Cp*Co(IPr): synthesis and reactivity of an unsaturated Co(i) complex.

Synthesis of coordinatively unsaturated Cp*Co(IPr) (2), is accomplished by addition of free N-heterocyclic carbene IPr to [(Cp*Co)2-μ-(η(4):η(4)-toluene)] (1). Stoichiometric reactivity is consistent with a 16 electron species, as 2 undergoes ligand addition/NHC displacement and reversible reaction with dihydrogen. Cp*Co(IPr) represents an elusive example of a stable Cp*CoL fragment.

sp2 C-H activation of dimethyl fumarate by a [(Cp*Co)2-μ-(η4 : η4-toluene)] complex.

The well-defined oxidative addition of the vinylic sp(2) C-H bond of dimethyl fumarate is mediated by the cobalt triple decker complex [(Cp*Co)(2)-μ-(η(4) : η(4)-toluene)] (1) at ambient temperature, affording the dinuclear, bridging cobalt hydride, fumaryl compound (2). The C-H activation product has been characterized by mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography. Computational studies of 2 support asymmetric bonding interactions between the two metal centres and the bridging hydride/fumaryl fragments.

Development of more labile low electron count Co(I) sources: mild, catalytic functionalization of activated alkanes using a [(Cp*Co)2-μ-(η4:η4-arene)] complex.

Catalytic transfer dehydrogenation of silyl protected amines, requiring sp(3) C-H bond activation, is mediated by a bridging arene complex of the type [(Cp*Co)(2)-μ-(η(4):η(4)-arene)] under mild conditions. Mechanistic and qualitative rate studies establish the compound as a more reactive Co(I) source when compared to other known Cp*Co(I) complexes.

Mechanism of electrocatalytic hydrogen production by a di-iron model of iron-iron hydrogenase: a density functional theory study of proton dissociation constants and electrode reduction potentials.

Simple dinuclear iron dithiolates such as (mu-SCH2CH2CH2S)[Fe(CO)3]2, (1) and (mu-SCH2CH2S)[Fe(CO)3]2 (2) are functional models for diiron-hydrogenases, [FeFe]-H2ases, that catalyze the reduction of protons to H2. The mechanism of H2 production with 2 as the catalyst and with both toluenesulfonic (HOTs) and acetic (HOAc) acids as the H+ source in CH3CN solvent has been examined by density functional theory (DFT). Proton dissociation constants (pKa) and electrode reduction potentials (E(o)) are directly computed and compared to the measured pKa of HOTs and HOAc acids and the experimental reduction potentials.

Density functional theory applied to a difference in pathways taken by the enzymes cytochrome P450 and superoxide reductase: spin States of ferric hydroperoxo intermediates and hydrogen bonds from water.

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenase and superoxide reductase (SOR) have the same first atom coordination shell at their iron active sites: an Fe[N(4)S] center in a square-pyramidal geometry with the sixth coordinate site open for the catalytic reaction. Furthermore, both pass through ferric hydroperoxo intermediates. Despite these similarities, the next step in their catalytic cycle is very different: distal oxygen protonation and O-O cleavage (P450) versus proximal oxygen protonation and H(2)O(2) release (SOR).

Computational studies of the relative rates for migratory insertions of alkenes into square-planar, methyl, -amido, and -hydroxo complexes of rhodium.

The relative rates of the migratory insertions of alkenes into the M-X bonds of (PMe(3))(2)Rh(eta(2)-CH(2) horizontal lineCHR)(X) (R = H, Me; X = CH(3), NH(2), OH) have been analyzed by DFT calculations. These insertions are computed to form metallacycles containing a metal-carbon bond and either an agostic interaction, a dative metal-nitrogen bond, or a dative metal-oxygen bond. The computed barriers for migratory insertion into the metal-hydroxo and metal-amido bonds are lower than those for insertion into the metal-methyl bond.

Copper complexes of anionic nitrogen ligands in the amidation and imidation of aryl halides.

Copper(I) imidate and amidate complexes of chelating N,N-donor ligands, which are proposed intermediates in copper-catalyzed amidations of aryl halides, have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction and detailed solution-phase methods. In some cases, the complexes adopt neutral, three-coordinate trigonal planar structures in the solid state, but in other cases they adopt an ionic form consisting of an L 2Cu (+) cation and a CuX 2 (-) anion. A tetraalkylammonium salt of the CuX 2 (-) anion in which X = phthalimidate was also isolated.

Refining the active site structure of iron-iron hydrogenase using computational infrared spectroscopy.

Iron-iron hydrogenases ([FeFe]H2ases) are exceptional natural catalysts for the reduction of protons to dihydrogen. Future biotechnological applications based on these enzymes require a precise understanding of their structures and properties. Although the [FeFe]H2ases have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography and a range of spectroscopic techniques, ambiguities remain regarding the details of the molecular structures of the spectroscopically observed forms.

Assignment of molecular structures to the electrochemical reduction products of diiron compounds related to [Fe-Fe] hydrogenase: a combined experimental and density functional theory study.

The reduction chemistry of (mu-bridge)[Fe(CO)3]2 [bridge = propane-1,3-dithiolate (1) and ethane-1,2-dithiolate (2)] is punctuated by the formation of distinct products, resulting in a marked difference in CO inhibition of electrocatalytic proton reduction. The products formed following reduction of 2 have been examined by a range of electrochemical, spectroelectrochemical, and spectroscopic approaches. Density functional theory has allowed assessment of the relative energies of the structures proposed for the reduction products and agreement between the calculated spectra (IR and NMR) and bond distances with the experimental spectra and EXAFS-derived structural parameters.

Relative rates for the amination of eta3-allyl and eta3-benzyl complexes of palladium.

Reactions of nucleophiles with metal-bound hydrocarbyl pi-ligands bound in an eta3-fashion are key steps in a variety of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bond-forming reactions. To reveal factors that control the rates of reaction of nucleophiles with this type of ligand, the rates of reactions of an aromatic and an aliphatic amine with a series of eta3-allyl, eta3-benzyl, and eta3-phenethyl palladium complexes ligated by the bisphosphine (R)-BINAP to form allylic and benzylic amines were measured. These data showed that the less common addition to an eta3-benzyl complex is faster than the more common addition to an eta3-allyl complex.

Correlation between computed gas-phase and experimentally determined solution-phase infrared spectra: models of the iron-iron hydrogenase enzyme active site.

Gas-phase density functional theory calculations (B3LYP, double zeta plus polarization basis sets) are used to predict the solution-phase infrared spectra for a series of CO- and CN-containing iron complexes. It is shown that simple linear scaling of the computed C--O and C--N stretching frequencies yields accurate predictions of the the experimentally determined nu(CO) and nu(CN) values for a variety of complexes of different charges and in solvents of varying polarity. As examples of the technique, the resulting correlation is used to assign structures to spectroscopically observed but structurally ambiguous species in two different systems.

De novo design of synthetic di-iron(I) complexes as structural models of the reduced form of iron-iron hydrogenase.

Simple synthetic di-iron dithiolate complexes provide good models of the composition of the active site of the iron-iron hydrogenase enzymes. However, the formally Fe(I)Fe(I) complexes synthesized to date fail to reproduce the precise orientation of the diatomic ligands about the iron centers that is observed in the molecular structure of the reduced form of the enzyme active site. This structural difference is often used to explain the fact that the synthetic di-iron complexes are generally poor catalysts when compared to the enzyme.

Dual electron uptake by simultaneous iron and ligand reduction in an N-heterocyclic carbene substituted [FeFe] hydrogenase model compound.

An N-heterocyclic carbene containing [FeFe]H(2)ase model complex, whose X-ray structure displays an apical carbene, shows an unexpected two-electron reduction to be involved in its electrocatalytic dihydrogen production. Density functional calculations show, in addition to a one-electron Fe-Fe reduction, that the aryl-substituted N-heterocyclic carbene can accept a second electron more readily than the Fe-Fe manifold. The juxtaposition of these two one-electron reductions resembles the [FeFe]H(2)ase active site with an FeFe di-iron unit joined to the electroactive 4Fe4S cluster.