Guangchao Zhang

Dinuclear Rare‐Earth Metal Alkyl Complexes Supported by Indolyl Ligands in μ‐η2:η1:η1 Hapticities and their High Catalytic Activity for Isoprene 1,4‐cis‐Polymerization

Two series of new dinuclear rare-earth metal alkyl complexes supported by indolyl ligands in novel μ-η(2) :η(1) :η(1) hapticities are synthesized and characterized. Treatment of [RE(CH2 SiMe3 )3 (thf)2 ] with 1 equivalent of 3-(tBuN=CH)C8 H5 NH (L1 ) in THF gives the dinuclear rare-earth metal alkyl complexes trans-[(μ-η(2) :η(1) :η(1) -3-{tBuNCH(CH2 SiMe3 )}Ind)RE(thf)(CH2 SiMe3 )]2 (Ind=indolyl, RE=Y, Dy, or Yb) in good yields. In the process, the indole unit of L1 is deprotonated by the metal alkyl species and the imino C=N group is transferred to the amido group by alkyl CH2 SiMe3 insertion, affording a new dianionic ligand that bridges two metal alkyl units in μ-η(2) :η(1) :η(1) bonding modes, forming the dinuclear rare-earth metal alkyl complexes. When L1 is reduced to 3-(tBuNHCH2 )C8 H5 NH (L2 ), the reaction of [Yb(CH2 SiMe3 )3 (thf)2 ] with 1 equivalent of L2 in THF, interestingly, generated the trans-[(μ-η(2) :η(1) :η(1) -3-{tBuNCH2 }Ind)Yb(thf)(CH2 SiMe3 )]2 (major) and cis-[(μ-η(2) :η(1) :η(1) -3-{tBuNCH2 }Ind)Yb(thf)(CH2 SiMe3 )]2 (minor) complexes. The catalytic activities of these dinuclear rare-earth metal alkyl complexes for isoprene polymerization were investigated; the yttrium and dysprosium complexes exhibited high catalytic activities and high regio- and stereoselectivities for isoprene 1,4-cis-polymerization.

Synthesis, Structure, and Reactivity of Lanthanide Complexes Incorporating Indolyl Ligands in Novel Hapticities

The chemistry of interactions of 2-(2,6-diisopropylphenylaminomethylene)indole ligand (1) with europium and ytterbium amides is described. Reaction of 2-(2,6-diisopropylphenylaminomethylene)indole 2-(2,6-i-Pr2C6H3NHCH2)C8H5NH (1) with europium amide [(Me3Si)2N]3Eu(III)(μ-Cl)Li(THF)3 afforded a novel europium(II) complex formulated as {[μ-η(6):η(1):η(1)-2-(2,6-i-Pr2C6H3N═CH)C8H5N]Eu[2-(2,6-i-Pr2C6H3N═CH)C8H5N]}2 (2), having a bridged indolyl ligand in the novel μ-η(6):η(1):η(1) hapticities with the reduction of europium(III) to europium(II) and the oxidation of amino to imino group. Reaction of 2-(2,6-diisopropylphenylaminomethylene)indole 2-(2,6-i-Pr2C6H3NHCH2)C8H5NH (1) with ytterbium(III) amide [(Me3Si)2N]3Yb(III)(μ-Cl)Li(THF)3 produced the only deprotonated ytterbium(III) complex formulated as [2-(2,6-i-Pr2C6H3NCH2)C8H5N]Yb[N(SiMe3)2](THF)2 (3), having an η(1) hapticity indolyl ligand. Reaction of 2 with formamidine [(2,6-Me2C6H3)NCHNH(C6H3Me2-2,6)] produced {[μ-η(3):η(1):η(1)-2-(2,6-i-Pr2C6H3N═CH)C8H5N]Eu[(2,6-Me2C6H3)NCHN(C6H3Me2-2,6)](THF)}2 (4), which has a bridged indolyl ligand in the novel μ-η(3):η(1):η(1) hapticities, whereas the reaction of 2 with the more sterically bulky formamidine [(2,6-i-Pr2C6H3)NCHNH(C6H3i-Pr2-2,6)] afforded complex {[μ-η(2):η(1):η(1)-2-(2,6-i-Pr2C6H3N═CH)C8H5N]Eu[(2,6-i-Pr2C6H3)N═CHN(C6H3i-Pr2-2,6)](THF)}2 (5), having the indolyl ligand in the novel μ-η(2):η(1):η(1) hapticities. The results represent the first example of organometallic complexes having indolyl ligands in the novel μ-η(6):η(1):η(1), μ-η(3):η(1):η(1), and μ-η(2):η(1):η(1) bonding modes with metal.

Heterometallic rare-earth metal complexes with imino-functionalized 8-hydroxyquinolyl ligands: synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity towards hydrophosphinylation of trans-β-nitroalkene

Reactions of rare-earth metal amides [(Me3Si)2N]3RE(μ-Cl)Li(THF)3 with different equiv. of 2-(2,6-diisopropylphenylimino)-8-hydroxyquinoline (1) afforded different heterometallic rare-earth metal complexes, and catalytic activity of the resulting complexes was investigated. Reactions of rare-earth metal amides [(Me3Si)2N]3RE(μ-Cl)Li(THF)3 (RE = Y, Er, Dy) with 1 equiv. of compound 1 afforded the heterobimetallic rare-earth metal and lithium complexes 2–4 bridged by the oxygen atom of 2-(2,6-diisopropylphenylimino)-8-hydroxyquinoline and the nitrogen atom of N(SiMe3)2. However, the treatment of rare-earth metal amides [(Me3Si)2N]3RE(μ-Cl)Li(THF)3 (RE = Sm, Er, Yb) with 2 equiv. of compound 1 gave different heterobimetallic rare-earth metal and lithium complexes 5–7 bridged by the oxygen atoms of 2-(2,6-diisopropylphenylimino)-8-hydroxyquinoline. Complex 6 can also be prepared by the treatment of 3 with 1 equiv. of 1. Complexes 2–7 were fully characterized using spectroscopic methods, elemental analyses and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Investigation of the catalytic properties of the complexes indicated that all complexes exhibited a high catalytic activity towards the addition of diphenylphosphine oxide to trans-β-nitroalkenes to afford β-nitrophosphonates under mild conditions.

Reactivity of functionalized indoles with rare-earth metal amides. Synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity of rare-earth metal complexes incorporating indolyl ligands

The reactivity of several functionalized indoles 2-(RNHCH2)C8H5NH (R = C6H5 (1), (t)Bu (2), 2,6-(i)Pr2C6H3 (3)) with rare-earth metal amides is described. Reactions of 1 or 2 with [(Me3Si)2N]3RE(μ-Cl)Li(THF)3 (RE = Eu, Yb) respectively produced the europium complexes [2-(C6H5N[double bond, length as m-dash]CH)C8H5N]2Eu[N(SiMe3)2] (4) and [2-((t)BuN[double bond, length as m-dash]CH)C8H5N]Eu[N(SiMe3)2]2 (5), and the ytterbium complex [2-((t)BuN[double bond, length as m-dash]CH)C8H5N]2Yb[N(SiMe3)2] (6), containing bidentate anionic indolyl ligands via dehydrogenation of the amine to the imine. In contrast, reactions of the more sterically bulky indole 3 with [(Me3Si)2N]3RE(μ-Cl)Li(THF)3 afforded complexes [2-(2,6-(i)Pr2C6H3NCH2)C8H5N]RE[N(SiMe3)2](THF)2 (RE = Yb (7), Y (8), Er (9), Dy (10)) with the deprotonated indolyl ligand. While reactions of 3 with yttrium and ytterbium amides in refluxing toluene respectively gave the complexes [2-(2,6-(i)Pr2C6H3N[double bond, length as m-dash]CH)C8H5N]3Y (11) and [2-(2,6-(i)Pr2C6H3N[double bond, length as m-dash]CH)C8H5N]2Yb(II)(THF)2 (12), along with transformation of the amino group to the imino group, and also with a reduction of Yb(3+) to Yb(2+) in the formation of 12. Reactions of 3 with samarium and neodymium amides provided novel dinuclear complexes {[μ-η(5):η(1):η(1)-2-(2,6-(i)Pr2C6H3NCH2)C8H5N]RE[N(SiMe3)2]}2 (RE = Sm (13), Nd (14)) having indolyl ligands in μ-η(5):η(1):η(1) hapticities. The pathway for the transformation of the amino group to the imino group is proposed on the basis of the experimental results. The new complexes displayed excellent activity in the intramolecular hydroamination of aminoalkenes.

Synthesis, structure, and catalytic activity of rare-earth metal amides with a neutral pyrrolyl-functionalized indolyl ligand

The reactions of neutral pyrrolyl-functionalized indole with rare-earth metal amides [(Me3Si)2N]3RE(µ-Cl)Li(THF)3 produced the rare-earth metal complexes [(Me3Si)2N]2RE([η1:µ-η2-3-(2-(N-CH3)C4H3NCH=N-CH2CH2)C8H5N])(µ-Cl)Li(THF) (RE = Er, Y) having indolyl ligand η1 bonded to rare-earth metal ion and η2 bonded to lithium ion. The catalytic activities of these lanthanide amido complexes for addition of terminal alkynes to aromatic nitriles were explored. Results reveal that these complexes displayed a good catalytic activity for the addition reaction under mild conditions.