Evidence for Non-Innocence of a ß-Diketonate Ligand.

ß-Diketonates, such as acetylacetonate, are amongst the most common bidentate ligands towards elements across the entire periodic table and are considered wholly redox-inactive in their complexes. Herein we show that complexation of 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoroacetylacetonate (hfac- ) to CrII spontaneously affords CrIII and a reduced ß-diketonate radical ligand scaffold, as evidenced by crystallographic analysis, magnetic measurements, optical spectroscopy, reactivity studies, and DFT calculations. The possibility of harnessing ß-diketonates as electron reservoirs opens up possibilities for new metal-ligand concerted reactivity in the ubiquitous ß-diketonate coordination chemistry.

Synthesis and Reactivity of Low-Coordinate Titanium Synthons Supported by a Reduced Redox-Active Ligand.

To further explore the reactivity and redox capability of the bis-arylimino acenaphthylene ligand (BIAN) in early transition metal complexes, the coordinatively unsaturated titanium synthons, [(dpp-BAAN)Ti(R)2] ([dpp-BAAN](2-) = N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenylamido)acenaphthylene and R = O(t)Bu (2) or CH2C(CH3)3 (3)), in which the BAAN ligand is reduced by two electrons, were isolated in good yields via sterically induced radical elimination reactions. Addition of p-tolyl azide to complex 3 initiated reductive elimination of the neopentyl ligands to generate a putative imido species. The imido species was trapped by a second oxidative addition of chloride ligands to yield the titanium imido complex, [(dpp-BIAN)Ti[═N(4-C6H4Me)]Cl2 (4). These reactions demonstrate that the BAAN ligand can provide redox equivalents for enhanced reactivity that includes oxidative addition and reductive elimination at d(0) metal centers.

Delocalization and Valence Tautomerism in Vanadium Tris(iminosemiquinone) Complexes.

To survey the noninnocence of bis(arylimino) acenaphthene (BIAN) ligands (L) in complexes with early metals, the homoleptic vanadium complex, [V(L)3 ] (1), and its monocation, [V(L)3 ]PF6 (2), were synthesized. These complexes were found to have a very rich electronic behavior, whereby 1 displays strong electronic delocalization and 2 can be observed in unprecedented valence tautomeric forms. The oxidation states of the metal and ligand components in these complexes were assigned by using spectroscopic, crystallographic, and magnetic analyses. Complex 1 was identified as [V(IV) (L(red) )(L(.) )2 ] (L(red) =N,N'-bis(3,5-dimethylphenylamido)acenaphthylene; L(.) =N,N'-bis(3,5-dimethylphenylimino)acenaphthenesemiquinonate). Complex 2 was determined to be [V(V) (L(red) )(L(.) )2 ](+) at T<150 K and [V(IV) (L(.) )3 ](+) at T>150 K. Cyclic voltammetry experiments reveal six quasi-reversible processes, thus indicating the potential of this metal-ligand combination in catalysis or materials applications.

Synthesis and characterization of a neutral titanium tris(iminosemiquinone) complex featuring redox-active ligands.

The neutral tris(semiquinonate) complex [Ti(dmp-BIAN(isq))(3)] [dmp-BIAN(isq) = N,N'-bis(3,5-dimethylphenylimino)acenaphthenesemiquinonate] was structurally, spectroscopically, and electrochemically characterized. Solid-state magnetism experiments reveal field-quenchable, enhanced temperature-independent paramagnetism (TIP). Density functional theory calculations employing the experimental geometry predicts a strong antiferromagnetic coupling, leading to an S = 0 ground state, but they also hint at spin frustration and concomitant close-lying, excited states, which cause the observed large TIP by admixture into the ground state. The dmp-BIAN(isq) ligand, which facilitates intramolecular electron transfer, was shown to undergo four quasi-reversible redox processes, demonstrating the ability of the ligand to act as an electron reservoir in complexes of early metals.

Steric control of coordination geometry in titanium-imido complexes of N,N'-bis(arylimino)acenaphthylene ligands.

Titanium complexes of N,N'-bis(arylimino)acenaphthylene (BIAN) alpha-diimine ligands with varied steric profiles have been prepared. Coordination of the BIAN ligand derivatives to TiCl(4) afforded the adducts (dpp-BIAN)TiCl(4) (1a), (tmp-BIAN)TiCl(4) (1b), and (dmp-BIAN)TiCl(4) (1c) (dpp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl; tmp = 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl; dmp = 3,5-dimethylphenyl). While the least sterically crowded complex 1c is robust toward loss of the diimine ligand, the dpp-BIAN and tmp-BIAN ligands are readily displaced by pyridine from the more crowded derivatives 1a and 1b, respectively. The crowded profiles engendered by the tmp-BIAN and dpp-BIAN ligands result in the formation of five-coordinate titanium-imide complexes, (dpp-BIAN)TiCl(2)(=N(t)Bu) (2a) and (tmp-BIAN)TiCl(2)(=N(t)Bu) (2b), upon addition of (t)BuNH(2) to solutions of 1a or 1b, respectively. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies reveal a square pyramidal coordination environment with an apical imide ligand and a short Ti-N distance, consistent with a Ti-N triple bond. Conversely, the less crowded dmp-BIAN ligand affords a six-coordinate titanium imido complex, (dmp-BIAN)TiCl(2)(=N(t)Bu)(NH(2)(t)Bu) (4), upon treatment of 1c with (t)BuNH(2). Surprisingly the imido ligand is coordinated trans to one arm of the diimine. This six coordinate species is fluxional in solution, and exchange and variable temperature (1)H NMR experiments suggest dissociation of the coordinated (t)BuNH(2) ligand to generate a five-coordinate imido intermediate analogous to 2a and 2b.

Ligand field-actuated redox-activity of acetylacetonate.

The quest for simple ligands that enable multi-electron metal-ligand redox chemistry is driven by a desire to replace noble metals in catalysis and to discover novel chemical reactivity. The vast majority of simple ligand systems display electrochemical potentials impractical for catalytic cycles, illustrating the importance of creating new strategies towards energetically aligned ligand frontier and transition metal d orbitals. We herein demonstrate the ability to chemically control the redox-activity of the ubiquitous acetylacetonate (acac) ligand. By employing the ligand field of high-spin Cr(ii) as a switch, we were able to chemically tailor the occurrence of metal-ligand redox events via simple coordination or decoordination of the labile auxiliary ligands. The mechanism of ligand field actuation can be viewed as a destabilization of the d z 2 orbital relative to the π* LUMO of acac, which proffers a generalizable strategy to synthetically engineer redox-activity with seemingly redox-inactive ligands.