Acid-Induced Liberation of Polysubstituted Cyclopentadiene Ligands from Cyclopentadienyl Cobalt: A [2 + 2 + 1] Cycloaddition Route toward 1,2,4-Trisubstituted Cyclopentadienes.

Here, we report that trifluoroacetic acid (TFAH) induces demetallation and protodesilylation of the cyclopentadiene ligand in cobalt-η-cyclopentadiene complexes of general formula [(η-CH)Co(η--C(TMS)═C(SOPh)CH═CRCH(COEt))] (-Ph, R = Ph; -ArBu, R = -CHBu; -ArNMe, R = -CHNMe; and -Me, R = Me). The trisubstituted cyclopentadiene products are isolated as a mixture of two tautomers, [(CHC(SOPh)═CHC(COEt)═CR)] (-R-A) and [(CH═C(SOPh)CHC(COEt)═CR)] (-R-B). The endo isomer, [(η-CH)Co(η--C(TMS)═C(SOPh)CH═CPhCH(COEt))] (-Ph-), also undergoes demetallation and protodesilylation to give -Ph-A and -Ph-B in excellent yield.

Chemistry at the alkyne-carbene intersection: a metallacyclobutene-η3-vinylcarbene equilibration.

Synthesis of a sterically congested metallacyclobutene complex has led to the first observation of metallacyclobutene-η(3)-vinylcarbene equilibration. The structure of the η(3)-vinylcarbene complex was elucidated by spectroscopy, HRMS, and ab initio computations. The vinylcarbene complex was trapped by reactions with ethyl diazoacetate and (C5H5)Co(PPh3)2 to give cobalt-diene and dicobalt complexes, respectively.

Cobalt 1,3-Diisopropyl-1H-imidazol-2-ylidene Complexes: Synthesis, Solid-State Structures, and Quantum Chemistry Calculations.

The reaction of (η(5)-C(5)H(5))Co(PPh(3))(2) with 1,3-bis(isopropyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (Im(i)Pr(2)) leads to the formation of (η(5)-C(5)H(5))Co(PPh(3))(Im(i)Pr(2)). In a similar fashion (η(5)-C(5)H(5))Co(Im(i)Pr(2))(CO) is formed from (η(5)-C(5)H(5))Co(CO)(2). The barrier to rotation about the Co-C(carbene) bond in the latter complex has been determined by variable-temperature (1)H NMR spectroscopy (13.

A photochemical metallocene route to anionic enediynes: synthesis, solid-state structures, and ab initio computations on cyclopentadienidoenediynes.

The first demonstration of photochemical enediyne liberation from a metal complex has led to a new class of enediynes, the cyclopentadienidoenediynes, which are demonstrated to exist as air-stable solids with low ionization potentials and large dipole moments. NMR and IR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and ab initio computations enable a comparison with the ubiquitous benzoenediynes.

Reactions of a metallacyclobutene complex with alkenes.

The first productive reactions of a characterized metallacyclobutene complex with alkenes are reported. Thus, the metallacyclobutene complex (eta5-C5H5)(PPh3)Co[kappa2-(C,C)-C(SO2Ph) C(Si(CH3)3)CH(CO2CH2CH3)] (2) undergoes reaction with alkenes to give 1,4-diene complexes with a high degree of regio- and stereoselectivity. A mechanism is proposed in which the metallacyclobutene generates a cyclic vinylcarbene intermediate that undergoes [4 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions with activated alkenes.

Structural and spectroscopic characterization of a charge-separated uranium benzophenone ketyl radical complex.

The reaction of [((t-Bu)ArO) 3tacn)U (III)] ( 1) with 4,4'-di- tert-butylbenzophenone affords a unique isolable U(IV) ketyl radical species [((t-Bu)ArO) 3tacn)U (IV)(OC* (t-Bu)Ph 2)] (2) supported by XRD data, magnetization measurements, and DFT calculations. Isolation and full characterization of the corresponding diphenyl methoxide complex [((t-Bu)ArO) 3tacn)U (IV)(OCH ( t-Bu )Ph 2)] (3) is also presented. The one-electron reduction of benzophenone by [((Ad)ArO) 3tacn)U (III)] (4) leads to a purple U(IV) ketyl radical intermediate [((Ad)ArO) 3tacn)U (IV)(OC*Ph 2)] (5).

Charge-separation in uranium diazomethane complexes leading to C-H activation and chemical transformation.

The reaction of diphenyldiazomethane with [((t-BuArO)3tacn)UIII] (1) results in an eta(2)-bound diphenyldiazomethane uranium complex. This complex exhibits unusual electronic properties as a charge-separated species with a radical anionic open-shell ligand, [((t-BuArO)3tacn)UIV(eta2-NNCPh2)] (2). Treating Ph2CN2 with a uranium complex that contains a sterically more demanding adamantane functionalized ligand, [((AdArO)3tacn)UIII] (3) results in an unprecedented C-H activation and nitrogen insertion to produce a five-membered heterocyclic indazole complex, [((AdArO)3tacn)UIV(eta(2)-3-phen(Ind))] (5).

Nucleophilic addition to a p-benzyne derived from an enediyne: a new mechanism for halide incorporation into biomolecules.

Biosynthesis of haloaromatics ordinarily occurs by electrophilic attack of an activated halogen species on an electron-rich aromatic ring. We now present the discovery of a new reaction whereby a nucleophilic halide anion can be attached even to an aromatic ring without activating substituents. We show that the enediyne cyclodeca-1,5-diyn-3-ene, in the presence of lithium halide and a weak acid, is converted to 1-halotetrahydronaphthalene.

A transition-metal-catalyzed enediyne cycloaromatization.

The pentamethylcyclopentadienyl iron cation, generated from [(eta5-C5Me5)Fe(NCMe)3]PF6, triggers the room temperature cycloaromatization of acyclic and alicyclic enediynes, in the presence of either 1,4-cyclohexadiene or terpinene as the hydrogen-atom donor, to give metal-arene products in good to excellent yields. Photolysis of the metal-arene complexes liberates the arene from the metal in excellent yield. The first demonstration of a transition-metal-catalyzed cycloaromatization of conjugated enediynes has been achieved under photochemical conditions utilizing either [(eta5-C5Me5)Fe(NCMe)3]PF6 or [(eta5-C5Me5)Fe(eta6-1,2-(Prn)2C6H4)]PF6 as the catalyst precursor.

An eta(6)-dienyne transition-metal complex.

The ruthenium complexes, [(eta5-C5R5)Ru(CH3CN)3]PF6 (1-Cp*, R = Me; 1-Cp, R = H), underwent reaction with both 1-(2-chloro-1-methylvinyl)-2-pentynyl-(Z)-cyclopentene (6-Z) and 1-(2-chloro-1-methylvinyl)-2-pentynyl-(E)-cyclopentene (6-E) to give (eta5-C5R5)Ru[eta6-(5-chloro-4-methyl-6-propylindan)]PF6 (7-Cp*, R = Me; 7-Cp, R = H). In a similar fashion, reaction of 1-Cp and 1-Cp* with 1-isopropenyl-2-pent-1-ynylcyclopentene (8) led to the formation of (eta5-C5R5)Ru(eta6-4-methyl-6-propylindan)]PF6 (9-Cp*, R = Me; 9-Cp, R = H). The reaction of 1-Cp* with 8 at -60 degrees C in CDCl3 solution led to observation of the eta6-dienyne complex, (eta5-C5Me5)Ru[eta6-(1-isopropenyl-2-pent-1-ynylcyclopentene)]PF6 (10), by 1H NMR spectroscopy.

Sulfoxide carbon-sulfur bond activation.

The alkynylsulfoxide, TMSCCSO(p-tolyl) (TMS = trimethylsilyl, tolyl = C6H4Me), undergoes reaction with (eta5-C5H5)Co(PPh3)2 at room temperature to give the cobaltosulfoxide complex, (C5H5)Co(PPh3)(eta1-CCTMS)[eta1-(S)-SO(p-tolyl)], which was characterized by X-ray crystallography. Exposure of this cobaltosulfoxide complex to oxygen gas leads to the formation of the corresponding metallosulfone complex, (C5H5)Co(PPh3)(eta1-CCTMS)[eta1-(S)-SO2(p-tolyl)], which was characterized by X-ray crystallography. Alternatively, in solution at room temperature, the metallosulfoxide is converted to a 1:4 mixture of the equatorial-equatorial and equatorial-axial bridging cobalt-thiolato dimers, {(C5H5)Co[mu-S(p-tolyl)]}2, respectively.

Ring selectivity and migratory aptitude of Cp*Ru+ complexation to acecorannulene.

Synthesis and spectral characterization of acecorannulene CpRu+ complexes, in combination with ab initio quantum chemical computations, leads to the hypothesis that eta6-metal binding prefers the exo face in the region of least curvature.

Ring-strain effects on the oxidation potential of enediynes and enediyne complexes.

The metal-enediyne complexes [(eta 5-C5H5)Fe[eta 5-1,2-C5H3C identical to C(CH2)nC identical to]] (4, n = 4; 5, n = 5) and [(eta 5-C5H5)-Fe[eta 5-1,2-C5H3(C identical to C Me)2]] (6) were prepared from 1,2-diethynylferrocene (3). Complexes 4 and 5 were characterized in the solid state by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The structures of 4 and 6 were determined by computation using ab initio methods.

Ruthenium-mediated cycloaromatization of acyclic enediynes and dienynes at ambient temperature.

The ruthenium(II) cation, [Cp*Ru(NCMe)3]OTf (4), triggers the Bergman cycloaromatization of acyclic endiynes at room temperature in THF solvent. Treatment of 1,2-di(1-alkynynyl)cyclopentenes (13-Me, alkynyl = propynyl; 13-Prn, alkynyl = pentynyl; 13-Bui, alkynyl = 4-methyl-pent-1-ynyl) with 4 in THF solvent at room temperature gives rise to the ruthenium arene complexes: [Cp*Ru{(3a,4,5,6,7,7a-eta)-2,3-dihydro-5,6-dialkyl-1H-indene}]OTf (15-Me, alkyl = methyl, 64% yield; 15-Prn, alkyl = n-propyl, 73% yield; 15-Bui, alkyl = 4-methyl-1-pentynyl, 88% yield). In a similar fashion, the room-temperature reaction of 4 with 1-ethynyl-2-(1-propynyl)cyclopentene (11) and [2-(1-propynyl)-1-cyclopenten-1-yl]trimethylsilane (14) leads to the formation of [Cp*Ru{(3a,4,5,6,7,7a-eta)-2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-1H-indene}]OTf (12, 92% yield) and [Cp*Ru{(3a,4,5,6,7,7a-eta)-2,3-dihydro-6-methyl-1H-inden-5-yl)trimethylsilane}]OTf (16, 77% yield), respectively.

Hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate metallacycles: conversion of a late-metal metallacyclopentene to a stable metallacyclopentadiene-alkene complex.

The bis(ethene) complex [(Tp)Ir(C(2)H(4))(2)] (3) undergoes reaction with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) in acetonitrile solvent at 60 degrees C to give the trispyrazolylborate metallacyclopent-2-ene complex [(Tp)Ir (CH(2)CH(2)C(CO(2)Me)=C(CO(2)Me))(NCMe)] (4). Spectroscopic analysis of a room-temperature reaction between 3 and DMAD in acetonitrile-d(3) provides evidence for the formation of an eta(2)-alkene/eta(2)-alkyne intermediate on the path to 4. The reaction of 3 with DMAD in THF solvent leads to the formation of the THF-ligated metallacyclopent-2-ene complex [(Tp)Ir(CH(2)CH(2)C(CO(2)Me)=C(CO(2)Me))(THF)] (5), which undergoes further reaction with DMAD at 60 degrees C in benzene to give [(Tp)Ir(C(CO(2)Me)=C(CO(2)Me)C(CO(2)Me)=C(CO(2)Me))(eta(2)-CH(2)=CH(2))] (6).