Jörg A. Schachner

Dioxomolybdenum(VI) Complexes with Pyrazole Based Aryloxide Ligands: Synthesis, Characterization and Application in Epoxidation of Olefins

Synthesis, characterization, and epoxidation chemistry of four new dioxomolybdenum(VI) complexes [MoO(2)(L)(2)] (1-4) with aryloxide-pyrazole ligands L = L1-L4 is described. Catalysts 1-4 are air and moisture stable and easy to synthesize in only three steps in good yields. All four complexes are coordinated by the two bidentate ligands in an asymmetric fashion with one phenoxide and one pyrazole being trans to oxo atoms, respectively. This is in contrast to the structure found for the related aryloxide-oxazoline coordinated Mo(VI) dioxo complex 5. This was confirmed by the determination of the molecular structures of complexes 1-3 by X-ray diffraction analyses. Compounds 1-4 show high catalytic activities in the epoxidation of various olefins. Cyclooctene (S1) is converted to its epoxide with high activity, whereas the epoxidation of styrene (S2) is unselective. Internal olefins (S3 and S4) are also acceptable substrates, as well as the very challenging olefin 1-octene (S5). Catalyst loading can be reduced to 0.02 mol % and the catalyst can be recycled up to ten times without significant loss of activity. Supportive DFT calculations have been carried out in order to obtain deeper insights into the electronic situation around the Mo atom.

Oxorhenium(V) Complexes with Pyrazole Based Aryloxide Ligands and Application in Olefin Epoxidation

We synthesized and characterized a set of new oxorhenium(V) complexes coordinated by various pyrazole containing phenol (L1-L3) and naphthol ligands (L4-L7). Depending on the starting material, we were able to selectively synthesize monosubstituded or disubstituted complexes of the type [ReOBr(2)L(PPh(3))] (1-7; L = L1-L7) and [ReOClL(2)] (L = L1 8; L2 9; L4 10; L6 11), respectively. All complexes are stable to air and moisture, both in solid state as well as in solution. Furthermore, the cationic oxorhenium(V) complex [ReO(L1)(2)(NCMe)](OTf) (8a) was obtained upon chloride abstraction with silver triflate from 8. All new complexes were able to catalyze the epoxidation of cis-cyclooctene in yields up to 64%. The ease of preparation and their tolerance to air and moisture, as well as the simple ligand modifications, make them an interesting class of novel catalysts. An attempted reduction of perchlorate ClO(4)(-) with complex 8 was unsuccessful. Molecular structures of complexes 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 8a, 10, and 11 were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses.

Oxorhenium(V) Complexes with Phenolate–Pyrazole Ligands for Olefin Epoxidation Using Hydrogen Peroxide

Oxorhenium(V) complexes of the general formula [ReOCl2(PPh3)(L)] (2a-c) and [ReOCl(L)2] (3a-c) with L being monoanionic, bidentate phenolate-pyrazole ligands 1a-c that bear substituents with various electronic features on the phenol ring (1a Br, 1b NO2, 1c OMe) were prepared. The compounds are stable toward moisture and air, allowing them to be handled in a normal lab atmosphere. All complexes were fully characterized by spectroscopic means and, in the case of 2b, 2c, 3b, and 3c, also by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Electrochemical investigations by cyclic voltammetry of complexes 3a-c showed a shift to more positive potentials for the Re(V)/Re(VI) redox couple in the order of 3b > 3a > 3c (R = NO2 > Br > OMe), reflecting the higher electrophilic character of the Re atom caused by the ligands 1a-c. Complexes 2a-c and 3a-c display excellent catalytic activity in the epoxidation of cyclooctene, where all six complexes give quantitative conversions to the epoxide within 3 h if tert-butylhydroperoxide (TBHP) is employed as oxidant. Moreover, they represent rare examples of oxorhenium(V) catalysts capable of using the green oxidant hydrogen peroxide, leading to high yields up to 74%. Also, green solvents such as diethylcarbonate can be used successfully in epoxidation reactions, albeit resulting in lower yields (up to 30%).

Nonlinear optical properties of diazabutadienes and -hexatrienes; experimental and computational aspects

Donor-acceptor substituted diazabutadienes and -hexatrienes were prepared by straightforward procedures and their linear optical (UV-vis) and nonlinear optical second harmonic generation (SGH) properties investigated in a combined theoretical and experimental study. Theoretical and experimental results were in reasonable agreement. For the compounds in this study, which contained a p-nitrophenyl group as electron acceptor, the p-dimethylaminophenyl group was the most powerful electron-donating group, leading to the highest maximum absorption wavelengths, as well as to the maximum SHG efficiency.

Templated C–C and C–N Bond Formation Facilitated by a Molybdenum(VI) Metal Center

Preparation of molybdenum dioxido complexes with novel iminophenolate ligands bearing pendant secondary amide functionalities led to unprecedented C-C and C-N coupling reactions of two α-iminoamides upon coordination. The diastereoselective cyclization to asymmetric imidazolidines occurs at the metal center in two consecutive steps via a monocoupled intermediate. A meaningful mechanism is proposed on the basis of full characterization of intermediate and final molybdenum-containing products by spectroscopic means and by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. This process constitutes the first example of a diastereoselective self-cyclization of two α-iminoamides.

Oxidorhenium(V) Complexes with Tetradentate Iminophenolate Ligands: Influence of Ligand Flexibility on the Coordination Motif and Oxygen-Atom-Transfer Activity

The synthesis of oxidorhenium(V) complexes 1-3 coordinated by tetradentate iminophenolate ligands H2L1-H2L3 bearing backbones of different rigidity (alkyl, cycloalkyl, and phenyl bridges) allows for the formation of distinct geometric isomers, including a symmetric trans-oxidochlorido coordination motif in complex 3. The complex employing a cycloalkyl-bridged ligand (2) of intermediate rigidity exhibits an interesting solvent- and temperature-dependent equilibrium between a symmetric (trans) isomer and an asymmetric (cis) isomer in solution. The occurrence of a symmetric isomer for 2 and 3 is confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Chlorido abstraction from 2 with AgOTf yields the corresponding cationic complex 2a, which does not exhibit an isomeric equilibrium in solution but adopts the isomeric form predominant for 2 in a given solvent. All complexes were, furthermore, employed in three benchmark oxygen-atom-transfer (OAT) reactions, namely, the reduction of perchlorate, the epoxidation of cyclooctene, and OAT from dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to triphenylphosphane (PPh3), to assess the influence of the isomeric structure on the reactivity in these reactions. In perchlorate reduction, a clear structural influence was observed, where the trans arrangement in 3 led to the complete absence of activity. In the epoxidation reaction, all complexes led to comparable epoxide yields, albeit higher catalytic activity but lower overall stability of the catalysts with a trans arrangement was observed. In OAT from DMSO to PPh3, also a clear structural dependence was observed, where the trans complex 3 led to full phosphane conversion with an excess of oxidant, while the cis compound 1 was completely inactive.

Unusual C–N Coupling Reactivity of Thiopyridazines: Efficient Synthesis of Iron Diorganotrisulfide Complexes

The reaction of iron(II) triflate with 6-tert-butyl-3-thiopyridazine (PnH) and 4-methyl-6-tert-butyl-3-thiopyridazine (MePnH) respectively led to iron bis(diorganotrisulfide) complexes [Fe(RPnS3PnR)2](OTf)2 [R = H (1a) and Me (2a)]. The corresponding perchlorate complexes were prepared by using the iron(II) chloride precursor and the subsequent addition of 2 equiv of NaClO4, giving [Fe(RPnS3PnR)2](ClO4)2 [R = H (1b) and Me (2b)]. The compounds were fully characterized including single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. All four compounds exhibit nearly perfect octahedral geometries with an iron center coordinated by four nitrogen atoms from two RPnS3PnR ligands and by two sulfur atoms of the central atom in the S3 unit. The diamagnetic complexes exhibit unusually high redox potentials for the Fe2+/3+ couple at E1/2 = 1.15 V (for 1a and 1b) and 1.08 V (for 2a and 2b) versus Fc/Fc+, respectively, as determined by cyclic voltammetry. Furthermore, the source of the extra sulfur atom within the S3 unit was elucidated by isolation of C-N-coupled pyridazinylthiopyridazine products.

A tetranuclear nickel(II) heterocubane complex of a bidentate N,O-hydroxymethyl-oxazoline ligand. Synthesis, characterization, magnetic measurements and DFT investigations

Abstract Synthesis, structural, and magnetochemical characterization of the tetranuclear [Ni4O4] heterocubane cluster [NiCl(L1)(MeOH)]4, 1, employing the bidentate N,O-ligand 2-hydroxymethyl-2-oxazoline, HL1, is reported. In the solid state, each nickel(II) is coordinated in a distorted octahedral environment, located on four corners of a [Ni4(μ3-O)4] cubane core motif. Measurements of the magnetic susceptibility in solution (Evans method) as well as in the solid state (magnetic susceptibility balance) gave values of 5.74 and 6.08 unpaired electrons, respectively, indicating a spin ground state of S = 3. At maximum spin degeneracy (S = 4), eight unpaired electrons would be expected. Magnetic properties were further evaluated by SQUID measurements of 1, confirming the spin ground state of 1 to be S = 3. The observed deviation is caused by antiferromagnetic coupling between the four Ni atoms. In addition, broken-symmetry DFT calculations confirmed an overlap of magnetic orbitals resulting in exchange coupling between the four nickel(II) ions of 1.