NMR investigation of the dihydrogen-bonding and proton-transfer equilibria between the hydrido carbonyl anion [HRe2(CO)9]- and fluorinated alcohols.

The interaction of fluorinated alcohols with the anionic hydrido complex [HRe2(CO)9]- (1) has been investigated by NMR spectroscopy. According to the acidic strength of the alcohols, the interaction may result not only in the formation of dihydrogen-bonded ROH...[HRe2(CO)9]- adducts 2, but also in proton transfer to give the neutral species [H2Re2(CO)9] (3). With the weaker acid trifluoroethanol (TFE) evidence for the occurrence of the dihydrogen-bonding equilibrium was obtained by 2D 1H NOESY. The dependence of the hydride chemical shift on TFE concentration at different temperatures provided values for the constants of this equilibrium, from which the thermodynamic parameters were evaluated as deltaH(degrees) = -2.6(2) kcal mol(-1), deltaS(degrees) = -9.3(2) cal mol(-1) K(-1). This corresponds to a rather low basicity factor (E(j) = 0.64). Variable-temperature T1 measurements allowed the proton-hydride distance in adduct 2 a to be estimated (1.80 angstroms). In the presence of hexafluoroisopropyl alcohol (HFIP) simultaneous occurrence of both dihydrogen-bonding and proton-transfer equilibria was observed, and the equilibria shifted versus the protonated product 3 with increasing HFIP concentration and decreasing temperature. Reversible proton transfer between the alcohol and the hydrido complex occurs on the NMR timescale, as revealed by a 2D 1H EXSY experiment at 240 K. For the more acidic perfluoro-tert-butyl alcohol (PFTB) the protonation equilibrium was further shifted to the right. Thermal instability of 3 prevented the acquisition of accurate thermodynamic data for these equilibria. The occurrence of the proton-transfer processes (in spite of the unfavorable pK(a) values) can be explained by the formation of homoconjugated RO...HOR- pairs which stabilize the alcoholate anions.