Synthesis and Structural Characterization of p-Carboranylamidine Derivatives.

In this contribution, the first amidinate and amidine derivatives of p-carborane are described. Double lithiation of p-carborane (1) with n-butyllithium followed by treatment with 1,3-diorganocarbodiimides, R-N=C=N-R (R = iPr, Cy (= cyclohexyl)), in DME or THF afforded the new p-carboranylamidinate salts p-C2H10B10[C(NiPr)2Li(DME)]2 (2) and p-C2H10B10[C(NCy)2Li(THF)2]2 (3). Subsequent treatment of 2 and 3 with 2 equiv. of chlorotrimethylsilane (Me3SiCl) provided the silylated neutral bis(amidine) derivatives p-C2H10B10[C{iPrN(SiMe3)}(=NiPr)]2 (4) and p-C2H10B10[C{CyN(SiMe3)}(=NCy)]2 (5). The new compounds 3 and 4 have been structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The lithium carboranylamidinate 3 comprises a rare trigonal planar coordination geometry around the lithium ions.

Synthesis and Structure of Alkaline Earth Bis{hydrido-tris(3,5-diisopropyl-pyrazol-1-yl)borate} Complexes: Ae(TpiPr2)2 (Ae = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba).

The synthesis and structural characterization of Ae(TpiPr2)2 (Ae = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba; TpiPr2 = hydrido-tris(3,5-diisopropyl-pyrazol-1-yl)borate) are reported. In the crystalline state, the alkaline earth metal centers are six-coordinate, even the small Mg2+ ion, with two κ3-N,N',N''-TpiPr2 ligands, disposed in a bent arrangement (B···Ae···B < 180°). However, contrary to the analogous Ln(TpiPr2)2 (Ln = Sm, Eu, Tm, Yb) compounds, which all exhibit a bent-metallocene structure close to Cs symmetry, the Ae(TpiPr2)2 compounds exhibit a greater structural variation. The smallest Mg(TpiPr2)2 has crystallographically imposed C2 symmetry, requiring both bending and twisting of the two TpiPr2 ligands, while with the similarly sized Ca2+ and Sr2+, the structures are back toward the bent-metallocene Cs symmetry. Despite the structural variations, the B···M···B bending angle follows a linear size-dependence for all divalent metal ions going from Mg2+ to Sm2+, decreasing with increasing metal ion size. The complex of the largest metal ion, Ba2+, forms an almost linear structure, B···Ba···B 167.5°. However, the "linearity" is not due to the compound approaching the linear metallocene-like geometry, but is the result of the pyrazolyl groups significantly tipping toward the metal center, approaching "side-on" coordination. An attempt to rationalize the observed structural variations is made.

Rubidium and Cesium Enediamide Complexes Derived from Bulky 1,4-Diazadienes.

The first rubidium and cesium enediamide complexes based on bulky 1,4-diaza-1,3-diene ligands (DADs) have been prepared by metalation of either 1,4-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1,4-diaza-1,3-butadiene (1, = H2DADDipp) or 1,4-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-2,3-dimethyl-1,4-diaza-1,3-butadiene (2, = Me2DADDipp) with an excess of Rb or Cs metals in coordinating solvents such as tetrahydrofuran (THF) or 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME). All new complexes were fully characterized by spectroscopic and analytical methods as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies.

Synthesis and structural characterization of four di-chlorido-bis-(cyclo-propyl-alkynyl-amidine)-metal complexes.

Deliberate hydrolysis of lithium cyclo-propyl-alkynylamidinates, Li[c-C3H5-C≡C(NR')2] [R' = i Pr, Cy = cyclo-hex-yl)], afforded the hitherto unknown neutral cyclo-propyl-alkynyl-amidine derivatives c-C3H5-C≡C-C(NR')(NHR') [R' = i Pr (1), Cy (2)]. Subsequent reactions of 1 or 2 with metal(II) chlorides, MCl2 (M = Mn, Fe, Co), provided the title complexes di-chlorido-bis-(3-cyclo-propyl-N,N'-diisopropyl-prop-2-ynamidine)-manganese(II), [MnCl2(C12H20N2)2], (3), di-chlorido-bis-(3-cyclo-propyl-N,N'-diisopropyl-prop-2-ynamidine)-iron(II), [FeCl2(C12H20N2)2], (4), di-chlorido-bis-(N,N'-di-cyclo-hexyl-3-cyclo-propyl-prop-2-ynamidine)-iron(II), [FeCl2(C18H28N2)2], (5), and di-chlorido-bis-(N,N'-di-cyclo-hexyl-3-cyclo-propyl-prop-2-ynamidine)-cobalt(II), [CoCl2(C18H28N2)2], (6), or more generally MCl2[c-C3H5-C≡C-C(NR')(NHR')]2 [R' = i Pr, M = Mn (3), Fe (4); R' = Cy, M = Fe (5), Co (6)] in moderate yields (30-39%). Besides their spectroscopic data (IR and MS) and elemental analyses, all complexes 3-6 were structurally characterized. The two isopropyl-substituted complexes 3 and 4 are isotypic, and so are the cyclo-hexyl-substituted complexes 5 and 6. In all cases, the central metal atom is coordinated by two Cl atoms and two N atoms in a distorted-tetra-hedral fashion, and the structure is supported by intra-molecular N-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds.

The "Wanderlust" of Me3Si groups in rare-earth triple-decker complexes: a combined experimental and computational study.

The migration of Me3Si groups ("Wanderlust") in rare-earth triple-decker sandwich complexes of the type Ln2(COT'')3 (COT'' = bis(trimethylsilyl)cyclooctatetraenyl) has been elucidated by a combined experimental and computational study. For the first time, two isomers of a Ln2(COT'')3 triple-decker have been isolated and characterized in the case of Y2(COT'')3.

Benchmarking lithium amide versus amine bonding by charge density and energy decomposition analysis arguments.

Lithium amides are versatile C-H metallation reagents with vast industrial demand because of their high basicity combined with their weak nucleophilicity, and they are applied in kilotons worldwide annually. The nuclearity of lithium amides, however, modifies and steers reactivity, region- and stereo-selectivity and product diversification in organic syntheses. In this regard, it is vital to understand Li-N bonding as it causes the aggregation of lithium amides to form cubes or ladders from the polar Li-N covalent metal amide bond along the ring stacking and laddering principle. Deaggregation, however, is more governed by the Li←N donor bond to form amine adducts. The geometry of the solid state structures already suggests that there is σ- and π-contribution to the covalent bond. To quantify the mutual influence, we investigated [{(Me2NCH2)2(C4H2N)}Li]2 (1) by means of experimental charge density calculations based on the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and DFT calculations using energy decomposition analysis (EDA). This new approach allows for the grading of electrostatic Li+N-, covalent Li-N and donating Li←N bonding, and provides a way to modify traditional widely-used heuristic concepts such as the -I and +I inductive effects. The electron density ρ(r) and its second derivative, the Laplacian ∇2ρ(r), mirror the various types of bonding. Most remarkably, from the topological descriptors, there is no clear separation of the lithium amide bonds from the lithium amine donor bonds. The computed natural partial charges for lithium are only +0.58, indicating an optimal density supply from the four nitrogen atoms, while the Wiberg bond orders of about 0.14 au suggest very weak bonding. The interaction energy between the two pincer molecules, (C4H2N)22-, with the Li22+ moiety is very strong (ca. -628 kcal mol-1), followed by the bond dissociation energy (-420.9 kcal mol-1). Partitioning the interaction energy into the Pauli (ΔEPauli), dispersion (ΔEdisp), electrostatic (ΔEelstat) and orbital (ΔEorb) terms gives a 71-72% ionic and 25-26% covalent character of the Li-N bond, different to the old dichotomy of 95 to 5%. In this regard, there is much more potential to steer the reactivity with various substituents and donor solvents than has been anticipated so far.

Three new types of transition metal carboranylamidinate complexes.

Three new types of transition metal carboranylamidinate complexes are reported. The tetranuclear Mn(ii) complex Mn4Cl6[(o-C2B10H10)C(NiPr)(NHiPr)]2(THF)4·THF (2) was prepared by treatment of anhydrous MnCl2 with Li[(o-C2B10H10)C(NiPr)(NHiPr)] ([double bond, length as m-dash]Li[HLiPr]) in THF, while the analogous reaction with FeCl2 afforded ionic [Li(DME)3][FeCl2{(o-C2B10H10)C(NiPr)(NHiPr)}] (3). The dinuclear Mo(ii) complex Mo2[(o-C2B10H10)C(NiPr)(NHiPr)]2(OAc)2·2THF (4), obtained from Mo2(OAc)4 and 2 equiv. of Li[HLiPr], represents the first example of a M-M multiple bond stabilized by carboranylamidinate ligands. All title compounds were structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The M-M bonding in compound 4 has been further elucidated through Complete Active Space Self Consistent Field (CASSCF) calculations.

High-yield synthesis of a unique Mn(iii) siloxide complex through KMnO4 oxidation of a Mn(ii) precursor.

A unique trivalent manganese siloxide complex, blue-violet MnIIILi2Cl[(Ph2SiO)2O]2(THF)4·2THF (3) has been prepared by a straightforward two-step synthetic protocol. Lithiation of (Ph2SiOH)2O (1) followed by reaction with MnCl2(THF)2 gave the structurally remarkable Mn(ii) precursor MnIILi4Cl2[(Ph2SiO)2O]2(THF)5·2THF (2). Surprisingly, the final oxidation step could be achieved using KMnO4 in THF to provide the Mn(iii) species 3 in high yield (91%). Both title compounds were structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

Facile access to silyl-functionalized N-heterocyclic olefins with HSiCl3.

N-heterocyclic olefins (NHOs), IPrCH2 (1) and SIPrCH2 (2) (IPrCH2 = {N(2,6-iPr2C6H3)CH}2CCH2 and SIPrCH2 = {N(2,6-iPr2C6H3)CH2}2CCH2), react with HSiCl3 and afford IPrCH(SiHCl2) (3) and SIPrCH(SiHCl2) (4), respectively. Compounds 3 and 4 have been isolated in almost quantitative yield. Interestingly, treatment of the silylene IPr·SiCl2 with 1 also affords 3, where silylene insertion into a C­H bond is observed. Computational analysis shows a high energy barrier for silylene insertion, therefore a protonation­deprotonation mechanism is more likely.