Self-complementary nickel halides enable multifaceted comparisons of intermolecular halogen bonds: fluoride ligands vs. other halides.

The syntheses of three series of complexes designed with self-complementary motifs for formation of halogen bonds between an iodotetrafluorophenyl ligand and a halide ligand at square-planar nickel are reported, allowing structural comparisons of halogen bonding between all four halides C6F4I···X-Ni (X = F, Cl, Br, I). In the series trans-[NiX(2,3,5,6-C6F4I)(PEt3)2] 1pX and trans-[NiX(2,3,4,5-C6F4I)(PEt3)2] (X = F, Cl, Br, I) 1oX, the iodine substituent on the benzene ring was positioned para and ortho to the metal, respectively. The phosphine substituents were varied in the series, trans-[NiX(2,3,5,6-C6F4I)(PEt2Ph)2] (X = F, I) 2pX. Crystal structures were obtained for the complete series 1pX, and for 1oF, 1oCl, 1oI and 2pI. All these complexes exhibited halogen bonds in the solid state, of which 1pF exhibited unique characteristics with a linear chain, the shortest halogen bond d(C6F4I···F-Ni) = 2.655(5) Å and the greatest reduction in halogen bond distance (I···F) compared to the sum of the Bondi van der Waals radii, 23%. The remaining complexes form zig-zag chains of halogen bonds with distances also reduced with respect to the sum of the van der Waals radii. The magnitude of the reductions follow the pattern F > Cl ∼ Br > I, 1pX > 1oX, consistent with the halogen bond strength following the same order. The variation in the I···X-Ni angles is consistent with the anisotropic charge distribution of the halide ligand. The temperature dependence of the X-ray structure of 1pF revealed a reduction in halogen bond distance of 0.055(7) Å on cooling from 240 to 111 K. Comparison of three polymorphs of 1oI shows that the halogen bond geometry may be altered significantly by the crystalline environment. The effect of the halogen bond on the 19F NMR chemical shift in the solid state is demonstrated by comparison of the magic-angle spinning NMR spectra of 1pF and 1oF with that of a complex incapable of halogen bond formation, trans-[NiF(C6F5)(PEt3)2] 3F. Halogen bonding causes deshielding of δiso in the component of the tensor perpendicular to the nickel coordination plane. The results demonstrate the potential of fluoride ligands for formation of halogen bonds in supramolecular structures.

Concise Xanthine Synthesis through a Double-Amidination Reaction of a 6-Chlorouracil with Amidines using Base-Metal Catalysis.

A new and concise route towards xanthines through a double-amidination reaction is described; consecutive intermolecular C-Cl and intramolecular oxidative C-H amidination. N-uracil amidines are obtained through SN AE on a 6-chlorouracil with amidines. Direct Cu-catalyzed oxidative C-H amidination on these N-uracil amidines yields polysubstituted xanthines. Sustainable oxidants, tBu2 O2 or O2 , can be used in this oxidase-type reaction. The protocol allows for the introduction of N1, N3, N7, and C8 substituents during the xanthine-scaffold construction, thus avoiding post-functionalization steps. Both 6-chlorouracils and amidines are readily available commercially or through synthesis.

The Contrasting Character of Early and Late Transition Metal Fluorides as Hydrogen Bond Acceptors.

The association constants and enthalpies for the binding of hydrogen bond donors to group 10 transition metal complexes featuring a single fluoride ligand (trans-[Ni(F)(2-C5NF4)(PR3)2], R = Et 1a, Cy 1b, trans-[Pd(F)(4-C5NF4)(PCy3)2] 2, trans-[Pt(F){2-C5NF2H(CF3)}(PCy3)2] 3 and of group 4 difluorides (Cp2MF2, M = Ti 4a, Zr 5a, Hf 6a; Cp*2MF2, M = Ti 4b, Zr 5b, Hf 6b) are reported. These measurements allow placement of these fluoride ligands on the scales of organic H-bond acceptor strength. The H-bond acceptor capability ß (Hunter scale) for the group 10 metal fluorides is far greater (1a 12.1, 1b 9.7, 2 11.6, 3 11.0) than that for group 4 metal fluorides (4a 5.8, 5a 4.7, 6a 4.7, 4b 6.9, 5b 5.6, 6b 5.4), demonstrating that the group 10 fluorides are comparable to the strongest organic H-bond acceptors, such as Me3NO, whereas group 4 fluorides fall in the same range as N-bases aniline through pyridine. Additionally, the measurement of the binding enthalpy of 4-fluorophenol to 1a in carbon tetrachloride (-23.5 ± 0.3 kJ mol(-1)) interlocks our study with Laurence's scale of H-bond basicity of organic molecules. The much greater polarity of group 10 metal fluorides than that of the group 4 metal fluorides is consistent with the importance of pπ-dπ bonding in the latter. The polarity of the group 10 metal fluorides indicates their potential as building blocks for hydrogen-bonded assemblies. The synthesis of trans-[Ni(F){2-C5NF3(NH2)}(PEt3)2], which exhibits an extended chain structure assembled by hydrogen bonds between the amine and metal-fluoride groups, confirms this hypothesis.

Metal hydrides form halogen bonds: measurement of energetics of binding.

The formation of halogen bonds from iodopentafluorobenzene and 1-iodoperfluorohexane to a series of bis(η(5)-cyclopentadienyl)metal hydrides (Cp2TaH3, 1; Cp2MH2, M = Mo, 2, M = W, 3; Cp2ReH, 4; Cp2Ta(H)CO, 5; Cp = η(5)-cyclopentadienyl) is demonstrated by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Interaction enthalpies and entropies for complex 1 with C6F5I and C6F13I are reported (ΔH° = -10.9 ± 0.4 and -11.8 ± 0.3 kJ/mol; ΔS° = -38 ± 2 and -34 ± 2 J/(mol·K), respectively) and found to be stronger than those for 1 with the hydrogen-bond donor indole (ΔH° = -7.3 ± 0.1 kJ/mol, ΔS° = -24 ± 1 J/(mol·K)). For the more reactive complexes 2-5, measurements are limited to determination of their low-temperature (212 K) association constants with C6F5I as 2.9 ± 0.2, 2.5 ± 0.1, <1.5, and 12.5 ± 0.3 M(-1), respectively.

A thermally stable gold(III) hydride: synthesis, reactivity, and reductive condensation as a route to gold(II) complexes.

Going for gold: The first thermally stable gold(III) hydride [(C N C)*AuH] is presented. It undergoes regioselective insertions with allenes to give gold(III) vinyl complexes, and reductive condensation with [(C N C)*AuOH] to the air-stable Au(II) product, [(C N C)*(2)Au(2)], with a short nonbridged gold-gold bond.

Cyclometallated gold(III) hydroxides as versatile synthons for Au-N, Au-C complexes and luminescent compounds.

The gold(III) hydroxide κ(3)-(C^N^C)*Au(OH) reacts with C-H and N-H compounds and arylboronic acids to produce a range of perfluoroaryls, N-heterocyclic and alkynyl compounds in high yields; some of which show unexpectedly strong modulation of their photoluminescence from yellow to blue [(C^N^C)* = 2,6-(C(6)H(3)Bu(t))(2)pyridine].

C-H and C-O oxidative addition in reactions of aryl carboxylates with a PNP pincer-ligated Rh(I) fragment.

Reactions of a series of phenyl esters with a (PNP)Rh fragment have been studied. PhO(2)CPh only underwent C-H oxidative addition (OA). PhO(2)CCF(3) chiefly underwent acyl-oxygen OA. PhO(2)CBu(t) and PhO(2)CNEt(2) initially underwent OA of an ortho-C-H bond of the phenyl group but continued thermolysis led to the phenyl-oxygen OA products.

Early-late heterobimetallic Rh-Ti and Rh-Zr complexes via addition of early metal chlorides to mono- and divalent rhodium.

Addition of TiCl(4) or ZrCl(4) to (PNP)Rh(CH(2)==CH(t)Bu) (1) rapidly gives complexes (PNP)Rh(MCl(3))(Cl) (M = Ti, 2; Zr, 3) in 75-77% yield (PNP = (4-Me-2-((i)Pr(2)P)-C(6)H(3))(2)N). Compound 2 can also be synthesized via a reaction of (PNP)RhCl with TiCl(3) or of (PNP)TiCl(3) with 1/2 [(cod)RhCl](2).