Nonclassical oxygen atom transfer as a synthetic strategy: preparation of an oxorhenium(V) complex of the bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-phenoxo)amide ligand.

Oxo(triphenylphosphine)[bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-phenoxo)amido]rhenium(V) [(ONO(Cat))ReO(PPh3)] is prepared by the reaction of iododioxobis(triphenylphosphine)rhenium(V) [ReO2(PPh3)2I] with lead bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-1,2-quinone-1-(2-oxy-3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)imine) [Pb(ONO(Q))2]. In this reaction, the ONO ligand undergoes a two-electron reduction, with concomitant oxidation of PPh3 to OPPh3 and transformation of the dioxorhenium(V) fragment into a monooxorhenium(V) fragment, constituting a net nonclassical oxygen atom transfer. (ONO(Cat))ReO(PPh3) adopts a square pyramidal geometry with an apical oxo group [d(ReO) = 1.