Carbon-fluorine bond activation coupled with carbon-hydrogen bond formation alpha to iridium: kinetics, mechanism, and diastereoselectivity.

Reactions of iridium(fluoroalkyl)hydride complexes CpIr(PMe(3))(CF(2)R(F))Y (R(F) = F, CF(3); Y = H, D) with LutHX (Lut = 2,6-dimethylpyridine; X = Cl, I) results in C-F activation coupled with hydride migration to give CpIr(PMe(3))(CYFR(F))X as variable mixtures of diastereomers. Solution conformations and relative diastereomer configurations of the products have been determined by (19)F{(1)H}HOESY NMR to be (S(C), S(Ir))(R(C), R(Ir)) for the kinetic diastereomer and (R(C), S(Ir))(S(C), R(Ir)) for its thermodynamic counterpart. Isotope labeling experiments using LutDCl/CpIr(PMe(3))(CF(2)R(F))H and CpIr(PMe(3))(CF(2)R(F))D/LutHCl) showed that, unlike a previously studied system, H/D exchange is faster than protonation of the alpha-CF bond, giving an identical mixture of product isotopologues from both reaction mixtures.

Cp*Rh complexes with pyridyloxazolines: synthesis, fluxionality and applications as asymmetric catalysts for Diels-Alder reactions.

Half-sandwich complexes [RhCl(pymox)Cp*][SbF(6)](1-7)(pymox = pyridyloxazoline) have been synthesised as single diastereomers. Treatment of these with AgSbF(6) generates dications [Rh(OH(2))(pymox)Cp*](2+) which are fluxional at room temperature and which are enantioselective catalysts for the Diels-Alder reaction of methacrolein and cyclopentadiene. Treatment of the dication [Rh(OH(2))((i)Pr-pymox)Cp*](2+) with [X](-) gives [RhX((i)Pr-pymox)Cp*][SbF(6)](X = Br, I) as single diastereomers whilst reaction with 4-Mepy (4-methylpyridine) gives [Rh(4-Mepy)((i)Pr-pymox)Cp*][SbF(6)] as a mixture of diastereomers.