Thermal decomposition modes for four-coordinate ruthenium phosphonium alkylidene olefin metathesis catalysts.

The four-coordinate ruthenium phosphonium alkylidenes 1-Cy and 1-iPr, differing in the substituent on the phosphorus center, were observed to decompose thermally in the presence of 1,1-dichloroethylene to produce [H(3)CPR(3)][Cl]. The major ruthenium-containing product was a trichloro-bridged ruthenium dimer that incorporates the elements of the 1,1-dichloroethylene as a dichlorocarbene ligand and a styrenic vinyl group on the supporting NHC ligand. Spectroscopic, kinetic, and deuterium-labeling experiments probed the mechanism of this process, which involves a rate-limiting C-H activation of an NHC mesityl ortho methyl group.

Non-innocent behaviour of imido ligands in the reactions of silanes with half-sandwich imido complexes of Nb and V: a silane/imido coupling route to compounds with nonclassical Si--H interactions.

Reactions of imido complexes [M(Cp)(=NR')(PR''3)2] (M=V, Nb) with silanes afford a plethora of products, depending on the nature of the metal, substitution at silicon and nitrogen and the steric properties of the phosphine. The main products are [M(Cp)(=NR')(PR3)(H)(SiRnCl3-n)] (M=V, Nb; R'=2,6-diisopropylphenyl (Ar), 2,6-dimethylphenyl (Ar')), [Nb(Cp)(=NR')(PR''3)(H)(SiPhR2)] (R2=MeH, H2), [Nb(Cp)(==NR')(PR''3)(Cl)(SiHRnCl2-n)] and [Nb(Cp)(eta 3-N(R)SiR2--H..

A remarkable inversion of structure-activity dependence on imido N-substituents with varying co-ligand topology and the synthesis of a new borate-free zwitterionic polymerisation catalyst.

Ethylene polymerisation productivities of tris(pyrazolyl)methane-supported catalysts [Ti(NR){HC(Me2pz)3}Cl2] show a dramatically different dependence on the imido R-group compared to those of their TACN analogues, attributed to differences in fac-N3 donor topology; when treated with AliBu3, the zwitterionic tris(pyrazolyl)methide compound [Ti(N-2-C6H4tBu){C(Me2pz)3}Cl(THF)] also acts as a highly active, single site catalyst (TACN = 1,4,7-trimethyltriazacyclononane).

New and versatile routes to zirconium imido dichloride compounds.

Reactions of zirconium dialkyl- or bis(amido)-dichloride complexes "[Zr(CH2SiMe3)2Cl2(Et2O)2]" or [Zr(NMe2)2Cl2(THF)2] with primary alkyl and aryl amines are described. Reaction of "[Zr(CH2SiMe3)2Cl2(Et2O)2]" with RNH2 in THF afforded dimeric [Zr2(mu-NR)2Cl4(THF)4](R=2,6-C6H3iPr2 (1), 2,6-C6H3Me2 (2) or Ph (3)), [Zr2(mu-NR)2Cl4(THF)3](R=tBu (5), iPr (6), CH2Ph (7)), or the "ate" complex [Zr2(mu-NC6F5)2Cl6(THF)2{Li(THF)3}2](4, the LiCl coming from the in situ prepared "[Zr(CH2SiMe3)2Cl2(Et2O)2]"). With [Zr(NMe2)2Cl2(THF)2] the compounds [Zr2(mu-NR)2Cl4(L)x(L')y](R=2,6-C6H3iPr2 (8), 2,6-C6H3Me2 (9), Ph (10) or C6F5 (11); (L)x(L')y=(NHMe2)3(THF), (NHMe2)2(THF)2 or undefined), [Zr2(mu-NtBu)2Cl4(NHMe2)3] (12) and insoluble [Zr(NR)Cl2(NHMe2)]x(R=iPr (13) or CH2Ph (14)) were obtained.

New titanium imido synthons: syntheses and supramolecular structures.

Reactions of Ti(NMe(2))(2)Cl(2) with a wide range of primary alkyl and arylamines RNH(2) afforded the corresponding 5-coordinate imido titanium compounds Ti(NR)Cl(2)(NHMe(2))(2) (R = (t)Bu (1), (i)Pr (2), CH(2)Ph (3), Ph (4), 2,6-C(6)H(3)Me(2) (5), 2,6-C(6)H(3)(i)Pr(2) (6), 2,4,6-C(6)H(2)F(3) (7), 2,3,5,6-C(6)HF(4) (8), C(6)F(5) (9), 4-C(6)H(4)Cl (10), 2,3,5,6-C(6)HCl(4) (11), 2-C(6)H(4)CF(3) (12), 2-C(6)H(4)(t)Bu (13)). The compounds 1-13 are monomeric in solution but in the solid state form either N-H..

Lanthanide mono(borohydride) complexes of diamide-diamine donor ligands: novel single site catalysts for the polymerisation of methyl methacrylate.

Samarium chloride and borohydride complexes of the diamide-diamine ligands (2-C5H4N)CH2N(CH2CH2NR)2(R = SiMe3 or mesityl) are described; the borohydride compounds are the first polydentate amide-supported single component lanthanide catalysts for the controlled polymerisation of polar monomers, and also represent the first lanthanide borohydride complex for the polymerisation of methyl methacrylate.

A new diamido-amine ligand based on three-carbon atom "arms": synthesis, structures and polymerisation capability of zirconium derivatives of MeN(CH2CH2CH2NSiMe3)2.

Zirconium compounds of the new diamido-amine ligand MeN(CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)NSiMe(3))(2) feature significantly different molecular structures and considerably improved olefin polymerisation characteristics in comparison with analogous compounds based on the two-carbon arm homologues.

Nonclassical titanocene silyl hydrides.

The titanocene silyl hydride complexes [Ti(Cp)2(PMe3)(H)(SiR3)] [SiR3=SiMePhCl (6), SiPh2Cl (7), SiMeCl2 (8), SiCl3 (9)] were prepared by HSiR3 addition to [Ti(Cp)2(PMe3)2] and were studied by NMR and IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (for 6, 8, and 9), and DFT calculations. Spectroscopic and structural data established that these complexes exhibit nonclassical Ti-H-Si-Cl interligand hypervalent interactions. In particular, the observation of silicon-hydride coupling constants J(Si,H) in 6-9 in the range 22-40 Hz, the signs of which we found to be negative for 8 and 9, is conclusive evidence of the presence of a direct Si-H bond.

Unexpected features of stretched Si-H...Mo beta-agostic interactions.

Coupling of silanes with the imido group of (Ar'N)2Mo(PMe3)3 gives either the silanimine dimer (ArN-SiHCl)2 or Si-H agostic silylamido complexes which do not exhibit the commonly expected correlation between the nature of the substituents on silicon, the degree of Si-H addition and the value of the Si-H coupling constant.

Discovery and evaluation of highly active imidotitanium ethylene polymerisation catalysts using high throughput catalyst screening.

A family of ca. 50 imidotitanium precatalysts [Ti(NR)(Me(3)[9]aneN(3))Cl(2)](R = alkyl or aryl; Me(3)[9]aneN(3)= 1,4,7-trimethyltriazacyclononane) were prepared in good yields using semi-automated procedures; high-throughput screening techniques identified seven highly active ethylene polymerisation precatalysts with activities in the range ca. 3 400 to 10 000 kg(PE) mol(-1) h(-1) bar(-1).

Highly efficient ethylene polymerisation by scandium alkyls supported by neutral fac-kappa3 coordinated N3 donor ligands.

Reaction of [M(CH2SiMe3)3(THF)2] (M = Sc or Y) with the neutral fac-kappa3 N3 donor ligands (L) Me3[9]aneN3 or HC(Me2pz)3 gave the corresponding trialkyls [M(L)(CH2SiMe3)3]; activation of the scandium congeners with B(C6F5)3 in the presence of ethylene afforded highly active polymerisation catalysts (Me3[9]aneN3 = 1,4,7-trimethyltriazacyclononane).

Synthesis and reactivity of calix[4]arene-supported group 4 imido complexes.

New mononuclear titanium and zirconium imido complexes [M(NR)(R'(2)calix)] [M=Ti, R'=Me, R=tBu (1), R=2,6-C(6)H(3)Me(2) (2), R=2,6-C(6)H(3)iPr(2) (3), R=2,4,6-C(6)H(2)Me(3) (4); M=Ti, R'=Bz, R=tBu (5), R=2,6-C(6)H(3)Me(2) (6), R=2,6-C(6)H(3)iPr(2) (7); M=Zr, R'=Me, R=2,6-C(6)H(3)iPr(2) (8)] supported by 1,3-diorganyl ether p-tert-butylcalix[4]arenes (R'(2)calix) were prepared in good yield from the readily available complexes [MCl(2)(Me(2)calix)], [Ti(NR)Cl(2)(py)(3)], and [Ti(NR)Cl(2)(NHMe(2))(2)]. The crystallographically characterised complex [Ti(NtBu)(Me(2)calix)] (1) reacts readily with CO(2), CS(2), and p-tolyl-isocyanate to give the isolated complexes [Ti[N(tBu)C(O)O](Me(2)calix)] (10), [[Ti(mu-O)(Me(2)calix)](2)] (11), [[Ti(mu-S)(Me(2)calix)](2)] (12), and [Ti[N(tBu)C(O)N(-4-C(6)H(4)Me)](Me(2)calix)] (13). In the case of CO(2) and CS(2), the addition of the heterocumulene to the Ti-N multiple bond is followed by a cycloreversion reaction to give the dinuclear complexes 11 and 12.

Group 6 imido complexes supported by diamido-donor ligands.

Reactions of the lithiated diamido-pyridine or diamido-amine ligands Li(2)N(2)N(py) or Li(2)N(2)N(am) with [W(NAr)Cl(4)(THF)] (Ar = Ph or 2,6-C(6)H(3)Me(2); THF = tetrahydrofuran) afforded the corresponding imido-dichloride complexes [W(NAr)(N(2)N(py))Cl(2)] (R = Ph, 1, or 2,6-C(6)H(3)Me(2), 2) or [W(NAr)(N(2)N(am))Cl(2)] (R = Ph, 3, or 2,6-C(6)H(3)Me(2), 4), respectively, where N(2)N(py) = MeC(2-C(5)H(4)N)(CH(2)NSiMe(3))(2) and N(2)N(am) = Me(3)SiN(CH(2)CH(2)NSiMe(3))(2). Subsequent reactions of 1 with MeMgBr or PhMgCl afforded the dimethyl or diphenyl complexes [W(NPh)(N(2)N(py))R(2)] (R = Me, 5, or Ph, 6), respectively, which have both been characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Reactions of Li(2)N(2)N(py) or Li(2)N(2)N(am) with [Mo(NR)(2)Cl(2)(DME)] (R = (t)Bu or Ph; DME = 1,2-dimethoxyethane) afforded the corresponding bis(imido) complexes [Mo(NR)(2)(N(2)N(py))] (R = (t)Bu, 7, or Ph, 8) and [Mo(N(t)Bu)(2)(N(2)N(am))] (9).

Tantalizing chemistry of the half-sandwich silylhydride complexes of niobium: identification of likely intermediates on the way to agostic complexes.

Reactions of the compound [NbCp(ArN)(PMe3)2] with chlorosilanes HSiRR'Cl give a series of silyl complexes [NbCp(ArN)(PMe3)(H)-(SiRR'Cl)] and [NbCp(ArN)(PMe3)(Cl)(SiRR'H)] which are likely intermediates to the agostic complexes [NbCp(ArN(RR'2Si-H...

Are J(Si-H) NMR coupling constants really a probe for the existence of nonclassical H-Si interactions?

A series of hydridosilyl complexes of tantalum, Cp(ArN)Ta(PMe3)(H)(SiClnR3-n) (n = 0-3), was prepared and studied by 29Si NMR, X-ray diffraction, and DFT calculations. An unprecedented increase of the J(Si-H) coupling constant between the hydride and silyl ligands from 14 Hz for n = 0 to 50 Hz n = 3 was observed, which however, according to DFT calculations, does not correspond to stronger bonding interaction between silicon and hydride ligands, with the strongest interaction being for n = 1.

Synthesis and reactivity of the imidotungsten methyl cation [W(N2Npy)(NPh)Me]+: CO2 adds to the W=NPh bond and does not insert into the W-Me bond.

The imidotungsten dimethyl compound [W(N2Npy)(NPh)Me2] 2 reacts with BArF3 to form the cationic complex [W(N2Npy)(NPh)Me]+ 3+ [anion = [MeBArF3]-; ArF = C6F5; N2Npy = MeC(2C5H4N)(CH2NSiMe3)2] which undergoes methyl group exchange with added 2, [Cp2ZrMe2] or ZnMe2; treatment of cation 3+ with CO2 or isocyanates leads to cycloaddition reactions at the W=NPh bond and not insertion into the W-Me bond, despite the latter product being the most thermodynamically favourable according to DFT calculations.