Transition-Metal-Free Cleavage of CO.

Tertiary silane 1H , 2-[(diphenylsilyl)methyl]-6-methylpyridine, reacts with tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (BCF) to form the intramolecular pyridine-stabilized silylium 1+ -HBCF. The corresponding 2-[(diphenylsilyl)methyl]pyridine, lacking the methyl-group on the pyridine ring, forms classic N(py)→B adduct 2H -BCF featuring an intact silane Si-H fragment. Complex 1+ -HBCF promotes cleavage of the C≡O triple bond in carbon monoxide with double C-Csp2 bond formation, leading to complex 3 featuring a B-(diarylmethyl)-B-aryl-boryloxysilane fragment. Reaction with pinacol generates bis(pentafluorophenyl)methane 4 as isolable product, proving the transition-metal-free deoxygenation of carbon monoxide by this main-group system. Experimental data and DFT calculations support the existence of an equilibrium between the silylium-hydroborate ion pair and the silane-borane mixture that is responsible for the observed reactivity.

N-Atom transfer via thermal or photolytic activation of a Co-azido complex with a PNP pincer ligand.

Thermal or photolytic activation of well-defined mononuclear [Co(N3)(PNP)] (PNP = 2,2'-bis(diisopropylphosphino)-4,4'-ditolylamido) results in the structurally characterized dinuclear species [Co(µ-N;κ3-P,N,N-PNPN)]2 (3), with two N-bridging phosphiniminato bridgeheads. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations indicate the intermediacy of a mononuclear cobalt-nitrido complex, followed by N-migratory insertion into a Co-P bond. Reaction of 3 with two equiv. HCl leads to rupture of the dimer with formation of mononuclear [CoCl(PNPNH)] (4) by protonation of the N-bridges.

Versatile coordination of a reactive P,N-ligand toward boron, aluminum and gallium and interconversion reactivity.

The synthesis and reactivity of the first Group 13 complexes bearing a dearomatized phosphino-amido ligand are reported, i.e. alane AlEt2(L) , gallane GaCl2(L) and borane B(Cl)(Ph)(L) . The three complexes react very differently with Group 13 trihalogenides, providing access to zwitterionic anti-·GaCl3 and the unique bis(metalloid) ·BCl2, with the boron center part of a highly unusual anionic four-membered ring (charge on C) and Ga bound to P. The coordination chemistry and the various transformations are supported by DFT calculations, X-ray crystallography and multinuclear NMR spectroscopic data.

Intermolecular C-H activation with an Ir-METAMORPhos piano-stool complex--multiple reaction steps at a reactive ligand.

Substrate activation by means of a reactive ligand is a topic of much interest. Herein we describe a stoichiometric anti-Markovnikov C-N bond formation involving ligand reactivity in multiple steps along the reaction coordinate, including ligand assisted substrate (de)protonation and C-N bond formation, as illustrated by a combined experimental, spectroscopic and computational study. This affords a highly unusual four-membered iridacycle bearing an exo-cyclic C=C double bond.