Daniel Winkelhaus

Electrophilic Fluorophosphonium Cations in Frustrated Lewis Pair Hydrogen Activation and Catalytic Hydrogenation of Olefins

The combination of phosphorus(V)-based Lewis acids with diaryl amines and diaryl silylamines promotes reversible activation of dihydrogen and can be further exploited in metal-free catalytic olefin hydrogenation. Combined experimental and density functional theory (DFT) studies suggest a frustrated Lewis pair type activation mechanism.

Intramolecular Lewis acid–base pairs based on 4-ethynyl-2,6-lutidine

The reaction of 4-ethynyl-2,6-lutidine, (2,6-Me(2))(4-HC≡C)C(5)H(2)N (2), with B(C(6)F(5))(3) afforded the zwitterion [(2,6-Me(2))(4-(C(6)F(5))(3)BC≡C)C(5)H(2)NH] (3) via a deprotonation pathway. By treatment of 2 with the group 13 trialkyls AlMe(3), AlEt(3), GaMe(3), GaEt(3) and InMe(3), metallation of the ethynyl group afforded compounds 4-8 under extrusion of the corresponding alkane. The resulting products were characterised by elemental analyses and NMR spectroscopy. Compounds 4 and 8 were crystallized from THF and were yielded as monomers with coordinated THF molecules. The gallium compound 7 could be crystallised from benzene and was afforded as coordination polymer. The structures of these three compounds (4·THF, 7 and 8·2THF) were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. The aluminium compounds 4 and 5 show redistribution reaction of their substituents.

Electrophilic phenoxy-substituted phosphonium cations

A family of electrophilic phenoxy-substituted phosphonium salts [(RO)P(C6F5)3][B(C6F5)4] (R = C6H5, 4-FC6H4, 2,4-F2C6H3, C6F5) have been synthesized and their air stability was evaluated. Computations of the fluoride ion affinity and global electrophilicity index have been used to compare the electrophilicity of these phosphonium salts. The Lewis acidity of these phosphonium salts was probed computationally and experimentally in a Friedel-Crafts-type dimerization, hydrodefluorination, hydrosilylation, hydrodeoxygenation, and dehydrocoupling reactions.

Bis(tetrafluorophenyl)borane

The reaction of the Grignard reagent (p-C(6)F(4)H)MgBr with Me(2)SnCl(2) afforded the p-C(6)F(4)H transfer reagent Me(2)Sn(p-C(6)F(4)H)(2) (1). Subsequent reaction of 1 with BCl(3) led to the chloroborane (p-C(6)F(4)H)(2)BCl (2), which was converted to the borane [(p-C(6)F(4)H)(2)BH](2) (3) by treatment with the hydride source Me(2)SiHCl. By reaction of tetrafluoropyridine with i-PrMgCl followed by the in situ reaction with Me(2)SnCl(2), the stannane Me(2)Sn(C(5)F(4)N)(2) (4) could be obtained. However, this did not react with BCl(3). The resulting products were characterized by elemental analyses and NMR spectroscopy. Single crystal X-ray diffraction experiments were performed for compounds 1, 2 and 4. The crystal structure of the literature known compound Me(2)Sn(C(6)F(5))(2) (5) was determined and compared with structures of 1 and 4.

Boron Perturbed Click Reactions Prompt Aromatic CH Activations

The reaction of boron alkynes and boron azides leads to rare N3BC heterocycles resulting from aromatic C-H activation of benzene and toluene. While subsequent treatment with PMe3 gave the P-B adduct with the exocyclic boron, reaction with PtBu3 effected deprotonation of the heterocycle to give the corresponding phosphonium salt.

Inherent Stability Limits of Intramolecular Boron Nitrogen Lewis Acid–Base Pairs

The reaction of (C(6)F(5))(2)BH (1) with N,N-dimethylallylamine (2), N,N-diethylallylamine (3) and 1-allylpiperidine (4) afforded the five-membered ring systems (C(6)F(5))(2)B(CH(2))(3)NR(2) (R = Me (5), Et (6)) and (C(6)F(5))(2)B(CH(2))(3)N(CH(2))(5) (7) with an intramolecular dative B-N bond. A different product was obtained from the reaction of (C(6)F(5))(2)BH (1) with N,N-diisopropylallylamine (8), which afforded the seven-membered ring system (C(6)F(5))(2)B(CH(2))(3)N(iPr)CH(Me)CH(2) (9) under extrusion of dihydrogen. All compounds were characterised by elemental analysis, NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. Density functional theory (DFT) studies were performed to rationalise the different reaction mechanism for the formation of products 6 and 9. The bonding situation of compound 9 was analysed in terms of its electron density topology to describe the delocalised nature of a borane-enamine adduct.

An Intramolecular Boron Nitrogen Lewis Acid Base Pair on a Rigid Naphthyl Backbone

The reaction of (C6F5)2BCl with 8-lithio-N,N-dimethyl-1-naphthylamine (1) afforded the fivemembered ring system 8-bis(pentafluorophenyl)boryl-N,N-dimethyl-1-naphthylamine (2) with an intramolecular dative B-N bond. The compound was characterised by elemental analysis, NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Graphical Abstract An Intramolecular Boron Nitrogen Lewis Acid Base Pair on a Rigid Naphthyl Backbone