Bulky guanidinato nickel(I) complexes: synthesis, characterization, isomerization, and reactivity studies.

Reactions of lithium complexes of the bulky guanidinates [{(Dip)N}(2)CNR(2)](-) (Dip=C(6)H(3)iPr(2)-2,6; R=C(6)H(11) (Giso(-)) or iPr (Priso(-)), with NiBr(2) have afforded the nickel(II) complexes [{Ni(L)(μ-Br)}(2)] (L=Giso(-) or Priso(-)), the latter of which was crystallographically characterized. Reduction of [{Ni(Priso)(μ-Br)}(2)] with elemental potassium in benzene or toluene afforded the diamagnetic species [{Ni(Priso)}(2)(μ-C(6)H(5)R)] (R=H or Me), which were shown, by X-ray crystallographic studies, to possess nonplanar bridging arene ligands that are partially reduced. A similar reduction of [{Ni(Priso)(μ-Br)}(2)] in cyclohexane yielded a mixture of the isomeric complexes [{Ni(μ-κ(1)-N-,η(2)-Dip-Priso)}(2)] and [{Ni(μ-κ(2)-N,N'-Priso)}(2)], both of which were structurally characterized.

Sm(II) reduction chemistry of heteroalkynes: stable adducts, reductive coupling, reductive C-C/C-N bond cleavage and trapping of the tert-butyl fragment with bulky nitriles, phosphaalkynes and isonitriles.

Reactions of a dimetallated N,N'-dimethyl substituted porphyrinogen Sm(II) complex with a series of t-butyl substituted heteroalkynes affords a diverse range of reactivity. The phosphaalkyne t-BuC[triple bond]P gives a dinuclear Sm(III) P-P reductively coupled complex of (t-BuC=PP=C-t-Bu)(2-) featuring a new mu-eta(2)(1,2-C,P) binding mode. In contrast, the nitrile aza analogue t-BuC[triple bond]N forms Sm(II) adducts that undergo reductive C-C bond cleavage at elevated temperatures to afford a trimeric Sm(III) cyanide (mu-C[triple bond]N(-)) complex.

Cycloaddition reactions of transition metal hydrazides with alkynes and heteroalkynes: coupling of Ti=NNPh2 with PhCCMe, PhCCH, MeCN and tBuCP.

The first structurally authenticated [2+2] cycloaddition products of any transition metal hydrazide complexes are reported; cycloaddition products of transition metal hydrazides with alkynes and heteroalkynes have been obtained for the first time; these are the first structurally authenticated cycloaddition products for any transition metal M=NNR(2) functional group.

Differing reactivities of p[triple band]CMe and P[triple band]CBu(t) towards a triphosphabenzene and a tetraphosphabarrelene: synthesis of new phosphaalkyne pentamers (P5C5Me(n)Bu(t)(5-n) n = 0, 1 or 2).

The reaction of excess P[triple band]CMe with the triphosphabenzene, 1,3,5-P3C3Bu(t)3, yields a phosphaalkyne pentamer, P5C5Me2Bu(t)3, which displays a pentaphosphaisolumibullvalene core structure. Its treatment with [W(CO)5(THF)] gives a complex of this cage, [{W(CO)5}2(mu-eta1:eta1-P5C5Me2Bu(t)3)], which has been structurally characterised. In contrast, the previously reported reaction of P[triple band]CBu(t) with 1,3,5-P3C3Bu(t)3, affords, in addition to the known tetraphosphabarrelene, 1,3,5,7-P4C4Bu(t)4, a new phosphaalkyne pentamer (P55C5Bu(t)5), which has a partially unsaturated "open cage" core.

Unusual reactivity of methylphosphaalkyne (PCMe) toward digermenes and distannenes: stepwise formations of bridged 2,3,5,6-tetraphospha-1,4-dimethylidenecyclohexanes.

Reactions of methylphosphaalkyne, PCMe, with a digermene, R'' 2GeGeR'' 2 (R'' = -CH(SiMe 3) 2), and two distannenes, R'' 2SnSnR'' 2 and Ar' 2SnSnAr' 2 (Ar' = C 6H 2Pr (i) 3-2,4,6), have given moderate to high yields of the first bridged 2,3,5,6-tetraphospha-1,4-dimethylidenecyclohexanes, [R 2E{C(Me)(H)PC(CH 2)P}] 2 (R = R'' or Ar', E = Sn or Ge), all of which have been structurally characterized. Their mechanisms of formation are thought to involve successive [2 + 1] and [2 + 2] phosphaalkyne cycloaddition, heterocycle rearrangement, phosphaalkene/vinylphosphine tautomerization, and intermolecular hydrophosphination reactions. In one reaction, two intermediates have been spectroscopically observed and one trapped by coordination to one or two W(CO) 5 fragments, yielding the first diphosphagermole complexes, {[W(CO) 5} 1or2{R'' 2Ge[C(Me)PC(Me)P]}], which have been structurally characterized.

The first complexes and cyclodimerisations of methylphosphaalkyne (P[triple bond]CMe).

The first complexes and cyclodimerisations of methylphosphaalkyne, P[triple bond]CMe, are reported to arise from its reactions with a range of platinum(0) complexes and [W(CO)5(THF)]. A number of differences between the chemistry of this phosphaalkyne and that of its bulkier analogues have been highlighted and explained on steric grounds.