Combinatorial screening of an in situ generated library of tungsten oxyhalide and imido complexes for olefin metathesis.

A series of substituted tungsten(VI) halides with general formula WECl4 (E = O or -NR (imido)) were screened via a high throughput study to identify potential new olefin metathesis catalysts. The tungsten species were treated with a series of aluminum alkyl activators and modifier ligands to generate active catalyst species in situ. Ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of cyclooctene was used as a primary screen to identify potential metathesis catalysts and active catalysts were subjected to a secondary screen to evaluate tolerance toward polar functional groups.

(η(4)-Cyclo-octa-tetra-ene)(η(8)-cyclo-octa-tetra-ene)iodido-tantalum(V).

The title complex, [Ta(η(4)-C8H8)(η(8)-C8H8)I], lies across a crystallographic mirror plane that includes the Ta(V) atom and the iodide ligand. One cyclo-octa-tetra-ene (cot) ring is η(4)-coordinating and is bis-ected by the mirror plane. The fold angle between the plane of the coordinating butadiene portion and the middle plane of the ring is 27.

A total loss of innocence: double ortho-metallation of bis(triphenylphosphano)iminium cation, [N(PPh(3))(2)](+), by tris(eta-naphthalene)tantalate(1-).

For the first time [N(PPh(3))(2)](+), or [PPN](+), has been shown to undergo an irreversible reaction with a transition metal complex under ambient conditions and affords a product containing a unique structural motif in which two phenyl groups on one PPh(3) substituent of [PPN](+) are ortho-metallated, while the third phenyl ring is hydrogenated to provide a tantalum bound 1,3-cyclohexadiene group.

Homoleptic isocyanidemetalates of 4d- and 5d-transition metals: [Nb(CNXyl)(6)](-), [Ta(CNXyl)(6)](-), and derivatives thereof.

Treatment of [M(CO)(6)](-), M = Nb, Ta, with Ag(+), I(2) or NO(+) in the presence of CNXyl provided [M(CNXyl)(7)](+), M(CNXyl)(6)I, or cis-[M(CNXyl)(4)(NO)(2)](+), which are isocyanide analogues of the unknown carbonyl complexes [M(CO)(7)](+), M(CO)(6)I, or cis-[M(CO)(4)(NO)(2)](+), respectively. Reduction of M(CNXyl)(6)I by cesium graphite gave the respective Cs[M(CNXyl)(6)], which have been structurally characterized and represent the first isolable homoleptic isocyanidemetalates for second or third row transition metals. Nitrosylation of [Ta(CNXyl)(6)](-) affords a rare example of a mononitrosyl tantalum complex, Ta(CNXyl)(5)NO, which is an isocyanide analogue of the unknown Ta(CO)(5)NO.

Tris(eta4-naphthalene)- and tris(1-4-eta4-anthracene)tantalate(1-): first homoleptic arene complexes of anionic tantalum.

Reduction of tantalum pentachloride by 6 equiv of sodium naphthalene in 1,2-dimethoxyethane provided, after recrystallization from tetrahydrofuran, 50-55% yields of yellow, pyrophoric [Na(THF)][Ta(C10H8)3]. The product was shown by 1H and 13C NMR spectra and an X-ray study (on the corresponding [Na(crypt 2.2.