High-valent Pd complexes are potent agents for the oxidative functionalization of inert C-H bonds, and it was previously shown that rapid electrocatalytic methane monofunctionalization could be achieved by electro-oxidation of Pd to a critical dinuclear Pd intermediate in concentrated or fuming sulfuric acid. However, the structure of this highly reactive, unisolable intermediate, as well as the structural basis for its mechanism of electrochemical formation, remained elusive. Herein, we use X-ray absorption and Raman spectroscopies to assemble a structural model of the potent methane-activating intermediate as a Pd dimer with a Pd-Pd bond and a 5-fold O atom coordination by HSO ligands at each Pd center.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFElectrophilic high-valent metal ions are potent intermediates for the catalytic functionalization of methane, but in many cases, their high redox potentials make these intermediates difficult or impossible to access using mild stoichiometric oxidants derived from O. Herein, we establish electrochemical oxidation as a versatile new strategy for accessing high-valent methane monofunctionalization catalysts. We provide evidence for the electrochemical oxidation of simple PdSO in concentrated sulfuric acid electrolytes to generate a putative Pd species in an all-oxidic ligand field.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis review describes organometallic compounds and materials that are capable of mediating a rarely encountered but fundamentally important reaction: β-alkyl elimination at the metal-Cα-Cβ-R moiety, in which an alkyl group attached to the Cβ atom is transferred to the metal or to a coordinated substrate. The objectives of this review are to provide a cohesive fundamental understanding of β-alkyl-elimination reactions and to highlight its applications in olefin polymerization, alkane hydrogenolysis, depolymerization of branched polymers, ring-opening polymerization of cycloalkanes, and other useful organic reactions. To provide a coherent understanding of the β-alkyl elimination reaction, special attention is given to conditions and strategies used to facilitate β-alkyl-elimination/transfer events in metal-catalyzed olefin polymerization, which provide the well-studied examples.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLow-temperature direct methane fuel cells (DMEFCs) offer the opportunity to substantially improve the efficiency of energy production from natural gas. This study focuses on the development of well-defined platinum organometallic complexes covalently anchored to ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) for electrochemical oxidation of methane in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell at 80 °C. A maximum normalized power of 403 μW/mg Pt was obtained, which was 5 times higher than the power obtained from a modern commercial catalyst and 2 orders of magnitude greater than that from a Pt black catalyst.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAngew Chem Int Ed Engl
December 2015
A chemically non-innocent pyrrole-based trianionic (ONO)(3-) pincer ligand within [(pyr-ONO)TiCl(thf)2 ] (2) can access the dianionic [(3H-pyr-ONO)TiCl2 (thf)] (1-THF) and monoanionic [(3H,4H-pyr-ONO)TiCl2 (OEt2 )][B{3,5-(CF3 )2 C6 H3 }4 ] (3-Et2 O) states through remote protonation of the pyrrole γ-C π-bonds. The homoleptic [(3H-pyr-ONO)2 Zr] (4) was synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction and NMR spectroscopy in solution. The protonation of 4 by [H(OEt2 )2 ][B{C6 H3 (CF3 )2 }4 ] yields [(3H,4H-pyr-ONO)(3H-pyr-ONO)Zr][B{3,5-(CF3 )2 C6 H3 }4 ] (5), thus demonstrating the storage of three protons.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA series of rhodium(III) bis(quinolinyl)benzene (bisq(x)) complexes was studied as candidates for the homogeneous partial oxidation of methane. Density functional theory (DFT) (M06 with Poisson continuum solvation) was used to investigate a variety of (bisq(x)) ligand candidates involving different functional groups to determine the impact on Rh(III)(bisq(x))-catalyzed methane functionalization. The free energy activation barriers for methane C-H activation and Rh-methyl functionalization at 298 K and 498 K were determined.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTraditional C-H bond activation by a concerted metalation-deprotonation (CMD) mechanism involves precoordination of the C-H bond followed by deprotonation from an internal base. Reported herein is a "through-arene" activation of an uncoordinated benzylic C-H bond that is 6 bonds away from a Rh(III) ion. The mechanism, which was investigated by experimental and DFT studies, proceeds through a dearomatized xylene intermediate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrianionic pincer and pincer-type ligands are the focus of this review. Metal ions from across the periodic table, from main group elements, transition metals, and the rare earths, are combined with trianionic pincer ligands to produce some of the most interesting complexes to appear in the literature over the past decade. This review provides a comprehensive examination of the synthesis, characterization, properties, and catalytic applications of trianionic pincer metal complexes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNet reductive elimination (RE) of MeX (X = halide or pseudo-halide: Cl(-), CF3CO2(-), HSO4(-), OH(-)) is an important step during Pt-catalyzed hydrocarbon functionalization. Developing Rh(I/III)-based catalysts for alkane functionalization is an attractive alternative to Pt-based systems, but very few examples of RE of alkyl halides and/or pseudo-halides from Rh(III) complexes have been reported. Here, we compare the influence of the ligand donor strength on the thermodynamic potentials for oxidative addition and reductive functionalization using [(t)Bu3terpy]RhCl (1) {(t)Bu3terpy = 4,4',4''-tri-tert-butylpyridine} and [(NO2)3terpy]RhCl (2) {(NO2)3terpy = 4,4',4''-trinitroterpyridine}.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis report presents the synthesis of the first neutral trianionic ONO pincer-type tungsten alkylidyne complex, [CF(3)-ONO]W≡C((t)Bu)(OEt(2)) (5) {where CF(3)-ONO = (MeC(6)H(3)[C(CF(3))(2)O])(2)N(3-)}. Treating 5 with 1-phenylpropyne, 4,4-dimethyl-2-pentyne, and cyclooctyne yields the corresponding tungstenacyclobutadiene complexes [CF(3)-ONO]W[κ(2)-C((t)Bu)C(Me)C(Ph)] (6), [CF(3)-ONO]W[κ(2)-C((t)Bu)C(Me)C((t)Bu)] (7), and [CF(3)-ONO]W[κ(2)-C((t)Bu)C(CH(2))(6)C] (8). Complexes 6, 7, and 8 do not undergo retro-[2 + 2]-cycloaddition even at 200 °C or in the presence of PMe(3).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAppending an amine to a C═C double bond drastically increases the nucleophilicity of the β-carbon atom of the alkene to form an enamine. In this report, we present the synthesis and characterization of a novel CF(3)-ONO(3-) trianionic pincer-type ligand, rationally designed to mimic enamines within a metal coordination sphere. Presented is a synthetic strategy to create enhanced nucleophilic tungsten-alkylidene and -alkylidyne complexes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe oxygen-atom-transfer (OAT) from [(t)BuOCO]Cr(V)(O)(THF) (2) (where (t)BuOCO = [2,6-C(6)H(3)(6-(t)BuC(6)H(3)O)(2)](3-), THF = tetrahydrofuran) to triphenylphosphine (PPh(3)) in THF produces [(t)BuOCO]Cr(III)(THF)(3) (1) and triphenylphosphine oxide (OPPh(3)) at a rate of 69.5(±1.9) M(-1) s(-1) (22 °C).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSynthetic and kinetic experiments designed to probe the mechanism of O(2) activation by the trianionic pincer chromium(III) complex [(t)BuOCO]Cr(III)(THF)(3) (1) (where (t)BuOCO = [2,6-((t)BuC(6)H(3)O)(2)C(6)H(3)](3-), THF = tetrahydrofuran) are described. Whereas analogous porphyrin and corrole oxidation catalysts can become inactive toward O(2) activation upon dimerization (forming a μ-oxo species) or product inhibition, complex 1 becomes more active toward O(2) activation when dimerized. The product from O(2) activation, [(t)BuOCO]Cr(V)(O)(THF) (2), catalyzes the oxidation of 1 via formation of the μ-O dimer {[(t)BuOCO]Cr(IV)(THF)}(2)(μ-O) (3).
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