Brian A. Chalmers

Geometrically enforced donor-facilitated dehydrocoupling leading to an isolable arsanylidine-phosphorane

A proximate Lewis basic group facilitates the mild dehydrogenative P-As intramolecular coupling in the phosphine-arsine peri-substituted acenaphthene 3, affording thermally and hydrolytically stable arsanylidine-phosphorane 4 with a sterically accessible two-coordinate arsenic atom. The formation of 4 is thermoneutral due to the dehydrogenation being concerted with the donor coordination. Reaction of 4 with a limited amount of oxygen reveals arsinidene-like reactivity via formation of cyclooligoarsines, supporting the formulation of the bonding in 4 as base-stabilized arsinidene R3P→AsR.

Reactivity Profile of a Peri-Substitution-Stabilized Phosphanylidene-Phosphorane: Synthetic, Structural, and Computational Studies

The reactions of peri-substitution-stabilized phosphanylidene-phosphorane 1 with [AuCl(tht)] or [PtCl2(cod)] afford binuclear complexes [((1)(AuCl)2)2] 2 and [((1)(PtCl2))2] 3, in which four electrons of the ligand are used in bonding to two metal atoms in the bridging arrangement. Reactions of 1 with [Mo(CO)4(nbd)] or (RhCl2Cp*)2 afford mononuclear complexes [(1)2Mo(CO)4] 4 and [(1)RhCl2Cp*] 5, in which two electrons of the ligand are used to form terminal complexes. Formation of these complexes disrupts the negative hyperconjugation at the P-P bond to various extents, which is mirrored by variations in their P-P bond distances (2.179(4)-2.246(4) Å). The P-P bond is ruptured upon formation of Pd diphosphene complex 6, which is likely to proceed through a phosphinidene intermediate. In air, 1 is fully oxidized to phosphonic acid 7. Reactions of 1 with chalcogens under mild conditions generally afford mixtures of products, from which the trithionated 8, dithionated 9, diselenated 10, and monotellurated 11 species were isolated. The bonding in the chalcogeno derivatives is discussed using DFT (B3LYP) and natural bond orbital analysis, which indicate a contribution from dative bonding in 8-10. The buttressing effect of the peri backbone is shown to be an essential factor in the formation of the single push-double-pull bis(borane) 13. This is demonstrated experimentally through a synthesis parallel to that used to make 13, but lacking the backbone, which leads to different products. The P-P bond distances in the reported products, as well as additional species, are correlated with Wiberg bond indices, showing very good agreement for a variety of bonding modes, including the negative hyperconjugation.

Structural, Spectroscopic and Computational Examination of the Dative Interaction in Constrained Phosphine–Stibines and Phosphine–Stiboranes

A series of phosphine-stibine and phosphine-stiborane peri-substituted acenaphthenes containing all permutations of pentavalent groups -SbCln Ph4-n (5-9), as well as trivalent groups -SbCl2 , -Sb(R)Cl, and -SbPh2 (2-4, R=Ph, Mes), were synthesised and fully characterised by single crystal diffraction and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. In addition, the bonding in these species was studied by DFT computational methods. The P-Sb dative interactions in both series range from strongly bonding to non-bonding as the Lewis acidity of the Sb acceptor is decreased. In the pentavalent antimony series, a significant change in the P-Sb distance is observed between -SbClPh3 and -SbCl2 Ph2 derivatives 6 and 7, respectively, consistent with a change from a bonding to a non-bonding interaction in response to relatively small modification in Lewis acidity of the acceptor. In the Sb(III) series, two geometric forms are observed. The P-Sb bond length in the SbCl2 derivative 2 is as expected for a normal (rather than a dative) bond. Rather unexpectedly, the phosphine-stiborane complexes 5-9 represent the first examples of the σ(4) P→σ(6) Sb structural motif.

Sterically encumbered tin and phosphorus peri-substituted acenaphthenes

A group of sterically encumbered peri-substituted acenaphthenes have been prepared, containing tin moieties at the 5,6-positions in 1-3 ([Acenap(SnR3)2], Acenap = acenaphthene-5,6-diyl; R3 = Ph3 (1), Me3 (2); [(Acenap)2(SnMe2)2] (3)) and phosphorus functional groups at the proximal peri-positions in 4 and 5 ([Acenap(PR2)(P(i)Pr2)] R2 = Ph2 (4), Ph((i)Pr) (5)). Bis(stannane) structures 1-3 are dominated by repulsive interactions between the bulky tin groups, leading to peri-distances approaching the sum of van der Waals radii. Conversely, the quasi-linear CPh-P···P three-body fragments found in bis(phosphine) 4 suggest the presence of a lp(P)-σ*(P-C) donor-acceptor 3c-4e type interaction, supported by a notably short intramolecular P···P distance and notably large JPP through-space coupling (180 Hz). Severely strained bis(sulfides) 4-S and 5-S, experiencing pronounced in-plane and out-of-plane displacements of the exocyclic peri-bonds, have also been isolated following treatment of 4 and 5 with sulfur. The resulting nonbonded intramolecular P···P distances, ∼4.05 Å and ∼12% longer than twice the van der Waals radii of P (3.60 Å), are among the largest ever reported peri-separations, independent of the heteroatoms involved, and comparable to the distance found in 1 containing the larger Sn atoms (4.07 Å). In addition we report two metal complexes with square planar [(4)PtCl2] (4-Pt) and octahedral cis-[(4)Mo(CO)4] (4-Mo) geometries. In both complexes the bis(phosphine) backbone is distorted, but notably less so than in bis(sulfide) 4-S. All compounds were fully characterized, and except for bis(phosphine) 5, crystal structures were determined.

Dealkanative Main Group Couplings across the peri-Gap

Here, we highlight the ability of peri-substitution chemistry to promote a series of unique P-P/P-As coupling reactions, which proceed with concomitant C-H bond formation. This dealkanative reactivity represents an interesting and unexpected expansion to the established family of main-group dehydrocoupling reactions. These transformations are exceptionally clean, proceeding essentially quantitatively at relatively low temperatures (70-140 °C), with 100% diastereoselectivity in the products. The reaction appears to be radical in nature, with the addition of small quantities of a radical initiator (azobis(isobutyronitrile)) increasing the rate dramatically, as well as altering the apparent order of reaction. DFT calculations suggest that the reaction involves dissociation of a phosphorus centered radical (stabilized by the peri-backbone) to the P-P coupled product and a free propyl radical, which carries the chain. This unusual reaction demonstrates the powerful effect that geometric constraints, in this case a rigid scaffold, can have on the reactivity of main group species, an area of research that is gaining increasing prominence in recent years.

A Study of Through-Space and Through-Bond JPP Coupling in a Rigid Nonsymmetrical Bis(phosphine) and Its Metal Complexes

A series of representative late d-block metal complexes bearing a rigid bis(phosphine) ligand, iPr2P-Ace-PPh2 (L, Ace = acenaphthene-5,6-diyl), was prepared and fully characterized by various techniques, including multinuclear NMR and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The heteroleptic nature of the peri-substituted ligand L allows for the direct observation of the JPP couplings in the 31P{1H} NMR spectra. Magnitudes of JPP are correlated with the identity and geometry of the metal and the distortions of the ligand L. The forced overlap of the phosphine lone pairs due to the constraints imposed by the rigid acenaphthene skeleton in L results in a large 4 JPP of 180 Hz. Sequestration of the lone pairs, either via oxidation of the phosphine or via metal chelation, results in distinct changes in the magnitude of JPP. For tetrahedral d10 complexes ([LMCl2], M = Zn, Cd, Hg), the JPP is comparable to or larger than (193-309 Hz) that in free ligand L, although the P···P separation in these complexes is increased by ca. 0.4 Å (compare to free ligand L). The magnitude of JPP diminishes to 26-117 Hz in square planar d8 complexes ([LMX2], M = Ni, Pd, Pt; X = Cl, Br) and the octahedral Mo0 complex ([LMo(CO)4], 33 Hz). Coupling deformation density calculations indicate the through-space interaction dominates in free L, while in metal complexes the main coupling pathway is via the metal atom.