Catalyst Editing via Post-Synthetic Functionalization by Phosphonium Generation and Anion Exchange for Nickel-Catalyzed Ethylene/Acrylate Copolymerization.

Rapid, efficient development of homogeneous catalysts featuring desired performance is critical to numerous catalytic transformations but remains a key challenge. Typically, this task relies heavily on ligand design that is often based on trial and error. Herein, we demonstrate a "catalyst editing" strategy in Ni-catalyzed ethylene/acrylate copolymerization. Specifically, alkylation of a pendant phosphine followed by anion exchange provides a high yield strategy for a large number of cationic Ni phosphonium catalysts with varying electronic and steric profiles. These catalysts are highly active in ethylene/acrylate copolymerization, and their behaviors are correlated with the electrophile and the anion used in late-stage functionalization.

Acrylate-Induced ß-H Elimination in Coordination Insertion Copolymerizaton Catalyzed by Nickel.

Polar monomer-induced ß-H elimination is a key elementary step in polar polyolefin synthesis by coordination polymerization but remains underexplored. Herein, we show that a bulky neutral Ni catalyst, 1Ph, is not only a high-performance catalyst in ethylene/acrylate copolymerization (activity up to ∼37,000 kg/(mol·h) at 130 °C in a batch reactor, mol % tBA ∼ 0.3) but also a suitable platform for investigation of acrylate-induced ß-H elimination. 4Ph-tBu, a novel Ni alkyl complex generated after acrylate-induced ß-H elimination and subsequent acrylate insertion, was identified and characterized by crystallography. A combination of catalysis and mechanistic studies reveals effects of the acrylate monomer, bidentate ligand, and the labile ligand (e.g., pyridine) on the kinetics of ß-H elimination, the role of ß-H elimination in copolymerization catalysis as a chain-termination pathway, and its potential in controlling the polymer microstructure in polar polyolefin synthesis.

Formate complexes of tri- and tetravalent titanium supported by a tris(phenolato)amine ligand.

Titanium(III) and titanium(IV) formate complexes supported by the sterically encumbering tris(phenolato)amine ligand (H3(O3N) = tris(4,6-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxybenzyl)amine) are described. Salt metathesis of the chlorido precursor [(O3N)TiCl] (1-Cl) with sodium formate in a 2 : 1 ratio in THF gave a dimer of sodium dititanium triformate units with 12-membered ring [Na{(O3N)Ti}2(µ-OCHO-ηO:ηO')3]2 (3-Na) when crystallized from acetonitrile. Complex 3-Na was also prepared by reacting the previously reported terminal formate complex [(O3N)Ti(OCHO)] (2) with excess sodium formate. Salt metathesis of 1-Cl with potassium formate gave a tetratitanium cluster of the composition [K3{(O3N)Ti}4(OCHO)7] (3-K) which can be also obtained by treating 2 with potassium formate. In 3-K both Ti and K centers are six-coordinate. The titanium(III) complexes [(O3N)Ti(L)] (4-L, L = THF, THP, Et2O) and solvent free dimeric [(O3N)Ti]2 (5) were synthesized by reduction of 1-Cl with sodium sand or magnesium in THF, THP, Et2O, and n-pentane, respectively. The tert-butyl formate adduct of titanium(III)-[(O3N)Ti(tBuOCHO)] (6) was isolated by reacting 4-L or 5 with tert-butyl formate. Complex 6 is thermolabile and slowly decomposed in solution to produce a formate-bridged mixed-valence titanium(III)/titanium(IV) complex [{(O3N)Ti}2(µ-OCHO-ηO:ηO')] (7) which further decomposed to a mixture containing 2, [(O3N)Ti(OH)] and [(O3N)Ti-O-Ti(O3N)]. All new complexes were isolated in moderate to good yields and fully characterized by elemental analysis, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. For the titanium(III) complexes solution magnetic moments were measured by the Evans method and EPR spectra recorded as toluene glass at 77 K.

Formation and Reactivity of a Hexahydridosilicate [SiH6 ]2- Coordinated by a Macrocycle-Supported Strontium Cation.

The cationic benzyl complex [(Me4 TACD)Sr(CH2 Ph)][A] (Me4 TACD=1,4,7,10-tetramethyltetraazacyclododecane; A=B(C6 H3 -3,5-Me2 )4 ) reacted with two equivalents of phenylsilane to give the bridging hexahydridosilicate complex [(Me4 TACD)2 Sr2 (thf)4 (µ-κ3 : κ3 -SiH6 )][A]2 (3 a). Rapid phenyl exchange between phenylsilane molecules is assumed to generate monosilane SiH4 that is trapped by two strontium hydride cations [(Me4 TACD)SrH(thf)x ]+ . Complex 3 a decomposed in THF at room temperature to give the terminal silanide complex [(Me4 TACD)Sr(SiH3 )(thf)2 ][A], with release of H2 . Upon reaction with a weak Brønsted acid, CO2 , and 1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene SiH4 was released. The reaction of a 1 : 2 mixture of cationic benzyl and neutral dibenzyl complex with phenylsilane gave the trinuclear silanide complex [(Me4 TACD)3 Sr3 (µ2 -H)3 (µ3 -SiH3 )2 ][A], while n OctSiH3 led to the trinuclear (n-octyl)pentahydridosilicate complex [(Me4 TACD)3 Sr3 (µ2 -H)3 (µ3 -SiH5 n Oct)][A].

A Brønsted Acidic Gallium Hydride: Facile Interconversion of NNNN-Macrocycle Supported [GaI ]+ and [GaIII H]2.

Protonolysis of [Cp*M] (M=Ga, In, Tl) with [(Me4 TACD)H][BAr4 Me ] (Me4 TACD=N,N',N'',N'''-tetramethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane; [BAr4 Me ]- =[B{C6 H3 -3,5-(CH3 )2 }4 ]- ) provided monovalent salts [(Me4 TACD)M][BAr4 Me ], whereas [Cp*Al]4 yielded trivalent [(Me4 TACD)AlH][BAr4 Me ]2 . Protonation of [(Me4 TACD)Ga][BAr4 Me ] with [Et3 NH][BAr4 Me ] gave an unusually acidic (pKa (CH3 CN)=24.5) gallium(III) hydride dication [(Me4 TACD)GaH][BAr4 Me ]2 . Deprotonation with IMe4 (1,3,4,5-tetramethyl-imidazol-ylidene) returned [(Me4 TACD)Ga][BAr4 Me ]. These reversible processes occur with formal two-electron oxidation and reduction of gallium. DFT calculations suggest that gallium(I) protonation is facilitated by strong coordination of the tetradentate ligand, which raises the HOMO energy. High nuclear charge of [(Me4 TACD)GaH]2+ facilitates hydride-to-metal charge transfer during deprotonation. Attempts to prepare a gallium(III) dihydride cation resulted in spontaneous dehydrogenation to [(Me4 TACD)Ga]+ .

Scandium Reduced Arene Complex: Protonation and Reaction with Azobenzene.

The reactivity of the reduced anthracene complex of scandium [Li(thf)3 ][Sc{N(tBu)Xy}2 (anth)] (2-anth-Li) (Xy=3,5-Me2 C6 H3 ; anth=C14 H10 2- , thf=tetrahydrofuran) toward Brønsted acid [NEt3 H][BPh4 ] and azobenzene is reported. While a stepwise protonation of 2-anth-Li with two equivalents of [NEt3 H][BPh4 ] afforded the scandium cation [Sc{N(tBu)Xy}2 (thf)2 ][BPh4 ] (3), reduction of azobenzene gave a thermolabile, anionic scandium reduced azobenzene complex [Li(thf)][Sc{N(tBu)Xy}2 (η2 -PhNNPh)] (4), which slowly lost one of the anilide ligands to form the neutral scandium azobenzene complex dimer [Sc{N(tBu)Xy}(µ-η2 :η2 -Ph2 N2 )]2 (5). Exposure of 3 to CO2 produced the scandium carbamate complex [Sc{κ2 -O2 CN(tBu)(Xy)}2 ][BPh4 ] (6) as a result of CO2 insertion into the Sc-N bonds. In an attempt to prepare scandium hydrides, the reaction of 3 with the hydride sources LiAlH4 and Na[BEt3 H] led to the terminal aluminum hydride [AlH{N(tBu)Xy}2 (thf)] (7) and the scandium n-butoxide [Sc{N(tBu)(Xy)}2 (µ-OnBu)] (8) after Sc/Al transmetalation and nucleophilic ring-opening of THF, respectively. All reported compounds isolated in moderate to good yields were fully characterized.

Reduced Arene Complexes of Hafnium Supported by a Triamidoamine Ligand.

A series of hafnium complexes with a reduced arene of the general formula [K(L)][Hf(Xy-N3 N)(arene)] (Xy-N3 N={(3,5-Me2 C6 H3 )NCH2 CH2 }3 N3- , L=THF, 18-crown-6; arene=C10 H8 2- , C14 H10 2- ) mimic the chemistry of hafnium in its formal oxidation state +II. All compounds were obtained upon reduction of the chlorido complex [HfCl(Xy-N3 N)(thf)] with two equivalents of potassium naphthalenide or anthracenide. The reducing nature and the basicity of the reduced anthracene ligand were explored in the reaction of benzonitrile and azobenzene, and by deprotonation of tert-butylacetylene, respectively. The reduction of benzonitrile provides an initial double nitrile insertion product under kinetic control that rearranges after extrusion of one of the inserted nitriles to a hafnium imido complex as the thermodynamic product. The reduction of azobenzene resulted in a diphenylhydrazido(2-) complex. Treatment of terminal alkynes with the anthracene or diphenylhydrazido(2-) complex led to the selective protonation of the corresponding dianionic ligand.

Planar Tetracoordinated Silicon (ptSi): Room-Temperature Stable Compounds Containing Anti-van't Hoff/Le Bel Silicon.

While a variety of compounds containing planar tetracoordinated carbon (ptC), the so-called anti-van't Hoff/Le Bel carbon, are known experimentally, stable systems containing planar tetracoordinated silicon (ptSi) are barely known. As part of our studies on the application of stereoelectronically well-defined transition-metal fragments to stabilize silicon in unprecedented bonding modes, we report herein the synthesis and full characterization of a series of thermally stable complexes of the general formula [Tp'(CO)2MSiC(R1)C(R2)M(CO)2Tp'] (M = Mo, W; R1 = R2 = Me or R1 = H, R2 = SiMe3, Ph; Tp' = κ3-N,N',N″-hydridotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate), which incorporate a ptSi atom in addition to two ptC atoms. The complexes were obtained by reacting the metallasilylidyne complexes [Tp'(CO)2M≡Si-M(CO)2(PMe3)Tp'] with alkynes R1C≡CR2 and were comprehensively analyzed by experimental studies and quantum chemical calculations. The analyses revealed that the ptSi atom is embedded in a tricyclic trapezoidal core featuring one internal SiC2 and two outer M-Si-C three-membered rings, which are fused via two Si-C bonds. The structural peculiarities evoked by the presence of an anti-van't Hoff/Le Bel ptSi center, such as the short M-Si bonds, a nearly linear M-Si-M spine, long M-C bonds, and the presence of two planar tetracoordinated carbon atoms were elucidated by a detailed analysis of the electronic structure, suggesting that one factor for the stabilization of the ptSi geometry is the aromaticity of the central SiC2 ring having two delocalized π electrons. Remarkably, the results further indicate the existence of both anti-van't Hoff/Le Bel carbon and silicon centers next to each other in the isolated complexes.

Reduced Arene Complexes of Scandium.

Alkali metal naphthalenide or anthracenide reacted with scandium(III) anilides [Sc(X){N(tBu)Xy}2 (thf)] (X=N(tBu)Xy (1); X=Cl (2); Xy=C6 H3 -3,5-Me2 ) to give scandium complexes [M(thf)n ][Sc{N(tBu)Xy}2 (RA)] (M=Li-K; n=1-6; RA=C10 H8 2- (3-Naph-K) and C14 H10 2- (3-Anth-M)) containing a reduced arene ligand. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed the scandium(III) center bonded to the naphthalene dianion in a σ2 :π-coordination mode, whereas the anthracene dianion is symmetrically attached to the scandium(III) center in a σ2 -fashion. All compounds have been characterized by multinuclear, including 45 Sc NMR spectroscopy. Quantum chemical calculations of these intensely colored arene complexes confirm scandium to be in the oxidation state +3. The intense absorptions observed in the UV/Vis spectra are due to ligand-to-metal charge transfers. Whereas nitriles underwent C-C coupling reaction with the reduced arene ligand, the reaction with one equivalent of [NEt3 H][BPh4 ] led to the mono-protonation of the reduced arene ligand.

Titanium(IV) Cations with Trigonal Monopyramidal Geometry: Unusual Lewis Acids Supported by a Triaryl Triamidoamine Ligand.

Protonolysis of the titanium alkyl complex [Ti(CH2 SiMe3 )(Xy-N3 N)] (Xy-N3 N=[{(3,5-Me2 C6 H3 )NCH2 CH2 }3 N]3- ) supported by a triamidoamine ligand, with [NEt3 H][B(3,5-Cl2 C6 H3 )4 ] or [PhNMe2 H][B(C6 F5 )4 ] afforded the cations [Ti(Xy-N3 N)][A] (A- =[B(3,5-Cl2 C6 H3 )4 ]- (1[B(ArCl )4 ]; B(ArCl )4 =tetrakis(3,5-dichlorophenyl)borate); A- =[B(C6 F5 )4 ]- (1[B(ArF )4 ]; B(ArF )4 =tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate). These Lewis acidic cations were reacted with coordinating solvents to afford the cations [Ti(L)(Xy-N3 N)][B(C6 F5 )4 ] (2-L; L=Et2 O, pyridine and THF). XRD analysis revealed a trigonal monopyramidal (TMP) geometry for the tetracoordinate cations in 1[B(ArX )4 ] and trigonal bipyramidal (TBP) geometry for the pentacoordinate cations in 2-L. Variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy showed a dynamic equilibrium for 2-Et2 O in solution, involving the dissociation of Et2 O. Coordination to the titanium(IV) center activated the THF molecule, which, in the presence of NEt3 , underwent ring-opening to give the titanium alkoxide [Ti(O(CH2 )4 NEt3 )(Xy-N3 N)][B(3,5-Cl2 C6 H3 )4 ] (3). Hydride abstraction from Cß,eq of the triamidoamine ligand arm in [Ti(CH2 SiMe3 )(Xy-N3 N)] or [Ti(NMe2 )(Xy-N3 N)] with [Ph3 C][B(3,5-Cl2 C6 H3 )4 ] led to the diamidoamine-imine complex [Ti(R){(Xy-N=CHCH2 )(Xy-NCH2 CH2 )2 N}][B(3,5-Cl2 C6 H3 )4 ] (R=CH2 SiMe3 (4 a); R=NMe2 (4 b)). Hydride addition to 4 b with [Li(THF)][HBPh3 ] gave [Ti(NMe2 )(Xy-N3 N)], whereas KH deprotonated further to give [Ti(NMe2 ){(Xy-NCH=CH)(Xy-NCH2 CH2 )2 N}] (5). XRD on single crystals of 3 and 4 b confirmed the proposed structures.

Conversion of dinitrogen to tris(trimethylsilyl)amine catalyzed by titanium triamido-amine complexes.

By using a triaryl-Tren ligated titanium dinitrogen complex, K2[{(Xy-N3N)Ti}2(µ2-N2)] (3), prepared by two-electron reduction of [TiCl(Xy-N3N)] (1-Cl) under N2 atmosphere, catalytic fixation of molecular nitrogen to form tris(trimethylsilyl)amine was achieved under ambient conditions with a turnover number (TON) of up to 16.5 per titanium atom.

Linearly Two-Coordinated Silicon: Transition Metal Complexes with the Functional Groups M≡Si-M and M═Si═M.

A detailed experimental and theoretical analysis is presented of unprecedented molybdenum complexes featuring a linearly coordinated, multiply bonded silicon atom. Reaction of SiBr2(SIdipp) (SIdipp = C[N(C6H3-2,6- iPr2)CH2]2) with Na[Tp'Mo(CO)2(PMe3)] (Na-1) in the ratio 1:2 afforded the reddish-brown metallasilylidyne complex [Tp'(CO)2Mo≡Si-Mo(CO)2(PMe3)Tp'] (Tp' = κ3- N, N', N″-hydridotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate) (2), in which an almost linearly coordinated silicon atom (∠(Mo1-Si-Mo2) = 162.93(7)°) is bridging the 15VE metal fragment Tp'Mo(CO)2 with the 17VE metal fragment Tp'Mo(CO)2(PMe3) via a short Mo1-Si bond (2.287(2) Å) and a considerably longer Mo2-Si bond (2.438(2) Å), respectively. The reddish-orange silylidyne complex [Tp'(CO)2Mo≡Si-Tbb] (3) was also prepared from Na-1 and the 1,2-dibromodisilene ( E)-Tbb(Br)Si═Si(Br)Tbb (Tbb = C6H2-2,6-[CH(SiMe3)2]2-4- tBu) and contains as 2 a short Mo-Si bond (2.2614(9) Å) to an almost linearly coordinated Si atom (∠(Mo-Si-CTbb) = 160.8(1)°). Cyclic voltammetric studies of 2 in diglyme revealed an irreversible reduction of 2 at -1.907 V vs the [Fe(η5-C5Me5)2]+/0 redox couple. Two-electron reduction of 2 with potassium graphite yielded selectively the 1,3-dimetalla-2-silaallene dianion [Tp'(CO)2Mo═Si═Mo(CO)2Tp']2- (42-), which was isolated as the bright yellow dipotassium salt [K(diglyme)]2-4. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a centrosymmetric structure of 42-. The Mo-Si bond length of 42- (2.3494(2) Å) compares well with those of Mo-Si double bonds and lies in-between the Mo1-Si triple bond and Mo2-Si single bond length of 2. Compounds 2, 3 and [K(diglyme)2]-4 were characterized by elemental analyses, IR and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. Comparative ELF (electron localization function), NBO (natural bond orbital) and NRT (natural resonance theory) analyses of 2, 3 and 42- shed light into the electronic structures of these compounds.

Si=Si Double Bonds: Synthesis of an NHC-Stabilized Disilavinylidene.

An efficient two-step synthesis of the first NHC-stabilized disilavinylidene (Z)-(SIdipp)Si=Si(Br)Tbb (2; SIdipp=C[N(C6H3-2,6-iPr2)CH2]2, Tbb=C6H2-2,6-[CH(SiMe3)2]2-4-tBu, NHC=N-heterocyclic carbene) is reported. The first step of the procedure involved a 2:1 reaction of SiBr2(SIdipp) with the 1,2-dibromodisilene (E)-Tbb(Br)Si=Si(Br)Tbb at 100 °C, which afforded selectively an unprecedented NHC-stabilized bromo(silyl)silylene, namely SiBr(SiBr2Tbb)(SIdipp) (1). Alternatively, compound 1 could be obtained from the 2:1 reaction of SiBr2(SIdipp) with LiTbb at low temperature. 1 was then selectively reduced with C8K to give the NHC-stabilized disilavinylidene 2. Both low-valent silicon compounds were comprehensively characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, and elemental analyses. Additionally, the electronic structure of 2 was studied by various quantum-chemical methods.

Manganese-tin triple bonds: a new synthetic route to the manganese stannylidyne complex cation trans-[H(dmpe)2Mn≡Sn(C6H3-2,6-Mes2)]+ (dmpe = Me2PCH2CH2PMe2, Mes = 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl).

A new approach to the first complex featuring a manganese-tin triple bond that takes advantage of the propensity of dihydrogen complexes to eliminate H2 is reported. Reaction of the 18-valence-electron manganese dihydrogen hydride complex [MnH(η(2)-H2)(dmpe)2] (1) (dmpe = Me2PCH2CH2PMe2) with the organotin(II) chloride SnCl(C6H3-2,6-Mes2) (Mes = 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) selectively afforded by H2 elimination the chlorostannylidene complex trans-[H(dmpe)2Mn═Sn(Cl)(C6H3-2,6-Mes2)] (2), which upon treatment with Na[B(C6H3-3,5-(CF3)2)4] and Li[Al(OC(CF3)3)4] was transformed quantitatively into the stannylidyne complex salts trans-[H(dmpe)2Mn≡Sn(C6H3-2,6-Mes2)]A [A = B(C6H3-3,5-(CF3)2)4 (3a), Al(OC(CF3)3)4 (3b)]. Complexes 2 and 3a/3b were fully characterized, and the structures of 2 and 3a were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex 2 features the shortest Mn-Sn double bond reported to date, a large Mn-Sn-Caryl bond angle, and a long Sn-Cl bond of the trigonal-planar-coordinated tin center. These bonding features can be rationalized in valence-bond terms by a strong contribution of the triply bonded resonance structure [LnMn≡SnR]Cl and were verified by a natural resonance theory (NRT) analysis of the electron density of the DFT-minimized structure of 2. Complex 3a features the shortest Mn-Sn bond reported to date and a linearly coordinated tin atom. Natural bond order and NRT analyses of the electronic structure of the complex cation in 3a/3b suggested a highly polar Mn-Sn triple bond with a 65% ionic contribution to the NRT Mn-Sn bond order of 2.25. Complex 3a undergoes reversible one-electron reduction, suggesting that open-shell stannylidyne complexes might be accessible using strong reducing agents.