A monomeric, heterobimetallic complex with an unsupported Mg−Fe bond

The phosphinimine, trimethylsilyl-substituted BIPM ligand [BIPM = bis(iminophosphorano)methanide] has been used to stabilise CH(Ph2PNSiMe3)2MgFe(η5-C5H5)(CO)2 (1), which is a structurally authenticated complex exhibiting a direct, unsupported bond between an alkaline earth metal and a transition metal. The FTIR-measured carbonyl stretching frequencies for this complex suggest that there is a polarisation of charge from the transition metal fragment to the magnesium centre. The presence of a polar metal-metal bond in 1 is confirmed by DFT calculations, which suggest that the Mg−Fe bond is predominantly ionic in nature

An inverted-sandwich diuranium μ-η5:η5-cyclo-P5 complex supported by U-P5 δ-bonding

Reaction of [U(TrenTIPS)] [1, TrenTIPS=N(CH2CH2NSiiPr3)3] with 0.25 equivalents of P4 reproducibly affords the unprecedented actinide inverted sandwich cyclo-P5 complex [{U(TrenTIPS)}2(μ-η5:η5-cyclo-P5)] (2). All prior examples of cyclo-P5 are stabilized by d-block metals, so 2 shows that cyclo-P5 does not require d-block ions to be prepared. Although cyclo-P5 is isolobal to cyclopentadienyl, which usually bonds to metals via σ- and π-interactions with minimal δ-bonding, theoretical calculations suggest the principal bonding in the U(P5)U unit is polarized δ-bonding. Surprisingly, the characterization data are overall consistent with charge transfer from uranium to the cyclo-P5 unit to give a cyclo-P5 charge state that approximates to a dianionic formulation. This is ascribed to the larger size and superior acceptor character of cyclo-P5 compared to cyclopentadienyl, the strongly reducing nature of uranium(III), and the availability of uranium δ-symmetry 5f orbitals

Synthesis and characterization of an f‑block terminal parent imido [U=NH] complex: a masked uranium(IV) nitride

Deprotonation of [U(TrenTIPS)(NH2)] (1) [TrenTIPS = N(CH2CH2NSiPri3)3] with organoalkali metal reagents MR (M = Li, R = But; M = Na−Cs, R = CH2C6H5) afforded the imido-bridged dimers [{U-(TrenTIPS)(μ-N[H]M)}2] [M = L −Cs (2a−e)]. Treatmentof 2c (M = K) with 2 equiv of 15 crown-5 ether (15C5) afforded the uranium terminal parent imido complex [U(TrenTIPS)(NH)][K(15C5)2] (3c), which can also be viewed as a masked uranium(IV) nitride. The uranium−imido linkage was found to be essentially linear, and theoretical calculations suggested σ2π4 polarized U−N multiple bonding. Attempts to oxidize 3c to afford the neutral uranium terminal parent imido complex [U(TrenTIPS)(NH)] (4) resulted in spontaneous disproportionation to give 1 and the uranium−nitride complex [U(TrenTIPS)(N)] (5); this reaction is a new way to prepare the terminal uranium−nitride linkage and was calculated to be exothermic by −3.25 kcal mol−1

Imidazolylidene Cu(II) complexes: synthesis using imidazolium carboxylate precursors and structure rearrangement pathways

Copper(II) complexes of type (NHC)CuX2 (X = OAc, Cl, Br, BF4, NO3) bearing monodentate N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) were prepared by in situ decarboxylation of imidazolium carboxylates as a new synthetic methodology for Cu(II)-NHC complexes. In contrast to the classical deprotonation method, the decarboxylation protocol does not require anaerobic conditions and provides access to complexes with NHCs that are unstable as free carbenes such as N,N’-diisopropyl-imidazolylidene and N,N’-dimethyl-imidazolylidene. Spectroscopic evidence of the formation of the Cu‒CNHC bond is provided by UV-vis and EPR, in particular by the 44 MHz carbene hyperfine coupling constant using a 13C-labelled imidazolylidene ligand. A variation of the nature of the carbene N-substituents and the anions bound to the Cu(II) center is possible with this methodology. These variations strongly influence the stability of the complexes. Structural rearrangement and ligand reorganization was observed during recrystallisation, which are comprised of heterolytic Cu‒CNHC bond dissociation for unstable NHC ligands as well as homolytic Cu‒X bond cleavage and disproportionation reactions depending on the nature of the anion X in the copper complex

Isolation of elusive HAsAsH in a crystalline diuranium(IV) complex

The HAsAsH molecule has hitherto only been proposed tentatively as a short-lived species generated in electrochemical or microwave-plasma experiments. After two centuries of inconclusive or disproven claims of HAsAsH formation in the condensed phase, we report the isolation and structural authentication of HAsAsH in the diuranium(IV) complex [{U(TrenTIPS)}2(μ-η2:η2-As2H2)] (3, TrenTIPS=N(CH2CH2NSiPri3)3; Pri=CH(CH3)2). Complex 3 was prepared by deprotonation and oxidative homocoupling of an arsenide precursor. Characterization and computational data are consistent with back-bonding-type interactions from uranium to the HAsAsH π*-orbital. This experimentally confirms the theoretically predicted excellent π-acceptor character of HAsAsH, and is tantamount to full reduction to the diarsane-1,2-diide form

Synthesis and characterisation of halide, separated ion pair, and hydride cyclopentadienyl iron bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane derivatives

Treatment of anhydrous FeX₂ (X = Cl, Br, I) with one equivalent of bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe) in refluxing THF afforded analytically pure white (X = Cl), light green (X = Br), and yellow (X = I) [FeX₂(dppe)]n (X = Cl, I; Br, II; I, III). Complexes I–III are excellent synthons from which to prepare a range of cyclopentadienyl derivatives. Specifically, treatment of I–III with alkali metal salts of C₅H₅ (Cp, series 1), C₅Me₅ (Cp*, series 2), C₅H₄SiMe₃ (Cp′, series 3), C₅H₃(SiMe₃)₂ (Cp′′, series 4), and C₅H₃(But)₂ (Cptt, series 5) afforded [Fe(Cp†)(Cl)(dppe)] 1Cl–5Cl, [Fe(Cp†)(Br)(dppe)] 1Br–5Br, and [Fe(Cp†)(I)(dppe)] 1I–5I (Cp† = Cp, Cp*, Cp′, Cp′′, or Cptt). Dissolution of 1I–5I in acetonitrile, or treatment of 1Cl–5Cl with Me₃SiI in acetonitrile (no halide exchange reactions were observed in other solvents) afforded the separated ion pair complexes [Fe(Cp†)(NCMe)(dppe)][I] 1SIP–5SIP. Attempts to reduce 1Cl–5Cl, 1Br–5Br, and 1I–5I with a variety of reductants (Li-Cs, KC₈, Na/Hg) were unsuccessful. Treatment of 1Cl–5Cl with LiAlH₄ gave the hydride derivatives [Fe(Cp†)(H)(dppe)] 1H–5H. This report provides a systematic account of reliable methods of preparing these complexes which may find utility in molecular wire and metal–metal bond chemistries. The complexes reported herein have been characterised by X-ray diffraction, NMR, IR, UV/Vis, and Mössbauer spectroscopies, cyclic voltammetry, density functional theory calculations, and elemental analyses, which have enabled us to elucidate the electronic structure of the complexes and probe the variation of iron redox properties as a function of varying the cyclopentadienyl or halide ligand

Group 11 m-Terphenyl Complexes Featuring Metallophilic Interactions

A series of group 11 m-terphenyl complexes have been synthesized via a metathesis reaction from the iron(II) complexes (2,6-Mes2C6H3)2Fe and (2,6-Xyl2C6H3)2Fe (Mes = 2,4,6-Me3C6H2; Xyl = 2,6-Me2C6H3). [2,6-Mes2C6H3M]2 (1, M = Cu; 2, M = Ag; 6, M = Au) and [2,6-Xyl2C6H3M]2 (3, M = Cu; 4, M = Ag) are dimeric in the solid state, although different geometries are observed depending on the ligand. These complexes feature short metal–metal distances in the expected range for metallophilic interactions. While 1–4 are readily isolated using this metathetical route, the gold complex 6 is unstable in solution at ambient temperatures and has only been obtained in low yield from the decomposition of (2,6-Mes2C6H3)Au·SMe2 (5). NMR spectroscopic measurements, including diffusion-ordered spectroscopy, suggest that 1–4 remain dimeric in a benzene-d6 solution. The metal–metal interactions have been examined computationally using the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules and by an energy decomposition analysis employing natural orbitals for chemical valence

Probing the use of long lived intra-ligand π-π * excited states for photocatalytic systems: a study of the photophysics and photochemistry of [ReCl(CO)3(dppz-(CH3)2)]

We report the excited state photophysics and photochemistry of [ReCl(CO)3(dppz-(CH3)2)] (dppz-(CH3)2 = 11,12-dimethyl-dipyrido[3,2-a:2’,3’-c]phenazine) in CH3CN using timeresolved infrared (TRIR) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Excitation of the 1MLCT (metal-to-ligand charge transfer) band of [ReCl(CO)3(dppz-(CH3)2)] populates a 3MLCT excited state which rapidly interconverts on a timescale < 1 ns to a long lived IL (intra-ligand) π-π* excited state with a lifetime of 190 (± 5) ns. In the presence of an electron donor (NEt3), the IL excited state of [ReCl(CO)3(dppz-(CH3)2)] can be reductively quenched to [ReCl(CO)3(dppz-(CH3)2)]− with the radical in the latter localised on the distal phenazine (phz) portion of the dppz ligand. The phz based electron in [ReCl(CO)3(dppz-(CH3)2)]− has minimal interaction with the rhenium metal centre which increases the stability of the photosensitiser in its reduced form. In non-dried, non-degassed CH3CN (1 M NEt3), [ReCl(CO)3(dppz-(CH3)2)]− shows no significant change in the carbonyl region of the IR spectrum for at least 2 hours during continuous photolysis. In addition, we investigate the use of [ReCl(CO)3(dppz-(CH3)2)]− to reduce the previously studied catalyst [NiFe2], with facile electron transfer from [ReCl(CO)3(dppz-(CH3)2)]− to form [NiFe2]–

Slow magnetic relaxation in Fe(ii) m-terphenyl complexes

Two-coordinate transition metal complexes are exciting candidates for single-molecule magnets (SMMs) because their highly axial coordination environments lead to sizeable magnetic anisotropy. We report a series of five structurally related two-coordinate Fe(II) m-terphenyl complexes (4-R-2,6-Xyl2C6H2)2Fe [R = tBu (1), SiMe3 (2), H (3), Cl (4), CF3 (5)] where, by changing the functionalisation of the para-substituent (R), we alter their magnetic function. All five complexes are field-induced single-molecule magnets, with relaxation rates that are well-described by a combination of direct and Raman mechanisms. By using more electron donating R groups we were able to slow the rate of magnetic relaxation. Our ab initio calculations predict a large crystal field splitting (>850 cm−1) and sizeable zero-field splitting parameters (ca. −60 cm−1, |E| < 0.2 cm−1) for 1–5. These favourable magnetic properties suggest that m-terphenyl ligands have untapped potential as chemically versatile ligands able to impose highly axial crystal fields