A bipyridyl thorium metallocene: synthesis, structure and reactivity

The synthesis, structure and reactivity of a new bipy thorium metallocene have been studied. The reduction of the thorium chloride metallocene [η(5)-1,3-(Me(3)C)(2)C(5)H(3)](2)ThCl(2) (1) with potassium graphite in the presence of 2,2'-bipyridine gives the purple bipy metallocene [η(5)-1,3-(Me(3)C)(2)C(5)H(3)](2)Th(bipy) (2) in good yield. Complex 2 has been fully characterized by various spectroscopic techniques, elemental analysis and X-ray diffraction analysis. Complex 2 reacts cleanly with trityl chloride, silver halides and diphenyl diselenide, leading to the halide metallocenes [η(5)-1,3-(Me(3)C)(2)C(5)H(3)](2)ThX(2) (X = Cl (1), Br (3), I (4)) and [η(5)-1,3-(Me(3)C)(2)C(5)H(3)](2)Th(F)(μ-F)(3)Th[η(5)-1,3-(Me(3)C)(2)C(5)H(3)](F)(bipy) (5), and selenido metallocene [η(5)-1,3-(Me(3)C)(2)C(5)H(3)](2)Th(SePh)(2) (6), in good conversions. In addition, 2 cleaves the C[double bond, length as m-dash]S bond of CS(2) to give the sulfido complex, [η(5)-1,3-(Me(3)C)(2)C(5)H(3)](2)ThS (7), which further undergoes an irreversible dimerization or nucleophilic addition with CS(2), leading to the dimeric sulfido complex {[η(5)-1,3-(Me(3)C)(2)C(5)H(3)](2)Th}(μ-S)(2) (8) and dimeric trithiocarbonate complex {[η(5)-1,3-(Me(3)C)(2)C(5)H(3)](2)Th}(μ-CS(3))(2) (10) in good yields, respectively.