Alexander Döring

Lewis-Base-Stabilized Dichlorosilylene: A Two-Electron σ-Donor Ligand

The first structurally described cobalt(I) Lewis-base-stabilized silylene complex [Co(CO)(3){SiCl(2)(IPr)}(2)](+)[CoCl(3)(THF)](-) [1; IPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene] was prepared by applying the two-electron sigma-donor ligand SiCl(2)(IPr) through coordination with Co(2)(CO)(8). The bonding situation between ligand SiCl(2)(IPr) and the cobalt(I) metal center in [Co(CO)(3){SiCl(2)(IPr)}(2)](+) of 1 was investigated by (1)H NMR and IR spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray structural analysis, and density functional theoretical calculations.

Reactions of tin(II) hydride species with unsaturated molecules.

SnH2 has been prepared and characterized in an argon matrix. At elevated temperature, SnH2 changed to an insoluble solid of unknown structure. Terphenyl and bdiketiminate ligands have been used for the preparation of substituted tin(II) hydrides. The terphenyl derivatives exist in the solid state as dimeric structures, whereas the bdiketiminate species incorporates a terminal tin(II) hydride with very weak intermolecular interactions. Until recently, reactions of organotin hydrides were based on tin(IV) precursors. Diand triorganotin hydrides, of composition R2SnH2 and R3SnH, with a formal oxidation state of Sn IV

Facile access of stable divalent tin compounds with terminal methyl, amide, fluoride, and iodide substituents.

The stable beta-diketiminate tin(II) complexes LSnX [L = HC(CMeNAr)2, Ar = 2,6-iPr2C6H3] with terminal methyl, amide, fluoride, and iodide (X = Me, N(SiMe3)2, F, I) are described. LSnMe (2) is synthesized by salt metathesis reaction of LSnCl (1) with MeLi and can be isolated in the form of yellow crystals in 88% yield. Compound LSnN(SiMe3)2 (3) was obtained by treatment of LH with 2 equiv of KN(SiMe3)2 in THF followed by adding 1 equiv of SnCl2. Reaction of 2 and 3 respectively with Me3SnF in toluene provided the tin(II)fluoride LSnF (4) with a terminal fluorine as colorless crystals in 85% yield. 4 is highly soluble in common organic solvents. The reaction of LLi(OEt2) with 1 equiv of SnI2 in diethyl ether afforded the LSnI (5). Compounds 2, 3, 4, and 5 were characterized by microanalysis, multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray structural analysis. Single crystal X-ray structural analyses indicate that all the compounds (2, 3, 4, 5) are monomeric and the tin center resides in a trigonal-pyramidal environment.

Structure of the molybdenum site in YedY, a sulfite oxidase homologue from Escherichia coli.

YedY from Escherichia coli is a new member of the sulfite oxidase family of molybdenum cofactor (Moco)-containing oxidoreductases. We investigated the atomic structure of the molybdenum site in YedY by X-ray absorption spectroscopy, in comparison to human sulfite oxidase (hSO) and to a Mo(IV) model complex. The K-edge energy was indicative of Mo(V) in YedY, in agreement with X- and Q-band electron paramagnetic resonance results, whereas the hSO protein contained Mo(VI). In YedY and hSO, molybdenum is coordinated by two sulfur ligands from the molybdopterin ligand of the Moco, one thiolate sulfur of a cysteine (average Mo-S bond length of ∼2.4 Å), and one (axial) oxo ligand (Mo═O, ∼1.7 Å). hSO contained a second oxo group at Mo as expected, but in YedY, two species in about a 1:1 ratio were found at the active site, corresponding to an equatorial Mo-OH bond (∼2.1 Å) or possibly to a shorter Mo-O(-) bond. Yet another oxygen (or nitrogen) at a ∼2.6 Å distance to Mo in YedY was identified, which could originate from a water molecule in the substrate binding cavity or from an amino acid residue close to the molybdenum site, i.e., Glu104, that is replaced by a glycine in hSO, or Asn45. The addition of the poor substrate dimethyl sulfoxide to YedY left the molybdenum coordination unchanged at high pH. In contrast, we found indications that the better substrate trimethylamine N-oxide and the substrate analogue acetone were bound at a ∼2.6 Å distance to the molybdenum, presumably replacing the equatorial oxygen ligand. These findings were used to interpret the recent crystal structure of YedY and bear implications for its catalytic mechanism.