Dialumenes – aryl vs. silyl stabilisation for small molecule activation and catalysis

Main group multiple bonds have proven their ability to act as transition metal mimics in the last few decades. However, catalytic application of these species is still in its infancy. Herein we report the second neutral NHC-stabilised dialumene species by use of a supporting aryl ligand (3). Different to the trans-planar silyl-substituted dialumene (3Si), compound 3 features a trans-bent and twisted geometry. The differences between the two dialumenes are explored computationally (using B3LYP-D3/6-311G(d)) as well as experimentally. A high influence of the ligand's steric demand on the structural motif is revealed, giving rise to enhanced reactivity of 3 enabled by a higher flexibility in addition to different polarisation of the aluminium centres. As such, facile activation of dihydrogen is now achievable. The influence of ligand choice is further implicated in two different catalytic reactions; not only is the aryl-stabilised dialumene more catalytically active but the resulting product distributions also differ, thus indicating the likelihood of alternate mechanisms simply through a change of supporting ligand

Synthesis, structure and solution studies on mixed aryl/alkyl lithium zincates

Novel homo- and heteroleptic lithium zincates have been prepared by cocomplexation reactions of Zn(CH2SiMe3)2 and PhLi in low-polarity hydrocarbon solvents. X-ray crystallographic studies of products obtained by reacting the organometallic reagents in benzene or toluene yield the novel solvent-free solid-state arrangement [Li4Zn3Ph5(CH2SiMe3)5]⋡ (1). Combining Zn(CH2SiMe3)2 and PhLi in hexane in the presence of the polydentate N-donors PMDETA (N,N,N′,N′′,N′′-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine) or TMEDA (N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine) reveals monomeric heteroleptic [(PMDETA)LiZn(CH2SiMe3)2Ph] (2) and homoleptic [(TMEDA)LiZn(CH2SiMe3)3] (3), the result of a disproportionation process, respectively. NMR spectroscopic studies suggest that 2 and 3 retain their discrete contacted ion-pair solid-state structures in benzene solution. Variable-temperature NMR spectroscopic studies of 2 in [D8]THF reveal a complex equilibrium also including [LiZn(CH2SiMe3)3], [LiZn(CH2SiMe3)Ph2] and [LiZnPh3], an equilibrium process analogous to that of 1 in THF. This study further highlights the complexity of these reactions, which at first would appear simple

Heavier group 13 metal(I) heterocycles stabilized by sterically demanding diiminophosphinates : a structurally characterized monomer-dimer pair for gallium

A. S. is grateful to the Australian Research Council for support and a fellowship. C. A. O. thanks the Australian Research Council for Discovery Project grants DP11015530 and DP130100483.We have synthesized and characterized the monomeric diiminophosphinate-stabilized group 13 metal(I) complexes [DipLE:], DipL = Ph2P(NDip)2, Dip = 2,6-iPr2C6H3; E = Ga ( 1 ), In ( 2 ) and Tl ( 3 ). In addition, we structurally characterized the dimeric complex [(DipLGa)2], 12 . Similar synthetic attempts using MesL = Ph2P(NMes)2, Mes = 2,4,6-Me3C6H2 afforded product mixtures from which the mixed oxidation state species [(MesL)3Ga4I3] 4 was isolated. [DipLGa:] 1 is converted with dry air to the gallium(III) oxide species [(DipLGaO)2] 5 . Density Functional Theory studies on [DipLE:] and [(DipLE)2], E = Al-Tl, shed light on the bonding in these compounds and show that the newly formed E-E bonding interactions can be described as weak single σ-bond with no significant π-bonding contribution for E = Al, Ga. A large contribution to the dimer binding enthalpies results from London dispersion forces.PostprintPeer reviewe