Preparation and reactivity with azo-species of hydride and dihydrogen complexes of osmium stabilised by tris(pyrazolyl)borate and phosphite ligands

Mixed-ligand OsCl(Tp)L(PPh₃) complexes 1 [Tp = hydridotris(pyrazolyl)borate; L = P(OMe)₃, P(OEt)₃ and PPh(OEt)₂] were prepared by allowing OsCl(Tp)(PPh₃)₂ to react with an excess of phosphite. Treatment of chlorocomplexes 1 with NaBH₄ in ethanol afforded hydride OsH(Tp)L(PPh₃) derivatives 2. Stable dihydrogen [Os(η²-H₂)(Tp)L(PPh₃)]BPh₄ derivatives 3 were prepared by protonation of hydrides 2 with HBF₄ · Et₂O at −80 °C. The presence of the η²-H₂ ligand is supported by short T_1 min values and J_HD measurements on the partially deuterated derivatives. Treatment of the hydride OsH(Tp)[P(OEt)₃](PPh₃) complex with the aryldiazonium salt [4-CH₃C₆H₄N₂]BF₄ afforded aryldiazene [Os(4-CH₃C₆H₄NNH)(Tp){P(OEt)₃}(PPh₃)]BPh₄ derivative 4. Instead, aryldiazenido [Os(4-CH₃C₆H₄N₂)(Tp)[P(OEt)₃](PPh₃)](BF₄)₂ derivative 5 was obtained by reacting the hydride OsH(Tp)[P(OEt)₃](PPh₃) first with methyltriflate and then with aryldiazonium [4-CH₃C₆H₄N₂]BF₄ salt. Spectroscopic characterisation (IR, ¹⁵N NMR) by the ¹⁵N-labelled derivative strongly supports the presence of a near-linear Os-NN-Ar aryldiazenido group. Imine [Os{η¹-NHC(H)Ar}(Tp){P(OEt)₃}(PPh₃)]BPh₄ complexes 6 and 7 (Ar = C₆H₅, 4-CH₃C₆H₄) were also prepared by allowing the hydride OsH(Tp)[P(OEt)₃](PPh₃) to react first with methyltriflate and then with alkylazides.