Competition between sp³-C-N vs sp³-C-F reductive elimination from Pd(IV) complexes.

This communication describes the design of a model system that allows direct investigation of competing sp(3)-C-N and sp(3)-C-F bond-forming reductive elimination from a Pd(IV) fluoro sulfonamide complex. The reductive elimination selectivity varies dramatically as a function of reaction additives. A mechanism is proposed that provides a rationale for these effects.

Phase discrimination through oxidant selection in low-temperature atomic layer deposition of crystalline iron oxides.

Control over the oxidation state and crystalline phase of thin-film iron oxides was achieved by low-temperature atomic layer deposition (ALD), utilizing a novel iron precursor, bis(2,4-methylpentadienyl)iron. This low-temperature (T = 120 °C) route to conformal deposition of crystalline Fe3O4 or α-Fe2O3 thin films is determined by the choice of oxygen source selected for the second surface half-reaction. The approach employs ozone to produce fully oxidized α-Fe2O3 or a milder oxidant, H2O2, to generate the Fe(2+)/Fe(3+) spinel, Fe3O4. Both processes show self-limiting surface reactions and deposition rates of at least 0.6 Å/cycle, a significantly high growth rate at such mild conditions. We utilized this process to prepare conformal iron oxide thin films on a porous framework, for which α-Fe2O3 is active for photocatalytic water splitting.

Phenyl groups versus tert-butyl groups as solubilizing substituents for some [5]phenacenes and [7]phenacenes.

In recent years, we have used the photocyclizations of diarylethylenes to synthesize a number of [n]phenacenes in the hope that they might be useful as the bridging groups for electron transfer processes in donor-bridge-acceptor molecules. Because [n]phenacenes with n > 5 are very insoluble, their synthesis and characterization has required the attachment of solubilizing substituents such as tert-butyl. The studies of Pascal and co-workers of some large polynuclear aromatic compounds having multiple phenyl substituents prompted us to explore the use of phenyls as alternative solubilizing groups for [n]phenacenes. Although phenyl groups turned out to provide significantly less solubilization than tert-butyl groups in these compounds, we found some interesting structural comparisons of the phenyl-substituted and tert-butyl-substituted [n]phenacenes.

Carbon(sp(3))-fluorine bond-forming reductive elimination from palladium(IV) complexes.

Pd(IV)-fluoride complexes, some of which are remarkably insensitive to water, have been synthesized and used in the title reaction, which proceeds with high selectivity to give the product of the C(sp(3))-F coupling. Preliminary mechanistic studies implicate a pathway involving dissociation of pyridine followed by direct C-F coupling at the Pd center.

C-H bond activation at palladium(IV) centers.

This communication describes the first observation and study of C-H activation at a Pd(IV) center. This transformation was achieved by designing model complexes in which the rate of reductive elimination is slowed relative to that of the desired C-H activation process. Remarkably, the C-H activation reaction can proceed under mild conditions and with complementary site selectivity to analogous transformations at Pd(II). These results provide a platform for incorporating this new reaction as a step in catalytic processes.

Detailed study of C-O and C-C bond-forming reductive elimination from stable C2N2O2-ligated palladium(IV) complexes.

This paper describes the synthesis of a series of Pd(IV) complexes of general structure (N~C)(2)Pd(IV)(O(2)CR)(2) (N~C = a rigid cyclometalated ligand; O(2)CR = carboxylate) by reaction of (N~C)(2)Pd(II) with PhI(O(2)CR)(2). The majority of these complexes undergo clean C-O bond-forming reductive elimination, and the mechanism of this process has been investigated. A variety of experiments, including Hammett plots, Eyring analysis, crossover studies, and investigations of the influence of solvent and additives, suggest that C-O bond-forming reductive elimination proceeds via initial carboxylate dissociation followed by C-O coupling from a 5-coordinate cationic Pd(IV) intermediate. The mechanism of competing C-C bond-forming reductive elimination from these complexes has also been investigated and is proposed to involve direct reductive elimination from the octahedral Pd(IV) centers.

Pd-catalyzed C-H fluorination with nucleophilic fluoride.

The palladium-catalyzed C-H fluorination of 8-methylquinoline derivatives with nucleophilic fluoride is reported. This transformation involves the use of AgF as the fluoride source in combination with a hypervalent iodine oxidant. Both the scope and mechanism of the reaction are discussed.