David A. Ruiz

Deprotonation of a Borohydride: Synthesis of a Carbene-Stabilized Boryl Anion†

An acidic hydride! Thanks to the presence of a π-acceptor cyclic alkyl amino carbene and of two electron-withdrawing nitrile groups, a borohydride reacts with a base to give a carbene-stabilized boryl anion, which reacts with carbon and metal electrophiles at the boron center. Dipp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl, KHMDS = potassium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide.

One-, Two-, and Three-Electron Reduction of a Cyclic Alkyl(amino)carbene–SbCl3 Adduct†

A cyclic alkyl(amino)carbene readily reacts with SbCl3 to form the corresponding Sb(III) adduct. One-electron reduction gives rise to the first example of a neutral antimony-centered radical characterized in solution. Two-electron reduction affords a Lewis base stabilized chloro-stibinidene, whereas three-electron reduction gives an antimony diatomic species capped by two carbenes. The radical has been characterized by EPR spectroscopy, while the structure of the other three species has been ascertained by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In these four species, the formal oxidation state of the metalloid diminishes from III, to II, to I, and finally 0.

N-Heterocyclic Carbenes as Promotors for the Rearrangement of Phosphaketenes to Phosphaheteroallenes: A Case Study for OCP to OPC Constitutional Isomerism.

The concept of isomerism is essential to chemistry and allows defining molecules with an identical composition but different connectivity (bonds) between their atoms (constitutional isomers) and/or a different arrangement in space (stereoisomers). The reaction of phosphanyl ketenes, (NHP)-P=C=O (NHP=N-heterocyclic phosphenium) with N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) leads to phosphaheteroallenes (NHP)-O-P=C=NHC in which the PCO unit has been isomerized to OPC. Based on the isolation of several intermediates and DFT calculations, a mechanism for this fundamental isomerisation process is proposed.