyl substituents prevents pinacolization of the ketyl radical anions that formed upon one-electron reduction of cyclopentadienone. The reaction of thulium diiodide with an excess of pyridine in tetrahydrofuran gave a product of reductive coupling of two pyridine radical anions, viz., [TmI₂(C₅H₅N)₄]₂(₂-N₂C₁₀H₁₀) (2). The structures of complexes 1 and 2 were established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.     

Complexes of lanthanum with radical anions of 2,2-bipyridyl and 3,6-di-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone

Complexes of a rare-earth element containing only one radical-anion ligand have been synthesized and isolated in pure states for the first time. The LaI₂(bpy)(THF)₃ complex has been prepared from [LaI₂(THF)₃]₂(C₁₀H₈) and 2,2-bipyridyl in DME. The semiquinone complex LaI₂(SQ)(THF)₃ has been obtained by reaction of lanthanum iodide with 3,6-di-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone in THF in the presence of lanthanum powder. ESR spectra of the complexes have been studied.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 2278–2280, November, 1995.We thank Mr. A. V. Protchenko for magnetic measurements and Dr. L. G. Abakumova for recording IR spectra and helpful discussion.This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Project No. 95-03-08443a).     

Carbon—carbon and carbon—nitrogen bond formation reactions catalyzed by the magnesium and calcium acenaphthene-1,2-diimine complexes

A mixture of allylbromide and diphenylacetonitrile is reduced to afford 2,2-diphenylpentene-4-nitrile as a major product in the presence of catalytic amounts of the magnesium complex (dpp-bian)Mg(thf)3 (dpp-bian is 1,2-bis[(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imino]acenaphthene dianion). The overall conversion of nitrile is 71% within 3 h at 85 °С. 4,4-Diphenylbutene-1 and diphenylmethane are by-products in this process. Complexes (dpp-bian)Mg(thf)₃ and (dpp-bian)Ca(thf)₄ (in an amount of 0.5—5 mol.%) catalyze the intramolecular hydroamination of some aminopentenes and aminohexenes with the conversion from 67 to 99%.     

Reduction of aromatic ketones with the (dpp-BIAN)AlI(Et2O) complex

Reduction of benzophenone and 4,4′-bis(methoxy)benzophenone with the aluminum complex (dpp-BIAN)AlI(Et₂O) (1) containing the dianionic dpp-BIAN ligand (dpp-BIAN is 1,2-bis[(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imino]acenaphthene) affords the pinacolate complexes [(dpp-BIAN)AlI]₂[μ-O₂C₂Ph₄] (2) and [(dpp-BIAN)AlI]₂[μ-O₂C₂(C₆H₄OMe)₄] (3), respectively, which undergo the pinacolone rearrangement upon prolonged storage in diethyl ether to form [(dpp-BIAN)AlI]₂O (4). The reaction of 1 with fluoren-9-one produces stable pinacolate (dpp-BIAN)Al[μ-O₂(C₁₃H₈)₂] (7) and the (dpp-BIAN)AlI₂ complex (8). Compounds 2—4, 7, and 8 were characterized by ESR spectroscopy. Hydrolysis products of compounds 2 and 3 were characterized by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The structures of complexes 4 and 7 were established by X-ray diffraction. dpp-BIAN is 1,2-bis[(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imino]acenaphthene Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1134–1140, July, 2006.     

Hydroamination of alkynes with aromatic amines catalyzed by digallane (dpp-bian)Ga—Ga(dpp-bian)

Digallane (dpp-bian)Ga—Ga(dpp-bian) (1) (dpp-bian is the 1,2-bis[(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imino]acenaphthene) catalyzes the addition of 4-chloroaniline to some terminal alkynes RC≡CH (R = Buⁿ, Ph, 4-MeC₆H₄). The reaction orders in each of the substrates were found for the reaction of phenylacetylene with 4-chloroaniline catalyzed by compound 1. The reaction of compound 1 with phenylacetylene in a molar ratio of 1: 10 led to 1-[N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imino]-2-(1-phenylethylidene)acenaphthene (5) and the compound [C₁₂H₆(NC₆H₃Pr₂ ⁱ)(PhC=CH₂)(PhC=CH)]Ga(C≡CPh)₂ (6). The reaction of digallane 1 with phenylacetylene and aniline in a stoichiometric ratio of 1: 2: 2 gave bis-anilide (dpp-bian)-Ga[N(H)Ph]₂ (7) in 40% yield. The compound (PhC≡C)₃Ga·THF (9) was obtained by the reaction of three equivalents of sodium phenylacetylide (prepared in situ from phenylacetylene and sodium) with one equivalent of GaCl₃ in tetrahydrofuran. Compounds 5—7 and 9 were characterized by IR spectroscopy, ¹H NMR spectroscopy was used to characterize products 5, 6, and 9, whereas EPR spectroscopy was used for amide 7. The structures of compounds 5—7 and 9 were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.     

C‐O Bond Cleavage of Diethyl Ether and Tetrahydrofurane by [(dpp‐BIAN)AlI(Et2O)] [dpp‐BIAN = 1,2‐bis[(2,6‐di‐iso‐propylphenyl)‐imino]acenaphthene]

At elevated temperatures, the aluminum complex [(dpp‐BIAN)AlI(Et₂O)] ( 1 ) splits the C‐O bonds of diethyl ether and tetrahydrofurane yielding the dimeric alkoxides [(dpp‐BIAN)AlOEt]₂ ( 2 ) and [(dpp‐BIAN)AlO(CH₂)₄I]₂ ( 3 ), respectively. Already at ambient temperatures, a cleavage of the C‐O bond of THF is to observe in the reaction of 1 with CpNa in THF as confirmed by the formation of [(dpp‐BIAN)AlO(CH₂)₄C₅H₅]₂ ( 4a ) and [(dpp‐BIAN)Al{O(CH₂)₄C₅H₅}(THF)] ( 4b ) in a molar ratio of 1:2. The reaction of 1 with t‐BuOK affords the monomeric alkoxide [(dpp‐BIAN)AlO‐t‐Bu(Et₂O)] ( 5 ). Compounds 2 , 3 , and 4a/b were characterized by elemental analyses and IR spectra. Additionally, the structures of 2 and 3 were determined by single crystal X‐ray diffraction.