External oxidant-free cross-coupling: electrochemically induced aromatic C-H phosphonation of azoles with dialkyl-H-phosphonates under silver catalysis.

A convenient external oxidant-free method of phosphorylation of azole derivatives (benzo-1,3-azoles, 3-methylindole, 4-methyl-2-acetylthiazole) by using dialkyl-H-phosphonates through the catalytic oxidation of their mixture under electrochemical mild conditions (room temperature, normal pressure) in the presence of silver salts or oxide (1%) is proposed. This method allows us to obtain the desired azole dialkylphosphonates with good yield (up to 75%). The transformations of silver and phosphorus precursors and intermediates using cyclic voltammetry, ESR, and NMR spectroscopy were investigated, and a radical process mechanism was proposed. It has been found that AgP(O)(OEt)2 is oxidized earlier than other components of the reaction mixture with the elimination of a radical. The ESR spectrum of this radical's adduct was obtained in the presence of the radical trap PBN. Ag2+ is out of the catalytic cycle.

New sterically-hindered o-quinones annelated with metal-dithiolates: regiospecificity in oxidative addition reactions of a bifacial ligand to the Pd and Pt complexes.

An unusual reactivity of sterically hindered o-quinones with an annelated dithiete ring towards coordination at a dithiolene site has been discovered. New Pd and Pt dithiolate complexes have been synthesized. The reaction proceeds regioselectively, and the quinone site of the parent ligand is not affected even while using an excess of the metal complex. Both Pt and Pd complexes display a square planar surrounding for the metal ion and have very similar NMR, IR and UV/Vis spectra. Surprisingly, being coordinated at the dithiolene site to the metal, the ligand exhibits activity like an o-quinone, it could be reduced with different metals resulting in the corresponding o-semiquinonates which were confirmed by EPR spectroscopy. It was shown that an unpaired electron exhibits HFC with the phosphorus nuclei of phosphine ligands coordinated to the metal ions at the dithiolene site of the molecule.

Accessing perfluoroalkyl nickel(II), (III), and (IV) complexes bearing a readily attached [C4F8] ligand.

The [C4F8] ligand was shown to support well-defined terpyridyl nickel complexes in the +2 and +3 oxidation states. Notably, a cyclic voltammetry study of the nickel(iii) species indicates that an additional oxidation is accessible, providing a family of related fluoroalkyl nickel complexes spanning the +2 to +4 oxidation states.