Structural Characterization and Lifetimes of Triple-Stranded Helical Coinage Metal Complexes: Synthesis, Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Calculations.

This work reports on a series of polynuclear complexes containing a trinuclear Cu, Ag, or Au core in combination with the fac-isomer of the metalloligand [Ru(pypzH)3 ](PF6 )2 (pypzH=3-(pyridin-2-yl)pyrazole). These (in case of the Ag and Au containing species) newly synthesized compounds of the general formula [{Ru(pypz)3 }2 M3 ](PF6 ) (2: M=Cu; 3: M=Ag; 4: M=Au) contain triple-stranded helical structures in which two ruthenium moieties are connected by three N-M-N (M=Cu, Ag, Au) bridges. In order to obtain a detailed description of the structure both in the electronic ground and excited states, extensive spectroscopic and quantum chemical calculations are applied. The equilateral coinage metal core triangle in the electronic ground state of 2-4 is distorted in the triplet state. Furthermore, the analyses offer a detailed description of electronic excitations. By using time-resolved IR spectroscopy from the microsecond down to the nanosecond regime, both the vibrational spectra and the lifetime of the lowest lying electronically excited triplet state can be determined. The lifetimes of these almost only non-radiative triplet states of 2-4 show an unusual effect in a way that the Au-containing complex 4 has a lifetime which is by more than a factor of five longer than in case of the Cu complex 2. Thus, the coinage metals have a significant effect on the electronically excited state, which is localized on a pypz ligand coordinated to the Ru atom indicating an unusual cooperative effect between two moieties of the complex.

A Boron-Fluorinated Tris(pyrazolyl)borate Ligand ((F) Tp*) and Its Mono- and Dinuclear Copper Complexes [Cu((F) Tp*)2 ] and [Cu2 ((F) Tp*)2 ]: Synthesis, Structures, and DFT Calculations.

Reaction of [Si(3,5-Me2 pz)4 ] (1) with [Cu(MeCN)4 ][BF4 ] (2) gave the mono- and dinuclear copper complexes [Cu2 ((F) Tp*)2 ] (3) and [Cu((F) Tp*)2 ] (4). Both complexes contain the so-far unprecedented boron-fluorinated (F) Tp* ligand ([FB(3,5-Me2 pz)3 ](-) with pz=pyrazolyl) originating from 1, acting as a pyrazolyl transfer reagent, and the [BF4 ](-) counter anion of 2, serving as the source of the {BF} entity. The solid-state structures as well as the NMR and EPR spectroscopic characteristics of the complexes were elaborated. Pulsed gradient spin echo (PGSE) experiments revealed that 3 retains (almost entirely) its dimeric structure in benzene, whereas dimer cleavage and formation of acetonitrile adducts, presumably [Cu((F) Tp*)(MeCN)], is observed in acetonitrile. The short Cu⋅⋅⋅Cu distance of 269.16 pm in the solid-state is predicted by DFT calculations to be dictated by dispersion interactions between all atoms in the complex (the Cu-Cu dispersion contribution itself is only very small). As revealed by cyclic voltammetry studies, 3 shows an irreversible (almost quasi-reversible at higher scan rates) oxidation process centred at E(pa) =-0.23 V (E(0) 1/2 =-0.27 V) (vs. Fc/Fc(+) ). Oxidation reactions on a preparative scale with one equivalent of the ferrocenium salt [Fc][BF4 ] (very slow reaction) or air (fast reaction) furnished blue crystals of the mononuclear copper(II) complex [Cu((F) Tp*)2 ] (4). As expected for a Jahn-Teller-active system, the coordination sphere around copper(II) is strongly distorted towards a stretched octahedron, in accordance with EPR spectroscopic findings.

Redox-responsive phosphonite gold complexes in hydroamination catalysis.

Very high activities were observed in the redox-induced hydroamination of alkynes by employing a redox-active gold(i) complex featuring an electron-deficient, terphenyl-substituted phosphonite-based ligand. The hydroamination proceeds roughly two-fold faster with the in situ oxidized catalysts than with their reduced form.

Phosphine-functionalised tris(pyrazolyl)methane ligands and their mono- and heterobimetallic complexes.

The synthesis, characterisation and reactivity of new phosphine-functionalised tris(pyrazolyl)methane ligands (TpmPR2, 2a-c, with R = Ph, nBu, iPr) are presented. The reaction of 2a-c with [Rh(CO)2Cl]2 furnished N,P-heterochelate carbonyl complexes (3a-c), which were used to quantify the donor abilities of the ligands via IR spectroscopy. The coordination flexibility was demonstrated by treating representative members of this new ligand class with [CpRu(acn)3][PF6] (acn = acetonitrile), [(tht)AuCl] (tht = tetrahydrothiophene) and [Pd(allyl)Cl]2 providing either a N,N,P-heteroscorpionate complex (4) or the P-coordinated complexes (5,6) without any involvement of the pyrazolyl entities. With 2a and [Pd(cod)Cl2], another P,N-heterochelate complex (7) was obtained, which served as a precursor for a heterobimetallic complex containing palladium and copper (8). Detailed NMR spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic investigations have been performed on all new complexes.