Synthesis and bonding analysis of pentagonal bipyramidal rhenium carboxamide oxo complexes.

Seven-coordinate rhenium oxo complexes supported by a tetradentate bipyridine carboxamide/carboxamidate ligand are reported. The neutral dicarboxamide H2Phbpy-da ligand initially coordinates in an L4 (ONNO) fashion to an octahedral rhenium oxo precursor, yielding a seven-coordinate rhenium oxo complex. Subsequent deprotonation generates a new oxo complex featuring the dianionic (L2X2) carboxamidate (NNNN) form of the ligand. Computational studies provide insight into the relative stability of possible linkage isomers upon deprotonation. Structural studies and molecular orbital theory are employed to rationalize the relative isomer stability and provide insight into the rhenium-oxo bond order.

Metal-Ligand Proton Tautomerism, Electron Transfer, and C(sp3)-H Activation by a 4-Pyridinyl-Pincer Iridium Hydride Complex.

The para-N-pyridyl-based PCP pincer proligand 3,5-bis(di-tert-butylphosphinomethyl)-2,6-dimethylpyridine (pN-tBuPCP-H) was synthesized and metalated to give the iridium complex (pN-tBuPCP)IrHCl (2-H). In marked contrast with its phenyl-based congeners, e.g., (tBuPCP)IrHCl and derivatives, 2-H is highly air-sensitive and reacts with oxidants such as ferrocenium, trityl cation, and benzoquinone. These oxidations ultimately lead to intramolecular activation of a phosphino-t-butyl C(sp3)-H bond and cyclometalation. Considering the greater electronegativity of N than C, 2-H is expected to be less easily oxidized than simple PCP derivatives; cyclic voltammetry and DFT calculations support this expectation. However, 2-H is calculated to undergo metal-ligand-proton tautomerism (MLPT) to give an N-protonated complex that can be described with resonance forms representing a zwitterionic complex (with a negative charge on Ir) and a p-N-pyridylidene (a remote N-heterocyclic carbene) Ir(I) complex. One-electron oxidation of this tautomer is calculated to be dramatically more favorable than direct oxidation of 2-H (ΔΔG° = -31.3 kcal/mol). The resulting Ir(II) oxidation product is easily deprotonated to give metalloradical 2• which is observed by NMR spectroscopy. 2• can be further oxidized to give cationic Ir(III) complex, 2+, which can oxidatively add a phosphino-t-butyl C-H bond and undergo deprotonation to give the observed cyclometalated product. DFT calculations indicate that less sterically hindered analogues of 2+ would preferentially undergo intermolecular addition of C(sp3)-H bonds, for example, of n-alkanes. The resulting iridium alkyl complexes could undergo facile ß-H elimination to afford olefin, thereby completing a catalytic cycle for alkane dehydrogenation driven by one-electron oxidation and deprotonation, enabled by MLPT.

Lewis Structures and the Bonding Classification of End-on Bridging Dinitrogen Transition Metal Complexes.

The activation of dinitrogen by coordination to transition metal ions is a widely used and promising approach to the utilization of Earth's most abundant nitrogen source for chemical synthesis. End-on bridging N2 complexes (µ-η1:η1-N2) are key species in nitrogen fixation chemistry, but a lack of consensus on the seemingly simple task of assigning a Lewis structure for such complexes has prevented application of valence electron counting and other tools for understanding and predicting reactivity trends. The Lewis structures of bridging N2 complexes have traditionally been determined by comparing the experimentally observed NN distance to the bond lengths of free N2, diazene, and hydrazine. We introduce an alternative approach here and argue that the Lewis structure should be assigned based on the total π-bond order in the MNNM core (number of π-bonds), which derives from the character (bonding or antibonding) and occupancy of the delocalized π-symmetry molecular orbitals (π-MOs) in MNNM. To illustrate this approach, the complexes cis,cis-[(iPr4PONOP)MCl2]2(µ-N2) (M = W, Re, and Os) are examined in detail. Each complex is shown to have a different number of nitrogen-nitrogen and metal-nitrogen π-bonds, indicated as, respectively: W≡N-N≡W, Re═N═N═Re, and Os-N≡N-Os. It follows that each of these Lewis structures represents a distinct class of complexes (diazanyl, diazenyl, and dinitrogen, respectively), in which the µ-N2 ligand has a different electron donor number (total of 8e-, 6e-, or 4e-, respectively). We show how this classification can greatly aid in understanding and predicting the properties and reactivity patterns of µ-N2 complexes.

Correlating Thermodynamic and Kinetic Hydricities of Rhenium Hydrides.

The kinetics of hydride transfer from Re(Rbpy)(CO)3H (bpy = 4,4'-R-2,2'-bipyridine; R = OMe, tBu, Me, H, Br, COOMe, CF3) to CO2 and seven different cationic N-heterocycles were determined. Additionally, the thermodynamic hydricities of complexes of the type Re(Rbpy)(CO)3H were established primarily using computational methods. Linear free-energy relationships (LFERs) derived by correlating thermodynamic and kinetic hydricities indicate that, in general, the rate of hydride transfer increases as the thermodynamic driving force for the reaction increases. Kinetic isotope effects range from inverse for hydride transfer reactions with a small driving force to normal for reactions with a large driving force. Hammett analysis indicates that hydride transfer reactions with greater thermodynamic driving force are less sensitive to changes in the electronic properties of the metal hydride, presumably because there is less buildup of charge in the increasingly early transition state. Bronsted α values were obtained for a range of hydride transfer reactions and along with DFT calculations suggest the reactions are concerted, which enables the use of Marcus theory to analyze hydride transfer reactions involving transition metal hydrides. It is notable, however, that even slight perturbations in the steric properties of the Re hydride or the hydride acceptor result in large deviations in the predicted rate of hydride transfer based on thermodynamic driving forces. This indicates that thermodynamic considerations alone cannot be used to predict the rate of hydride transfer, which has implications for catalyst design.

Reactivity of Iridium Complexes of a Triphosphorus-Pincer Ligand Based on a Secondary Phosphine. Catalytic Alkane Dehydrogenation and the Origin of Extremely High Activity.

The selective functionalization of alkanes and alkyl groups is a major goal of chemical catalysis. Toward this end, a bulky triphosphine with a central secondary phosphino group, bis(2-di-t-butyl-phosphinophenyl)phosphine (tBuPHPP), has been synthesized. When complexed to iridium, it adopts a meridional ("pincer") configuration. The secondary phosphino H atom can undergo migration to iridium to give an anionic phosphido-based-pincer (tBuPPP) complex. Stoichiometric reactions of the (tBuPPP)Ir complexes reflect a distribution of steric bulk around the iridium center in which the coordination site trans to the phosphido group is quite crowded; one coordination site cis to the phosphido is even more crowded; and the remaining site is particularly open. The (tBuPPP)Ir precursors are the most active catalysts reported to date for dehydrogenation of n-alkanes, by about 2 orders of magnitude. The electronic properties of the iridium center are similar to that of well-known analogous (RPCP)Ir catalysts. Accordingly, DFT calculations predict that (tBuPPP)Ir and (tBuPCP)Ir are, intrinsically, comparably active for alkane dehydrogenation. While dehydrogenation by (RPCP)Ir proceeds through an intermediate trans-(PCP)IrH2(alkene), (tBuPPP)Ir follows a pathway proceeding via cis-(PPP)IrH2(alkene), thereby circumventing unfavorable placement of the alkene at the bulky site trans to phosphorus. (tBuPPP)Ir and (tBuPCP)Ir, however, have analogous resting states: square planar (pincer)Ir(alkene). Alkene coordination at the crowded trans site is therefore unavoidable in the resting states. Thus, the resting state of the (tBuPPP)Ir catalyst is destabilized by the architecture of the ligand, and this is largely responsible for its unusually high catalytic activity.

Understanding Terminal versus Bridging End-on N2 Coordination in Transition Metal Complexes.

Terminal and bridging end-on coordination of N2 to transition metal complexes offer possibilities for distinct pathways in ammonia synthesis and N2 functionalization. Here we elucidate the fundamental factors controlling the two binding modes and determining which is favored for a given metal-ligand system, using both quantitative density functional theory (DFT) and qualitative molecular orbital (MO) analyses. The Gibbs free energy for converting two terminal MN2 complexes into a bridging MNNM complex and a free N2 molecule (2ΔGeq°) is examined through systematic variations of the metal and ligands; values of ΔGeq° range between +9.1 and -24.0 kcal/mol per M-N2 bond. We propose a model that accounts for these broad variations by assigning a fixed π-bond order (BOπ) to the triatomic terminal MNN moiety that is equal to that of the free N2 molecule, and a variable BOπ to the bridging complexes based on the character (bonding or antibonding) and occupancy of the π-MOs in the tetratomic MNNM core. When the conversion from terminal to bridging coordination and free N2 is associated with an increase in the number of π-bonds (ΔBOeqπ > 0), the bridging mode is greatly favored; this condition is satisfied when each metal provides 1, 2, or 3 electrons to the π-MOs of the MNNM core. When each metal in the bridging complex provides 4 electrons to the MNNM π-MOs, ΔBOeqπ = 0; the equilibrium in this case is approximately ergoneutral and the direction can be shifted by dispersion interactions.

Electronic and Spin-State Effects on Dinitrogen Splitting to Nitrides in a Rhenium Pincer System.

Bimetallic nitrogen (N2) splitting to form metal nitrides is an attractive method for N2 fixation. Although a growing number of pincer-supported systems can bind and split N2, the precise relationship between the ligand properties and N2 binding/splitting remains elusive. Here we report the first example of an N2-bridged rhenium(III) complex, [(trans-P2tBuPyrr)ReCl2]2(µ-η1:η1-N2) (P2tBuPyrr = [2,5-(CH2PtBu2)2C4H2N]-). In this case, N2 binding occurs at a higher oxidation level than that in other reported pincer analogues. Analysis of the electronic structure through computational studies shows that the weakly π-donor pincer ligand stabilizes an open-shell electronic configuration that leads to enhanced binding of N2 in the bridged complex. Utilizing SQUID magnetometry, we demonstrate a singlet ground state for this Re-N-N-Re complex, and we offer tentative explanations for antiferromagnetic coupling of the two local S = 1 sites. Reduction and subsequent heating of the rhenium(III)-dinitrogen complex leads to chloride loss and cleavage of the N-N bond with isolation of the terminal rhenium(V) nitride complex (P2tBuPyrr)ReNCl.

Formation of Enamines via Catalytic Dehydrogenation by Pincer-Iridium Complexes.

Di-isopropylphosphino-substituted pincer-ligated iridium catalysts are found to be significantly more effective for the dehydrogenation of simple tertiary amines to give enamines than the previously reported di-t-butylphosphino-substituted species. It is also found that the di-isopropylphosphino-substituted complexes catalyze dehydrogenation of several ß-functionalized tertiary amines to give the corresponding 1,2-difunctionalized olefins. The di-t-butylphosphino-substituted species are ineffective for such substrates; presumably, the marked difference is attributable to the lesser crowding of the di-isopropylphosphino-substituted catalysts. Experimentally determined kinetic isotope effects in conjunction with DFT-based analysis support a dehydrogenation mechanism involving initial pre-equilibrium oxidative addition of the amine α-C-H bond followed by rate-determining elimination of the ß-C-H bond.

Dinitrogen Reduction to Ammonium at Rhenium Utilizing Light and Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer.

The direct scission of the triple bond of dinitrogen (N2) by a metal complex is an alluring entry point into the transformation of N2 to ammonia (NH3) in molecular catalysis. Reported herein is a pincer-ligated rhenium system that reduces N2 to NH3 via a well-defined reaction sequence involving reductive formation of a bridging N2 complex, photolytic N2 splitting, and proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reduction of the metal-nitride bond. The new complex (PONOP)ReCl3 (PONOP = 2,6-bis(diisopropylphosphinito)pyridine) is reduced under N2 to afford the trans,trans-isomer of the bimetallic complex [(PONOP)ReCl2]2(µ-N2) as an isolable kinetic product that isomerizes sequentially upon heating into the trans,cis and cis,cis isomers. All isomers are inert to thermal N2 scission, and the trans,trans-isomer is also inert to photolytic N2 cleavage. In striking contrast, illumination of the trans,cis and cis,cis-isomers with blue light (405 nm) affords the octahedral nitride complex cis-(PONOP)Re(N)Cl2 in 47% spectroscopic yield and 11% quantum yield. The photon energy drives an N2 splitting reaction that is thermodynamically unfavorable under standard conditions, producing a nitrido complex that reacts with SmI2/H2O to produce a rhenium tetrahydride complex (38% yield) and furnish ammonia in 74% yield.

H2 Addition to Pincer Iridium Complexes Yielding trans-Dihydride Products: Unexpected Correlations of Bond Strength with Bond Length and Vibrational Frequencies.

R4PONOP-Ir-Me (R1) and R4POCOP-Ir-CO (R2), R = tBu or iPr, are known to undergo acid-catalyzed oxidative addition of H2 that yields octahedral products with two hydrides in a trans-configuration. We use density functional theory to study the free energies (Δ Gtrans) and equilibrium isotope effects (EIEtrans) for H2/D2 addition to R1, R2, and related complexes for R = tBu, iPr, and Me. For a given R, reaction of R1 is ∼5 kcal/mol more exergonic than R2. For a given subclass of complexes, Δ Gtrans is more exergonic for the smaller R. The computed values of Δ Gtrans vary between +5.1 and -17.4 kcal/mol. EIEtrans varies between 0.78 and 1.22. Counterintuitively, it is the less-exergonic reactions that afford products with shorter Ir-H bonds, greater symmetric and asymmetric trans-Ir-(H)2 stretching vibrational frequencies, and more inverse EIEtrans. This disparity is amplified in Me4PONOP-Os-CO, where Δ Gtrans is -35.2 kcal/mol, yet the Os-H bonds are long, and the Os-H vibrational frequencies are low as compared with the Ir-H bonds, and EIEtrans is high (1.20). Attempts are made to account for the inverted bond strength-bond length correlation based on the hydricity of the products and the total negative charge on the trans-Ir(H)2 unit as computed using the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules.

Ancillary Ligand Effects upon the Photochemistry of Mn(bpy)(CO)3X Complexes (X = Br-, PhCC-).

The photochemistry of two Mn(bpy)(CO)3X complexes (X = PhCC-, Br-) has been studied in the coordinating solvents THF (terahydrofuran) and MeCN (acetonitrile) employing time-resolved infrared spectroscopy. The two complexes are found to exhibit strikingly different photoreactivities and solvent dependencies. In MeCN, photolysis of 1-(CO)(Br) [1 = Mn(bpy)(CO)2] affords the ionic complex [1-(MeCN)2]Br as a final product. In contrast, photolysis of 1-(CO)(CCPh) in MeCN results in facial to meridional isomerization of the parent complex. When THF is used as solvent, photolysis results in facial to meridional isomerization in both complexes, though the isomerization rate is larger for X = Br-. Pronounced differences are also observed in the photosubstitution chemistry of the two complexes where both the rate of MeCN exchange from 1-(MeCN)(X) by THFA (tetrahydrofurfurylamine) and the nature of the intermediates generated in the reaction are dependent upon X. DFT calculations are used to support analysis of some of the experiments.

Ammonia Synthesis from a Pincer Ruthenium Nitride via Metal-Ligand Cooperative Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer.

The conversion of metal nitride complexes to ammonia may be essential to dinitrogen fixation. We report a new reduction pathway that utilizes ligating acids and metal-ligand cooperation to effect this conversion without external reductants. Weak acids such as 4-methoxybenzoic acid and 2-pyridone react with nitride complex [(H-PNP)RuN]+ (H-PNP = HN(CH2CH2PtBu2)2) to generate octahedral ammine complexes that are κ2-chelated by the conjugate base. Experimental and computational mechanistic studies reveal the important role of Lewis basic sites proximal to the acidic proton in facilitating protonation of the nitride. The subsequent reduction to ammonia is enabled by intramolecular 2H+/2e- proton-coupled electron transfer from the saturated pincer ligand backbone.

Mechanism of Alcohol-Water Dehydrogenative Coupling into Carboxylic Acid Using Milstein's Catalyst: A Detailed Investigation of the Outer-Sphere PES in the Reaction of Aldehydes with an Octahedral Ruthenium Hydroxide.

In aqueous basic media, the square-pyramidal complex [Ru(PNN)(CO)(H)] (1-Ru, where PNN is a dearomatized bipyridyl-CH-P(t)Bu2 pincer ligand) catalyzes the transformation of alcohols and water into carboxylates and H2. A previous theoretical investigation reported the following mechanism for the reaction: (i) metal-catalyzed dehydrogenation of the alcohol into an aldehyde, (ii) metal-ligand cooperation (MLC) addition of water to 1-Ru to give an octahedral ruthenium hydroxide (2-Ru-OH), (iii) concerted MLC hydration of the aldehyde by 2-Ru-OH to give separated 1-Ru and a gem-diol, and (iv) concerted MLC dehydrogenation of the gem-diol by 1-Ru into an octahedral ruthenium dihydride (2-Ru-H) and a carboxylic acid. We calculate the outer-sphere PES in the reaction between the aldehyde and 2-Ru-OH to start with a localized coupling step yielding an ion-pair minimum (7-ip-OH) in which the hydroxyl group of an α-hydroxyl-alkoxide (gem-diolate) is coordinated to the metal of a cationic square-pyramidal complex. From 7-ip-OH, we identify a route to carboxylic acid that circumvents ligand deprotonation involving (i) 1,1-rearrangement of the gem-diolate within the contact ion pair through an α-OH/O(-) slippage TS into the octahedral 2-Ru-OCH(OH)R and (ii) a second 1,1-rearrangement through an α-O(-)/H slippage TS that gives a new ion-pair minimum in which the α-hydrogen of the anion is coordinated to the metal, followed by a localized hydride-transfer TS that gives a carboxylic acid and the octahedral hydride complex (2-Ru-H). The net transformation from 2-Ru-OH and the aldehyde to the carboxylic acid and 2-Ru-H can be viewed as a H/OH metathesis in which a hydride and a hydroxide are exchanged between the acyl group of the aldehyde and the metal center of 2-Ru-OH. The MLC mechanism gives the same metathesis products through the intermediacy of a gem-diol. When the SMD solvent continuum model is applied during geometry optimization with water as the solvent, the Gibbs free energy profile of the slippage pathway is predicted to be much lower than that predicted for MLC. The possibility of dissociation of the ion pair 7-ip-OH into free ions and reassociation is also briefly addressed. Some calculations are also performed to address why no esters are observed in the given system.

Calculation of ionization energy, electron affinity, and hydride affinity trends in pincer-ligated d(8)-Ir((tBu4)PXCXP) complexes: implications for the thermodynamics of oxidative H2 addition.

DFT methods are used to calculate the ionization energy (IE) and electron affinity (EA) trends in a series of pincer ligated d(8)-Ir((tBu4)PXCXP) complexes (1-X), where C is a 2,6-disubstituted phenyl ring with X = O, NH, CH2, BH, S, PH, SiH2, and GeH2. Both C2v and C2 geometries are considered. Two distinct σ-type ((2)A1 or (2)A) and π-type ((2)B1 or (2)B) electronic states are calculated for each of the free radical cation and anion. The results exhibit complex trends, but can be satisfactorily accounted for by invoking a combination of electronegativity and specific π-orbital effects. The calculations are also used to study the effects of varying X on the thermodynamics of oxidative H2 addition to 1-X. Two closed shell singlet states differentiated in the C2 point group by the d(6)-electon configuration are investigated for the five-coordinate Ir(III) dihydride product. One electronic state has a d(6)-(a)(2)(b)(2)(b)(2) configuration and a square pyramidal geometry, the other a d(6)-(a)(2)(b)(2)(a)(2) configuration with a distorted-Y trigonal bipyramidal geometry. No simple correlations are found between the computed reaction energies of H2 addition and either the IEs or EAs. To better understand the origin of the computed trends, the thermodynamics of H2 addition are analyzed using a cycle of hydride and proton addition steps. The analysis highlights the importance of the electron and hydride affinities, which are not commonly used in rationalizing trends of oxidative addition reactions. Thus, different complexes such as 1-O and 1-CH2 can have very similar reaction energies for H2 addition arising from opposing hydride and proton affinity effects. Additional calculations on methane C-H bond addition to 1-X afford reaction and activation energy trends that correlate with the reaction energies of H2 addition leading to the Y-product.

A metathesis model for the dehydrogenative coupling of amines with alcohols and esters into carboxamides by Milstein's [Ru(PNN)(CO)(H)] catalysts.

Milstein's [Ru(PNN)(CO)(H)] catalyst (1-Ru) is known to mediate the dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols into esters. When it is used in alcohol-amine mixtures it catalyzes carboxamide formation selectively over esters and imines. The given chemistry is generally accepted to follow metal-ligand cooperation (MLC) mechanisms involving hemiacetals and hemiaminals as intermediates. Using electronic structure DFT methods we investigate alternative, more direct OR/H and NHR/H metal/acyl metathesis routes to coupling that circumvent the intermediacy of the hemiacetal and the hemiaminal. The newly proposed mechanism involves formation of hemiacetaloxide and hemiaminaloxide ion-pairs by addition of an aldehyde (from metal-catalyzed alcohol dehydrogenation) to an octahedral ruthenium-alkoxide or ruthenium-amide intermediate (from alcohol or amine addition to 1-Ru), followed by simple rearrangement (slippage) within the intact ion-pairs to transfer a hydride from the hemiacetaloxide or hemiaminaloxide to the metal. We show that the computed potential energy surfaces that are sometimes invoked to support the MLC mechanism correspond to indirect routes to metathesis. Both the ion-pair and the MLC routes predict the dehydrogenative coupling of ethanol and methanol into methyl acetate to be kinetically much more favored than the kinetics of formation of N-methylacetamide from ethanol and methylamine. However, the calculations provide evidence for the accessibility of a low energy NHR/OR metathesis path that would amidate the ester into the experimentally observed thermodynamically more favored carboxamide product. In fact, 1-Ru is known to be a catalyst for ester amidation.

Symmetry aspects of H2 splitting by five-coordinate d6 ruthenium amides, and calculations on acetophenone hydrogenation, ruthenium alkoxide formation, and subsequent hydrogenolysis in a model trans-Ru(H)2(diamine)(diphosphine) system.

The potential energy surface (PES) of H(2) addition to the Ru═N bond of a model five-coordinate ruthenium amide (Ru═N), leading to an octahedral trans-Ru(H)(2)(diamine)(diphosphine) (HRu-NH) and subsequent acetophenone hydrogenation, is studied using M06 density functional theory methods. A qualitative molecular orbital analysis reveals that H(2) addition to the ground state of Ru═N (which has a distorted trigonal-bipyramidal geometry) fits the criterion of a symmetry-forbidden reaction. A transition state (TS) for H(2) heterolytic splitting by Ru═N corresponds to the reaction taking place on an excited state of the Ru═N having a square-pyramidal geometry and gives ΔG°(⧧) = 19.5 kcal/mol. The reaction between HRu-NH and acetophenone proceeds by a localized hydride-transfer TS with ΔG°(⧧) = 11.5 kcal/mol. This TS leads to an ion pair between a square-pyramidal d(6) ruthenium amino cation and the alkoxide and is uphill from the separated reactants by 3.5 kcal/mol. Subsequent abstraction of the amino proton by the alkoxide within the ion pair is barrierless, but it also lacks any thermodynamic driving force. In contrast, reorientation of the alkoxide within the ion pair to form an octahedral ruthenium alkoxide is calculated to be exoergic by 7.1 kcal/mol. These features of the PES suggest that the known rapid production of ruthenium alkoxides when stoichiometric amounts of acetophenone and HRu-NH are reacted at low temperatures proceeds by a simple direct route following hydride transfer. For the simplified model complex, ruthenium alkoxide is calculated to be the thermodynamic product of the hydrogenation reaction (exoergic by 3.6 kcal/mol). A TS for H(2) heterolytic splitting across the Ru-alkoxide bond is calculated to have ΔG°(⧧) (16.0 kcal/mol), slightly smaller than that of H(2) addition to the five-coordinate Ru═N.

Calculation of dramatic differences in the activation energy of phenyl migratory insertion in the isomers of [Rh(PMe3)2Cl(CO)(Ph)H]: important effects from both the ligand trans to Ph and the ligand trans to CO.

trans,trans-[RhL(2)(Ph)(CO)HCl] (2a) and trans,trans-[RhL(2)(Ph)Cl(CO)H] (2b) are known to form as major products in the reaction between benzene and a photoexcited state of trans-[RhL(2)(CO)Cl] (1; L = PMe(3)). In the presence of carbon monoxide, these species are believed to ultimately lead to catalytic photocarbonylation of benzene. At the B3LYP level of theory the calculated free energy of activation for the concerted transition state (TS) of phenyl to CO migration in 2b (TSb) is 39 kcal/mol. In contrast, the barrier of insertion in the trans,trans-[RhL(2)(Ph)H(CO)Cl] isomer (2c) which is 7.4 kcal/mol higher in energy than 2b is only 15 kcal/mol. The calculated geometries of the reactants and TSs indicate that the disparity in the given barriers arises from a combination of two factors. First, the orientation of H trans to the migrating Ph group in 2c favors the TS because it weakens the Rh-Ph bond and thus makes it easier to begin migration of the phenyl group in comparison with 2b where the phenyl is trans to the chloride. Second, the orientation of the hydride trans to CO in 2b appears to strongly disfavor the reaction compared to 2c where CO is trans to Cl. Specifically, the calculations give strong evidence that the Rh-H bond in 2b is substantially weakened in TSb, and this should add to the increased barrier of this isomer. These propositions are supported by calculations on the reaction of the cis-Rh(PMe(3))(2) isomers of 2 and other related octahedral complexes.

Addition of alkyl radicals to transition-metal-coordinated CO: calculation of the reaction of [Ru(CO)5] and related complexes and relevance to alkane carbonylation.

Electronic structure methods have been used to study the transition state and products of the reaction between alkyl radicals and CO coordinated in transition-metal complexes. At the B3LYP DFT level, methyl addition to a carbonyl of [Ru(CO)5] or [Ru(CO)3(dmpe)] is calculated to be about 6 kcal/mol more exothermic than addition to free CO. In contrast, methyl addition to [Mo(CO)6] is 12 kcal/mol less exothermic than addition to CO, while the reaction enthalpy of methyl addition to [Pd(CO)4] is comparable to that of free CO. Related results are obtained at the CCSD-T level and for the reactions of the cyclohexyl radical. The transition state for these reactions is characterized by significant distortion of the geometry of the reactant complex, which include lengthening and bending of the M-CO bond, but with negligible C-C bond formation. Accordingly, the activation energy for addition to coordinated carbonyls is 2-10 kcal/mol greater than that of addition to free CO. Additional calculations were also carried out on representative unsaturated metal carbonyls. The calculated results afford an understanding of the mechanism of previously reported photochemical alkane carbonylation systems utilizing d(8)-ML5 metal carbonyls as cocatalysts. In particular, it is strongly indicated that such systems operate via direct attack by an alkyl radical at a CO ligand, a reaction that has not previously been proposed.

Evaluation of Two Computational Models Based on Different Effective Core Potentials for Use in Organocesium Chemistry.

The performance of two computational models was evaluated in describing some aggregated structures, the bond lengths and dimerization energies of cesium halides, aquation energies of the cesium cation, and protonation energies of a range of organocesium compounds. One model used the Hay-Wadt (HW) effective core potential (ECP) and a double-ζ valence basis set on Cs; the other used the Ross ECP with two polarization functions on Cs. In both models, the standard 6-31+G** basis was used for the other atoms. At the Hartree-Fock (HF) level, the Ross ECP was found to give geometries and energies in good agreement with experimental results. Second-order Møller-Plesset calculations with this model gave only modestly improved results compared to HF; the B3LYP level gave variable results with unsatisfactory energies. Although the HW model is generally less satisfactory, it often shows comparable trends to those of the Ross model.

Basicity of some phosphines in THF.

[reaction: see text] The reaction of several phosphines with an acidic indicator gives both ion pairs and free ions. The value obtained for the pKa of tribenzylphosphine is shown to be reasonable by MO computations. An important limitation is demonstrated for the Fuoss equation of dissociation of ion pairs.