Exposing the inadequacy of redox formalisms by resolving redox inequivalence within isovalent clusters.

In this report we examine a family of trinuclear iron complexes by multiple-wavelength, anomalous diffraction (MAD) to explore the redox load distribution within cluster materials by the free refinement of atomic scattering factors. Several effects were explored that can impact atomic scattering factors within clusters, including 1) metal atom primary coordination sphere, 2) M-M bonding, and 3) redox delocalization in formally mixed-valent species. Complexes were investigated which vary from highly symmetric to fully asymmetric by 57Fe Mössbauer and X-ray diffraction to explore the relationship between MAD-derived data and the data available from these widely used characterization techniques. The compounds examined include the all-ferrous clusters [ n Bu4N][(tbsL)Fe3(µ3-Cl)] (1) ([tbsL]6- = [1,3,5-C6H9(NC6H4-o-NSi t BuMe2)3]6-]), (tbsL)Fe3(py) (2), [K(C222)]2[(tbsL)Fe3(µ3-NPh)] (4) (C222 = 2,2,2-cryptand), and the mixed-valent (tbsL)Fe3(µ3-NPh) (3). Redox delocalization in mixed-valent 3 was explored with cyclic voltammetry (CV), zero-field 57Fe Mössbauer, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography techniques. We find that the MAD results show an excellent correspondence to 57Fe Mössbauer data; yet also can distinguish between subtle changes in local coordination geometries where Mössbauer cannot. Differences within aggregate oxidation levels are evident by systematic shifts of scattering factor envelopes to increasingly higher energies. However, distinguishing local oxidation levels in iso- or mixed-valent materials can be dramatically obscured by the degree of covalent intracore bonding. MAD-derived atomic scattering factor data emphasize in-edge features that are often difficult to analyze by X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES). Thus, relative oxidation levels within the cluster were most reliably ascertained from comparing the entire envelope of the atomic scattering factor data.

Catalyst-Directed Chemoselective Double Amination of Bromo-chloro(hetero)arenes: A Synthetic Route toward Advanced Amino-aniline Intermediates.

A chemoselective sequential one-pot coupling protocol was developed for preparing several amino-anilines in high yield as building blocks for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Site (Cl vs Br on electrophile) and nucleophile (amine vs imine) selectivity is dictated by the catalyst employed. A Pd-crotyl (t-BuXPhos) precatalyst selectively coupled the Ar-Br of the polyhaloarene with benzophenone imine, even in the presence of a secondary amine, while Pd-based RuPhos or (BINAP)Pd(allyl)Cl coupled the Ar-Cl site with secondary amines.

Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketimines using well-defined iron(II)-based precatalysts containing a PNNP ligand.

Well-defined iron(II)-based complexes containing PNNP ligands catalyze a highly enantioselective reduction of N-(diphenylphosphinoyl)- and N-(p-tolylsulphonyl)-ketimines. Under mild conditions and low catalyst loading, the ketimines are successfully reduced to the corresponding amines in enantiomeric excess ranging from 94 to 99%.

The mechanism of efficient asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone using an iron(II) complex containing an (S,S)-Ph2PCH2CH═NCHPhCHPhN═CHCH2PPh2 ligand: partial ligand reduction is the key.

On the basis of a kinetic study and other evidence, we propose a mechanism of activation and operation of a highly active system generated from the precatalyst trans-[Fe(CO)(Br)(Ph(2)PCH(2)CH═N-((S,S)-C(Ph)H-C(Ph)H)-N═CHCH(2)PPh(2))][BPh(4)] (2) for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone in basic isopropanol. An induction period for catalyst activation is observed before the catalytic production of 1-phenethanol. The activation step is proposed to involve a rapid reaction of 2 with excess base to give an ene-amido complex [Fe(CO)(Ph(2)PCH(2)CH═N-((S,S)-C(Ph)H-C(Ph)H)-NCH═CHPPh(2))](+) (Fe(p)) and a bis(enamido) complex Fe(CO)(Ph(2)PCH═CH-N-(S,S-CH(Ph)CH(Ph))-N-CH═CHPPh(2)) (5); 5 was partially characterized. The slow step in the catalyst activation is thought to be the reaction of Fe(p) with isopropoxide to give the catalytically active amido-(ene-amido) complex Fe(a) with a half-reduced, deprotonated PNNP ligand. This can be trapped by reaction with HCl in ether to give, after isolation with NaBPh(4), [Fe(CO)(Cl)(Ph(2)PCH(2)CH(2)N(H)-((S,S)-CH(Ph)CH(Ph))-N═CHCH(2)PPh(2))][BPh(4)] (7) which was characterized using multinuclear NMR and high-resolution mass spectrometry. When compound 7 is treated with base, it directly enters the catalytic cycle with no induction period. A precatalyst with the fully reduced P-NH-NH-P ligand was prepared and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. It was found to be much less active than 2 or 7. Reaction profiles obtained by varying the initial concentrations of acetophenone, precatalyst, base, and acetone and by varying the temperature were fit to the kinetic model corresponding to the proposed mechanism by numerical simulation to obtain a unique set of rate constants and thermodynamic parameters.

Effect of the structure of the diamine backbone of P-N-N-P ligands in iron(II) complexes on catalytic activity in the transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone.

The asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones can be efficiently accomplished using catalysts that are based on platinum group metals which are more toxic and less abundant than iron. For that reason the discovery of iron based catalysts for the use in this transformation is important. To address this issue, we synthesized a new series of iron(II)-based precatalysts trans-[Fe(Br)(CO)(PPh(2)CH(2)CH═NCHRCHRN═CHCH(2)PPh(2))]BPh(4) (5a-5d) containing P-N-N-P ligands with the diamines (R,R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane (a), (R,R)-1,2-diphenyl-1,2-diaminoethane (b), (R,R)-1,2-di(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,2-diaminoethane (c), and ethylenediamine (d) incorporated in the backbone using a convenient one-pot synthesis using readily available starting materials. All of the complexes, when activated with a base, show a very high activity in the transfer hydrogenation catalysis of acetophenone, using 2-propanol as a reducing agent under mild conditions. A comparison of the TOF of complexes 5a-5d show that the catalytic activity of complexes increase as the size of the substituents in the backbone of ligands increases (d < a < b = c).

Template synthesis of iron(II) complexes containing tridentate P-N-S, P-N-P, P-N-N, and tetradentate P-N-N-P ligands.

A series of mer-tridentate iron(II) complexes bearing P-N-S (3), P-N-P (4), and P-N-N (5) ligands have been prepared via the metal template effect in one pot involving air-stable phosphonium dimers [cyclo-(-PPh(2)CH(2)C(OH)H-)(2)](Br)(2) (1) and [cyclo-(-PCy(2)CH(2)C(OH)H-)(2)](Br)(2) (2), KOtBu, [Fe(H(2)O)(6)][BF(4)](2) and 2-aminothiolphenol (for 3), 2-(diphenylphosphino)ethylamine (for 4), and 2-(aminomethyl)pyridine (for 5). The new phosphonium dimer 2 was prepared via an S(N)2 reaction of PCy(2)H with BrCH(2)CH(OEt)(2). The complexes Fe{PR(2)CH(2)CH=N(2-C(6)H(4))S}(2)FeBr(2) (3a, R = Ph; 3b, R = Cy) are paramagnetic, and X-ray diffraction studies revealed that they are bimetallic, in which the S atoms of the bis-tridentate (PNS)(2)Fe unit bridge to a FeBr(2) fragment. Complexes [Fe(PR(2)CH(2)CH=NC(2)H(4)PPh(2))(NCMe)(3)]X(2) (4a, R = Ph; 4b, R = Cy; X(2) = FeBr(4) or (BF(4))(2)) form when 1 equiv of iron is reacted with PPh(2)CH(2)CH(2)NH(2) and 0.5 equiv of the appropriate phosphonium dimer. The evidence for P-N-P coordination is the large (2)J(PP) coupling constant in the (31)P {(1)H} NMR spectrum for the trans phosphorus nuclei. If 0.5 equiv of [Fe(H(2)O)(6)][BF(4)](2) were added in the synthesis, the complex trans-[Fe(NCMe)(2)(Ph(2)PC(2)H(4)NH(2))(2)][FeBr(4)] (4c) formed, and this has been characterized by X-ray diffraction. Complexes [Fe{PR(2)CH(2)CH=NCH(2)(2-C(5)H(4)N)}(2)](BPh(4))(2) (5) are bis-tridentate iron(II) complexes with pyridyl donors trans to the phosphine donors. Interestingly, addition of the diamines ethylenediamine, (1R,2R)-(-)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane, (1R,2R)-(-)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine, or o-phenylenediamine, in the template synthesis with 2 led directly to tetradentate P-N-N-P iron(II) complexes trans-[Fe(NCMe)(2)(PCy(2)CH(2)CH=N-Q-N=CHCH(2)PCy(2)](BPh(4))(2) (Q = CH(2)CH(2), 6a; Q = (1R,2R)-cyclo-C(6)H(10), 6b; Q = (1R,2R)-CHPhCHPh, 6c; Q = C(6)H(4), 6d). In contrast, similar reactions under the same conditions with dimer 1 led to complexes mer-[Fe(P-N-N)(2)](2+) as reported previously. Complexes 6a and 6b have been characterized by X-ray diffraction and exhibited large P-Fe-P bond angles of 112.92(2) and 111.96(4) degrees, respectively.

Template syntheses of iron(II) complexes containing chiral P-N-N-P and P-N-N ligands.

A multicomponent template reaction utilizing an air-stable phosphonium precursor leads initially to the first enantiopure bis-tridentate iron complexes mer-[Fe(P-N-N) 2] (2+) in high yield and then to new tetradentate iron complexes trans-[Fe(MeCN) 2(P-N-N-P)] (2+).