Kanako Nakamae

Facile Insertion of Carbon Dioxide into Cu2(μ-H) Dinuclear Units Supported by Tetraphosphine Ligands

Reactions of meso-bis[(diphenylphosphinomethyl)phenylphosphino]methane (dpmppm) with Cu(I) species in the presence of NaBH4 afforded di- and tetranuclear copper hydride complexes, [Cu2(μ-H)(μ-dpmppm)2]X (1) and [Cu4(μ-H)2(μ4-H)(μ-dpmppm)2]X (2) (X=BF4, PF6). Complex 1 undergoes facile insertion of CO2 (1 atm) at room temperature, leading to a formate-bridged dicopper complex [Cu2(μ-HCOO)(dpmppm)2]X (3). The experimental and DFT theoretical studies clearly demonstrate that CO2 insertion into the Cu2(μ-H) unit occurred with the flexible dicopper platform. Complex 2 also undergoes CO2 insertion to give a formate-bridged complex, [Cu4(μ-HCOO)3(dpmppm)2]X, during which the square Cu4 framework opened up to a linear tetranuclear chain.

Self‐Alignment of Low‐Valent Octanuclear Palladium Atoms

A linear tetraphosphine, meso-bis[(diphenylphosphinomethyl)phenylphosphino]methane (dpmppm) was used to synthesize linear octapalladium-extended metal atom chains as discrete molecules of [Pd8(μ-dpmppm)4](BF4)4 (1) and [Pd8(μ-dpmppm)4L2](BF4)4 (L=2,6-xylyl isocyanide (XylNC; 2), acetonitrile (3), and N,N-dimethylformamide (dmf; 4)), which are stable in the solution states and show interesting temperature-dependent photochemical properties in the near IR region. Variable temperature NMR studies demonstrated that at higher temperature T≈140 °C the Pd8 chains were dissociated into Pd4 fragments, which were thermodynamically self-aligned to restore the Pd8 chains at lower temperature T<60 °C. The coldspray ionization mass spectra suggested a possibility for further aggregation of the linear tetrapalladium units.

A Fluxional Cu8H6 Cluster Supported by Bis(diphenylphosphino)methane and its Facile Reaction with CO2

A copper hydride cluster [Cu8 (μ-H)6 (μ-dppm)5 ](PF6 )2 (dppm=bis(diphenylphosphino)methane) was prepared from reaction of [CuH(PPh3 )]6 with dppm in the presence of [Cu(CH3 CN)4 ]PF6 and exhibited fluxional behaviors in solution where the hydrides and the phosphines are scrambling around the trans-bicapped octahedral Cu8 framework. The Cu8 H6 complex showed facile reactivity with CO2 (1 atm, RT) to afford a tricopper complex, [Cu3 (μ-H)(μ-O2 CH)(μ-dppm)3 ]PF6 , which could be developed to unprecedented hydrosilylation of CO2 catalyzed by multinuclear CuH species under mild conditions.

Chiral Self‐Recognition between Stereogenic Tetrapalladium Units Affording Pd8 Chains Supported by Homochiral Tetraphosphines

By using a chiral tetraphosphine, rac-bis[(diphenylphosphinomethyl)phenylphosphino]methane (rac-dpmppm), linear octapalladium chains were synthesized as discrete molecules of [Pd8 (μ-rac-dpmppm)4 L2 ](BF4 )4 (L=CH3 CN, dmf, XylNC), [Pd8 (μ-rac-dpmppm)4 ](BF4 )4 , and [Pd8 (μ-rac-dpmppm)4 (Cl)2 ](BF4 )2 , which are stable in the solution states and characterized by spectroscopic and crystallographic methods to reveal the octapalladium chains supported by homochiral four tetraphosphines. Variable-temperature NMR studies for a 1:1 mixture of [Pd8 (μ-rac-dpmppm)4 (dmf)2 ](BF4 )4 and [Pd8 (μ-meso-dpmppm)4 (dmf)2 ]-(BF4 )4 in [D7 ]DMF revealed that the Pd8 chains were dissociated at higher temperature (T≈140 °C) into the Pd4 units of {Pd4 (μ-rac-dpmppm)2 }2+ and {Pd4 (μ-meso-dpmppm)2 }2+ , and they were thermodynamically self-aligned to restore the Pd8 chains at lower temperature (T<60 °C), through perfect chiral self-recognition between the stereogenic tetrapalladium units.

Gold and Silver Chains Supported by Linear Hexaphosphine Ligands

A new linear hexaphosphine, rac-cis,cis,trans-bis{[(diphenylphosphinomethyl)phenylphosphinomethyl]phenylphosphino}methane (P6), was synthesized and isolated as a pure isomer, confirmed by transforming to the corresponding phosphine sulfide. The methylene-bridged linear hexaphosphine readily organized flexible gold(I) and silver(I) hexanuclear chains, [M6(μ-P6)2]X6 (X6 = (OTf)6, M = Au (1), Ag (2); X6 = Cl2(PF6)4, M = Au (3)). The hexaphosphine also supported a tetrasilver(I) complex [Ag4(μ-P6)2](OTf)4 (4), which was readily transformed by treatment with AgOTf into 3, revealing a drastic alternation of the two P6 arrangement. The hexagold(I) chains exhibited a considerably red-shifted absorption (∼410 nm) and emission (540-580 nm) to (1) [5dσ*→6pσ] and from (3) [5dσ*→6pσ] excited states of the metal centers, respectively. The new linear hexaphosphine could be a useful tool to construct linear metal clusters as subnano building blocks.

Tri- and Tetranuclear Copper Hydride Complexes Supported by Tetradentate Phosphine Ligands

Three types of tetradentate phosphine ligands with different central methylene chains and configurations, meso- and rac-Ph2PCH2P(Ph)(CH2) nP(Ph)CH2PPh2 ( n = 2, meso- and rac-dpmppe; n = 3, meso-dpmppp) were utilized to synthesize a new series of tri- and tetranuclear copper hydride complexes. Reactions of meso-dpmppe or meso-dpmppp with CuCl/NH4PF6 or [Cu(CH3CN)4]PF6 in the presence of NaBH4 afforded trinuclear copper hydride complexes, [Cu3(μ3-H)( meso-dpmppe)2](PF6)2 (1) and [Cu3(μ3-H)( meso-dpmppp)2](PF6)2 (2), while a similar reaction with rac-dpmppe resulted in the formation of a tetranuclear copper dihydride complex, [Cu4(μ3-H)2( rac-dpmppe)2](PF6)2 (5). Complexes 1 and 5 further reacted with RNC (R = tBu, Cy, Xyl) to give [Cu3(μ3-H)( meso-dpmppe)2(XylNC)](PF6)2 (3), [Cu4(μ3-H)2( meso-dpmppe)2(RNC)2](PF6)2 (R = tBu (4a), Cy (4b)) and [Cu4(μ3-H)2( rac-dpmppe)2(RNC)2](PF6)2 (R = tBu (6a), Cy (6b), Xyl (6c)), respectively. Complexes 1-6 were characterized by ESI-MS and 1H and 31P NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses, demonstrating that a hydride ligand is located at the center of triangular Cu3 plane of 1-3, while two μ3-hydride-capped Cu3 planes are fused to result in rhombic Cu4H2 structures in 4a,b, 5, and 6a-c. Complexes 1-6 in CD3CN solutions notably showed high thermal stability and no reactivity toward H2O and CO2. DFT calculations indicated an interesting correlation between the Wiberg bond indices (WBI) of Cu-H bonds and their natural atomic charge (NAC), where the isocyanide ligands had an appreciable influence on the Cu-H interactions.