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To evaluate bifunctional ligand reactivity involving NH acidic sites in the secondary coordination sphere, complexes where the proton has been substituted with a methyl group (NMe) are often investigated. An alternative strategy involves substitution of the NH group for an O. This contribution considers and compares the merits of these approaches; the synthesis and characterization of cationic square-planar Rh carbonyl complexes bearing diprotic bispyrazole pyridine ligand L1, and the bis-methylated pyrazole pyridine ligand L1Me are described. The syntheses and characterization of the novel monoprotic pyrazole isoxazole pyridine ligand L2 and aprotic bisisoxazole pyridine ligand L3, and their corresponding Rh carbonyl complexes are also described. Comparison of the CO stretching frequencies of the four Rh complexes suggest that substitutions of NH with NMe, as well as with O, lead to significant electronic differences. These electronic differences result in different reactivities with respect to ligand addition/substitution of the Rh carbonyl complexes. Overall, the data suggest that electronic differences arising due to the NH substitutions can be significant and should be considered when the NH group is substituted in investigations of the participation of the NH proton in a reaction., (© 2024 The Author(s). Chemistry - A European Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The use of molecular oxygen as an oxidant in chemical synthesis has significant environmental and economic benefits, and it is widely used as such in large-scale industrial processes. However, its adoption in highly selective homogeneous catalytic transformations, particularly to produce oxygenated organics, has been hindered by our limited understanding of the mechanisms by which O 2 reacts with transition metals. Of particular relevance are the mechanisms of the reactions of oxygen with late transition metal hydrides as these metal centers are better poised to release oxygenated products. Homogeneous catalysis with gold complexes has markedly increased, and herein we report the synthesis and full characterization of a rare Au III -H, supported by a diphosphine pincer ligand ( t Bu PCP = 2,6-bis(di- tert -butylphosphinomethyl)benzene). [( t Bu PCP)Au III -H] + was found to cleanly react with molecular oxygen to yield a stable Au III -OOH complex that was also fully characterized. Extensive kinetic studies on the reaction via variable temperature NMR spectroscopy have been completed, and the results are consistent with an autoaccelerating radical chain mechanism. The observed kinetic behavior exhibits similarities to that of previously reported Pd II -H and Pt IV -H reactions with O 2 but is not fully consistent with any known O 2 insertion mechanism. As such, this study contributes to the nascent fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of aerobic oxidation of late metal hydrides.

The upgrading of ethanol to n -butanol was performed using a molecular catalyst integrated into a carbon nitride support, one of the first examples of a supported molecular catalyst performing the Guerbet process. Initial studies using crystalline poly(triazine)imide (PTI) with lithium or transition-metal cations imbedded in the support together with a base as the catalyst system did not produce any significant amounts of n -butanol. However, when using the catalyst material formed by treatment of PTI-LiCl with [(Cp*)IrCl 2 ] 2 (Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) along with sodium hydroxide, a 59% selectivity for butanol (13% yield) was obtained at 145 °C. This PTI-(Cp*)Ir material exhibited distinct UV-vis absorption features and powder X-ray diffractions which differ from those of the parent PTI-LiCl and [(Cp*)IrCl 2 ] 2 . The PTI-(Cp*)Ir material was found to have a metal loading of 27% iridium per empirical unit of the framework. Along with the formation of n -butanol from the Guerbet reaction, the presence of higher chain alcohols was also observed.

A series of dinuclear molecular copper complexes were prepared and used to model the binding and Lewis acid stabilization of CO in heterogeneous copper CO 2 reduction electrocatalysts. Experimental studies (including measurement of rate and equilibrium constants) and electronic structure calculations suggest that the key kinetic barrier for CO binding may be a σ-interaction between Cu I and the incoming CO ligand. The rate of CO coordination can be increased upon the addition of Lewis acids or electron-withdrawing substituents on the ligand backbone. Conversely, K eq for CO coordination can be increased by adding electron density to the metal centers of the compound, consistent with stronger π-backbonding. Finally, the electrochemically measured kinetic results were mapped onto an electrochemical zone diagram to illustrate how these system changes enabled access to each zone.

Thermolysis of [ H (BPI)Pt(CH 3 )][OTf] (BPI = 1,3-bis(2-(4- tert -butyl)pyridylimino)isoindole) to release methane and form (BPI)Pt(OTf) is reported. Kinetic, mechanistic, and computational studies point to an unusual anion-assisted pathway that obviates the need for a higher oxidation state intermediate to couple the metal-bound methyl group with the ligand-bound hydrogen. Leveraging this insight, a triflimide derivative of the (BPI)Pt complex was shown to activate benzene, highlighting the role of the counteranion in controlling the activity of these complexes.

Syntheses of Vaska-type complexes [IrP 2 X(CO)] (P = phosphine, X = halide) with all four common halides (fluoride, chloride, bromide, and iodide) was attempted using a protic and hemilabile imidazolyl di- tert -butyl phosphine ligand. In the solid-state, all four complexes were found to be ionic with the halides in the outer-sphere, and the fourth coordination site of the square plane occupied by the imidazole arm of the ligand. In solution, however, the chloride complex was found to be in equilibrium with an octahedral Ir III -H species at room temperature. For the bromide and iodide analogs, the corresponding Ir III -H species were also observed but only after heating the solutions. The neutral Ir I Vaska's analogs for X = Cl, Br, and I were obtained upon addition of excess halide salt, albeit heating was required for X = Br and I. The Ir III -H species are proposed to originate from tautomerization of minor amounts of the electron rich neutral Vaska analog (halide inner-sphere and phosphines monodentate) that are in equilibrium with the ionic species. Heating is required for the larger anions of bromide and iodide to overcome a kinetic barrier associated with their movement to an inner-sphere position prior to tautormerization. For the fluoride analog, the Ir III -H was not observed, attributable to strong hydrogen bonding interactions of the imidazolyl proton with the fluoride anion., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Halogenation is an important alkane functionalization strategy, but O 2 is widely considered the most desirable terminal oxidant. Here, the aerobic iodination of alkanes, including methane, was performed using catalytic [ n Bu 4 N]Cl and light irradiation (390 nm). Up to 10 turnovers of CH 3 I were obtained from CH 4 and air, using a stop-flow microtubing system. Mechanistic studies using cyclohexane as the substrate revealed important details about the iodination reaction. Iodine (I 2 ) serves multiple roles in the catalysis: (1) as the alkyl radical trap, (2) as a precursor for the light absorber, and (3) as a mediator of aerobic oxidation. The alkane activation is attributed to Cl • derived from photofragmentation of the electron donor-acceptor complex of I 2 and Cl - . The kinetic profile of cyclohexane iodination showed that aerobic oxidation of I 3 - to produce I 2 in CH 3 CN is turnover-limiting.

Using the doubly protic bis-pyrazole-pyridine ligand (N(NN H ) 2 ), we have synthesized an octahedral Ir III -H [HIr(κ 3 -N(NN H )(NN - ))(CO)( t BuPy)] + ([ 1-MH ] + ) from an Ir I starting material. This hydride was generated by adding sufficient electron density to the metal center such that it became the thermodynamically preferred site of protonation. It was observed via UV-vis spectroscopy that [ 1-MH ] + establishes a [ t BuPy] dependent equilibrium with a ligand protonated square-planar Ir I [Ir(N(NN H ) 2 )(CO)] + ([ 2-LH ] + ). This example of metal/ligand proton tautomerism is unusual in that the position of the equilibrium can be controlled by the concentration of exogeneous ligand (i.e., t BuPy). This equilibrium was shown to be key to the reactivity of the Ir III -H; 2 equiv of [ 1-MH ] + release H 2 , converting to the Ir II dimer [[Ir(N(NN - )(NN H ))(CO)( t BuPy)] 2 ] 2+ ([ 7 ] 2+ ) under mild conditions (observable at room temperature). Mechanistic evidence is presented to support that this dinuclear reductive elimination occurs by tautomerization of the metal hydride [ 1-MH ] + to a ligand protonated species [ 1-LH ] + , from which ligand dissociation is facile, generating [ 2-LH ] + . Subsequent reaction of [ 2-LH ] + with [ 1-MH ] + allows for production of H 2 and the Ir II dimer [ 7 ] 2+ . The tautomerization between the metal-hydride and the ligand protonated species provides a low energy pathway for ligand dissociation, opening the needed coordination site. The ability to control the interconversion between a metal-hydride and a ligand-protonated congener using an exogeneous ligand introduces a new strategy for catalyst design with proton responsive ligands.

The hydrogenolysis of mono- and dinuclear Pd II hydroxides was investigated both experimentally and computationally. It was found that the dinuclear μ-hydroxide complexes {[(PCN R )Pd] 2 (μ-OH)}(OTf) (PCN H =1-[3-[(di-tert-butylphosphino)methyl]phenyl]-1H-pyrazole; PCN Me =1-[3-[(di-tert-butylphosphino)methyl]phenyl]-5-methyl-1H-pyrazole) react with H 2 to form the analogous dinuclear hydride species {[(PCN R )Pd] 2 (μ-H)}(OTf). The dinuclear μ-hydride complexes were fully characterized, and are rare examples of structurally characterized unsupported singly bridged μ-H Pd II dimers. The {[(PCN Me )Pd] 2 (μ-OH)}(OTf) hydrogenolysis mechanism was investigated through experiments and computations. The hydrogenolysis of the mononuclear complex (PCN H )Pd-OH resulted in a mixed ligand dinuclear species [(PCN H )Pd](μ-H)[(PCC)Pd] (PCC=a dianionic version of PCN H bound through phosphorus P, aryl C, and pyrazole C atoms) generated from initial ligand "rollover" C-H activation. Further exposure to H 2 yields the bisphosphine Pd 0 complex Pd[(H)PCN H ] 2 . When the ligand was protected at the pyrazole 5-position in the (PCN Me )Pd-OH complex, no hydride formed under the same conditions; the reaction proceeded directly to the bisphosphine Pd 0 complex Pd[(H)PCN Me ] 2 . Reaction mechanisms for the hydrogenolysis of the monomeric and dimeric hydroxides are proposed., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The rational development of homogeneous catalytic systems for selective aerobic oxidations of organics has been hampered by the limited available knowledge of how oxygen reacts with important organometallic intermediates. Recently, several mechanisms for oxygen insertion into late transition metal-hydride bonds have been described. Contributing to this nascent understanding of how oxygen reacts with metal-hydrides, a detailed mechanistic study of the reaction of oxygen with the Ir III hydride complex ( dm Phebox)Ir(OAc)(H) ( 1 ) in the presence of acetic acid, which proceeds to form the Ir III complex ( dm Phebox)Ir(OAc) 2 (OH 2 ) ( 2 ), is described. The evidence supports a multifaceted mechanism wherein a small amount of an initially formed metal hydroperoxide proceeds to generate a metal-oxyl species that then initiates a radical chain reaction to rapidly convert the remaining Ir III -H. Insight into the initiation step was gained through kinetic and mechanistic studies of the radical chain inhibition by BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene). Computational studies were employed to contribute to a further understanding of initiation and propagation in this system.

Single-site supported organometallic catalysts bring together the favorable aspects of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis while offering opportunities to investigate the impact of metal-support interactions on reactivity. We report a ( dm Phebox)Ir(III) ( dm Phebox = 2,6-bis(4,4-dimethyloxazolinyl)-3,5-dimethylphenyl) complex chemisorbed on sulfated zirconia, the molecular precursor for which was previously applied to hydrocarbon functionalization. Spectroscopic methods such as diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transformation spectroscopy (DRIFTS), dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP)-enhanced solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) were used to characterize the supported species. Tetrabutylammonium acetate was found to remove the organometallic species from the surface, enabling solution-phase analytical techniques in conjunction with traditional surface methods. Cationic character was imparted to the iridium center by its grafting onto sulfated zirconia, imbuing high levels of activity in electrophilic C-H bond functionalization reactions such as the stoichiometric dehydrogenation of alkanes, with density functional theory (DFT) calculations showing a lower barrier for β-H elimination. Catalytic hydrogenation of olefins was also facilitated by the sulfated zirconia-supported ( dm Phebox)Ir(III) complex, while the homologous complex on silica was inactive under comparable conditions.

Addition of high pressures of H 2 to five-coordinate [ (tBu)4 (POCOP)Ir(CO)(H)]OTf [ (tBu)4 (POCOP) = κ 3 -C 6 H 3 -2,6-(OP( t Bu) 2 ) 2 ] complexes results in observation of two new iridium-dihydrogen complexes. If the aryl moiety of the POCOP ligand is substituted with an electron withdrawing protonated dimethylamino group at the para position, hydrogen coordination is enhanced. Five-coordinate Ir-H complexes generated by addition of triflic acid to (tBu)4 (POCOP)Ir(CO) species show an Ir-H 1 H NMR chemical shift dependence on the number of equivalents of acid present. It is proposed that excess triflic acid in solution facilitates triflate dissociation from iridium, resulting in unsaturated five-coordinate Ir-H complexes. The five-coordinate iridium-hydride complexes were found to catalyze H/D exchange between H 2 and CD 3 OD. The existence of the dihydrogen complexes, as well as isotope exchange reactions, provide evidence for proposed ionic hydrogenation intermediates for glycerol deoxygenation.

Thermolysis of the Rh III -Me complex (DPEphos)RhMeI 2 (1) results in reductive elimination of MeI. Mechanistic studies are consistent with S N 2 attack by I - at the Rh III -Me group via two separate competing paths. Addition of sulfur and nitrogen nucleophiles allows effective competition and formation of C(sp 3 )-S and C(sp 3 )-N coupled products in high yields. C(sp 3 )-N bond formation is second-order in amine, consistent with amine substitution of iodide at the metal followed by nucleophilic attack at carbon by a second amine.

NaBAr F 4 (sodium tetrakis[(3,5-trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate) was found to catalyze reactions of (Phebox)Ir III (acetate) (Phebox = 2,6-bis(4,4-dimethyloxazolinyl)-3,5-dimethylphenyl) complexes, including (i) β-H elimination of (Phebox)Ir(OAc)(n-alkyl) to give (Phebox)Ir(OAc)(H) and the microscopic reverse, alkene insertion into the Ir-H bond of (Phebox)Ir(OAc)(H), and (ii) hydrogenolysis of the Ir-alkyl bond of (Phebox)Ir(OAc)(n-alkyl) and the microscopic reverse, C-H activation by (Phebox)Ir(OAc)(H), as indicated by H/D exchange experiments. For example, β-H elimination of (Phebox)Ir(OAc)(n-octyl) (2-Oc) proceeded on a time scale of minutes at -15 °C in the presence of (0.4 mM) NaBAr F 4 as compared with a very slow reaction at 125 °C in the absence of NaBAr F 4 . In addition to NaBAr F 4 , other Lewis acids are also effective. Density functional theory calculations capture the effect of the Na + cation and indicate that it operates primarily by promoting κ 2 -κ 1 dechelation of the acetate anion, which opens the coordination site needed to allow the observed reaction to proceed. In accord with the effect on these individual stoichiometric reactions, NaBAr F 4 was also found to cocatalyze, with (Phebox)Ir(OAc)(H), the acceptorless dehydrogenation of n-dodecane.

Great progress has been made in the past several decades concerning C-H bond functionalization. But despite many significant advances, a commercially viable large-scale process for selective alkane functionalization remains an unreached goal. Such conversions will require highly active, selective, and long-lived catalysts. In addition, essentially complete atom-economy will be required. Thus, any reagents used in transforming the alkanes must be almost free (e.g., O 2 , H 2 O, N 2 ), or they should be incorporated into the desired large-scale product. Any side-products should be completely benign or have value as fuels (e.g., H 2 or other alkanes). Progress and promising leads toward the development of such systems involving primarily molecular transition metal catalysts are described.

Pt(II) complexes containing unsymmetrical (pyridyl)pyrrolide ligands are shown to catalyze the hydroarylation of unactivated alkenes with selectivity for the anti-Markovnikov product. Substitution on the pyrrolide portion of the ligand allows effective tuning of the selectivity to anti-Markovnikov alkylarene products, whereas substitution on the pyridyl portion can promote competitive alkenylarene production., (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Knowledge of exactly how metal complexes react with molecular oxygen is still limited and this has hampered efforts to develop catalysts for oxidation reactions using O2 as the oxidant and/or oxygen-atom source. A better understanding of the reactions of different types of metal complexes with O2 will be of great utility in rational catalyst development. Reactions between molecular oxygen and Pd(0-II) and Pt(0-IV) complexes are reviewed here., (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The thermolyses of ((tBu)P(O)N)PtMe2 (, (tBu)P(O)N = (di-tert-butylphosphinito)pyridine) and ((tBu)P(N-H)N)PtMe2 (, (tBu)P(N-H)N = (di-tert-butylphosphino)-2-aminopyridine) in benzene-d6 were investigated. With ((tBu)P(O)N)PtMe2, the product of a rollover cyclometalation of the pyridyl ring was observed in 80% yield along with formation of CH4. In contrast, thermolysis of ((tBu)P(N-H)N)PtMe2 resulted in competing rollover cyclometalation and intermolecular benzene C-H activation with production of a mixture of CH4 and CH3D.

[Pd(P(Ar)(tBu)2)2] (1, Ar=naphthyl) reacts with molecular oxygen to form Pd(II) hydroxide dimers in which the naphthyl ring is cyclometalated and one equivalent of phosphine per palladium atom is released. This reaction involves the cleavage of both C-H and O-O bonds, two transformations central to catalytic aerobic oxidizations of hydrocarbons. Observations at low temperature suggest the initial formation of a superoxo complex, which then generates a peroxo complex prior to the C-H activation step. A transition state for energetically viable C-H activation across a Pd-peroxo bond was located computationally., (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A series of half-sandwich Ir and Rh compounds are demonstrated to be competent catalysts for the hydrogenation of carboxylic acids under relatively mild conditions. Of the structurally diverse group of catalysts tested for activity, a Cp*Ir complex supported by an electron-releasing 2,2'-bipyridine ligand was the most active. Higher activity was achieved with employment of Brønsted or Lewis acid promoters. Mechanistic studies suggest a possible reaction pathway involving activated carboxylic acid substrates. The hydrogenation reaction was shown to be general to a variety of aliphatic acids.

Limited natural resources, high energy consumption, economic considerations, and environmental concerns demand that we develop new technologies for the sustainable production of chemicals and fuels. New methods that combine the selective activation of C-H bonds of hydrocarbons with oxidation by a green oxidant such as molecular oxygen would represent huge advances toward this goal. The spectacular selectivity of transition metals in cleaving C-H bonds offers the potential for the direct use of hydrocarbons in the production of value-added organics such as alcohols. However, the use of oxygen, which is abundant, environmentally benign, and inexpensive (particularly from air), has proven challenging, and more expensive and less green oxidants are often employed in transition-metal-catalyzed reactions. Advances in the use of oxygen as an oxidant in transition-metal-catalyzed transformations of hydrocarbons will require a better understanding of how oxygen reacts with transition metal alkyl and hydride complexes. For alkane oxidations, researchers will need to comprehend and predict how metals that have shown particularly high activity and selectivity in C-H bond activation (e.g. Pt, Pd, Rh, Ir) will react with oxygen. In this Account, we present our studies of reactions of late metal alkyls and hydrides with molecular oxygen, emphasizing the mechanistic insights that have emerged from this work. Our studies have unraveled some of the general mechanistic features of how molecular oxygen inserts into late metal hydride and alkyl bonds along with a nascent understanding of the scope and limitations of these reactions. We present examples of the formation of metal hydroperoxide species M-OOH by insertion of dioxygen into Pt(IV)-H and Pd(II)-H bonds and show evidence that these reactions proceed by radical chain and hydrogen abstraction pathways, respectively. Comparisons with recent reports of insertion of oxygen into other Pd(II)-H complexes, and also into Ir(III)-H and Rh(III)-H complexes, point to potentially general mechanisms for this type of reaction. Additionally, we observed oxygen-promoted C-H and H-H reductive elimination reactions from five-coordinate Ir(III) alkyl hydride and dihydride complexes, respectively. Further, when Pd(II)Me(2) and Pt(II)Me(2) complexes were exposed to oxygen, insertion processes generated M-OOMe complexes. Mechanistic studies for these reactions are consistent with radical chain homolytic substitution pathways involving five-coordinate M(III) intermediates. Due to the remarkable ability of Pt(II) and Pd(II) to activate the C-H bonds of hydrocarbons (RH) and form M-R species, this reactivity is especially exciting for the development of partial alkane-oxidation processes that utilize molecular oxygen. Our understanding of how late transition metal alkyls and hydrides react with molecular oxygen is growing rapidly and will soon approach our knowledge of how other small molecules such as olefins and carbon monoxide react with these species. Just as advances in understanding olefin and CO insertion reactions have shaped important industrial processes, key insight into oxygen insertion should lead to significant gains in sustainable commercial selective oxidation catalysis.

The oxidation of water to O(2) is a key challenge in the production of chemical fuels from electricity. Although several catalysts have been developed for this reaction, substantial challenges remain towards the ultimate goal of an efficient, inexpensive and robust electrocatalyst. Reported here is the first copper-based catalyst for electrolytic water oxidation. Copper-bipyridine-hydroxo complexes rapidly form in situ from simple commercially available copper salts and bipyridine at high pH. Cyclic voltammetry of these solutions at pH 11.8-13.3 shows large, irreversible currents, indicative of catalysis. The production of O(2) is demonstrated both electrochemically and with a fluorescence probe. Catalysis occurs at about 750 mV overpotential. Electrochemical, electron paramagnetic resonance and other studies indicate that the catalyst is a soluble molecular species, that the dominant species in the catalytically active solutions is (2,2'-bipyridine)Cu(OH)(2) and that this is among the most rapid homogeneous water-oxidation catalysts, with a turnover frequency of ~100 s(-1).

A series of pincer ((tBu)PCP)Pd(II)-OR complexes ((tBu)PCP = 2,6-bis(CH(2)P(t)Bu(2))C(6)H(3), R = H, CH(3), C(6)H(5), CH(2)C(CH(3))(3), CH(2)CH(2)F, CH(2)CHF(2), CH(2)CF(3)) were synthesized to explore the generality of hydrogenolysis reactions of palladium-oxygen bonds. Hydrogenolysis of the Pd hydroxide complex to generate the Pd hydride complex and water was shown to be inhibited by formation of a water-bridged, hydrogen-bonded Pd(II) hydroxide dimer. The Pd alkoxide and aryloxide complexes exhibited more diverse reactivity. Depending on the characteristics of the -OR ligand (steric bulk, electron-donating ability, and/or the presence of β-hydrogen atoms), hydrogenolysis was complicated by hydrolysis by adventitious water, a lack of reactivity with hydrogen, or a competing dissociative β-hydride abstraction reaction pathway. Full selectivity for hydrogenolysis was observed with the partially fluorinated Pd(II) 2-fluoroethoxide complex. The wide range of Pd-OR substrates examined helps to clarify the variety of reaction pathways available to late-transition-metal alkoxides as well as the conditions necessary to tune the reactivity to hydrogenolysis, hydrolysis, or dissociative β-hydride abstraction.

Two new unsymmetrical (R)PNP(R')-type pincer ligands based on a bis(tolyl)amine framework have been synthesized and characterized by a variety of techniques, including X-ray crystallography. These ligands have been coordinated to Ni, Pd, and Pt precursors to provide a number of well-characterized group 10 halides. Conversion of these metal halides to metal hydrides was accomplished using borohydride reagents, or by direct interaction of the ligand with the zerovalent metal precursor. The insertion of oxygen into these hydrides in an attempt to prepare metal hydroperoxides has been examined; however, we were unable to obtain stable and isolable hydroperoxide species., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011)

In an attempt to perform a simple anion-exchange reaction on a pincer-carbene-ligated nickel complex using AgNO(3), we instead obtained an unexpected three-dimensional (3D) Ag(7) cluster containing a [Ag(6)] core in a twisted-bowtie geometry. The reverse-transmetalation reaction by which the carbene is transferred from nickel to silver is virtually unprecedented. The CNC pincer-carbene ligands exhibit unusual bridging modes of ligand bonding for all three donor atoms. Another unique feature is that the final structure exhibits a 3D structure brought about by the connection of two-dimensional layers of the [Ag(6)] core via a seventh Ag ion.

The iridium pincer complexes (PCP)IrH(4) (1; PCP = [kappa(3)-1,3-(CH(2)P(t)Bu(2))(2)C(6)H(3)]) and (POCOP)IrH(4) (2; POCOP = [kappa(3)-1,3-(OP(t)Bu(2))(2)C(6)H(3)]) have proven to be effective catalyst precursors for dehydrogenation of alkanes. The complex (POCOP)IrH(2) has also been applied successfully as a catalyst for release of H(2) from ammonia borane. Investigation of the "tetrahydride" forms of these complexes by solution NMR methods suggests their formulation as dihydrogen/dihydride species. This is in contrast to the solid state structure of 1, determined by neutron diffraction (at 100 K), which indicates a compressed tetrahydride structure with only weak H-H interactions. Complex 1 (C(24)H(47)IrP(2)) crystallizes in the space group P4(2), tetragonal, (Z = 2) with a = 11.7006 (19) A, c = 9.7008(27) A, and V = 1328.1(5) A(3). Electronic structure calculations on 1 and 2 indicate that the global minima on the potential energy surfaces in the gas phase are tetrahydride structures; however, the dihydrogen/dihydride forms are only slightly higher in energy (1-3 kcal/mol). A dihydrogen/dihydride species is calculated to be the global minimum for 2 when in solution. The barriers to interconversion between the tetrahydride and dihydrogen/dihydride species are almost negligible.

The reaction of (bipy)PdMe(2) (1) (bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine) with molecular oxygen results in the formation of the palladium(II) methylperoxide complex (bipy)PdMe(OOMe) (2). The identity of the product 2 has been confirmed by independent synthesis. Results of kinetic studies of this unprecedented oxygen insertion reaction into a palladium alkyl bond support the involvement of a radical chain mechanism. Reproducible rates, attained in the presence of the radical initiator 2,2'-azobis(2-methylpropionitrile) (AIBN), reveal that the reaction is overall first-order (one-half-order in both [1] and [AIBN], and zero-order in [O(2)]). The unusual rate law (half-order in [1]) implies that the reaction proceeds by a mechanism that differs significantly from those for organic autoxidations and for the recently reported examples of insertion of O(2) into Pd(II) hydride bonds. The mechanism for the autoxidation of 1 is more closely related to that found for the autoxidation of main group and early transition metal alkyl complexes. Notably, the chain propagation is proposed to proceed via a stepwise associative homolytic substitution at the Pd center of 1 with formation of a pentacoordinate Pd(III) intermediate.

Numerous transition metal-mediated reactions, including hydrogenations, hydrosilations, and alkane functionalizations, result in the cleavage of strong sigma bonds. Key intermediates in these reactions often involve coordination of the sigma bond of dihydrogen, silanes (Si-H), or alkanes (C-H) to the metal center without full scission of the bond. These sigma complexes have been characterized to varying degrees in solid state and solution. However, a sigma complex of the simplest hydrocarbon, methane, has eluded full solution characterization. Here, we report nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of a rhodium(I) sigma-methane complex obtained by protonation of a rhodium-methyl precursor in CDCl2F solvent at -110 degrees C. The sigma-methane complex is shown to be more stable than the corresponding rhodium(III) methyl hydride complex. Even at -110 degrees C, methane rapidly tumbles in the coordination sphere of rhodium, exchanging free and bound hydrogens. Kinetic studies reveal a half-life of about 83 minutes at -87 degrees C for dissociation of methane (free energy of activation is 14.5 kilocalories per mole).

New iridium complexes of a tridentate pincer ligand, 2,6-bis(di-tert-butylphosphinito)pyridine (PONOP), have been prepared and used in the study of hydrocarbon C-H bond activation. Intermolecular oxidative addition of a benzene C-H bond was directly observed with [(PONOP)Ir(I)(cyclooctene)][PF(6)] at ambient temperature, resulting in a cationic five-coordinate iridium(III) phenyl hydride product. Protonation of the (PONOP)Ir(I) methyl complex yielded the corresponding iridium(III) methyl hydride cation, a rare five-coordinate, 16-valence electron transition metal alkyl hydride species which was characterized by X-ray diffraction. Kinetic studies of C-H bond coupling and reductive elimination reactions from the five-coordinate complexes have been carried out. Exchange NMR spectroscopy measurements established a barrier of 17.8(4) kcal/mol (22 degrees C) for H-C(aryl) bond coupling in the iridium(III) phenyl hydride cation and of 9.3(4) kcal/mol (-105 degrees C) for the analogous H-C(alkyl) coupling in the iridium(III) methyl hydride cation. The origin of the higher barrier of H-C(aryl) relative to H-C(alkyl) bond coupling is proposed to be influenced by a hindered rotation about the Ir-C(aryl) bond, a result of the sterically demanding PONOP ligand.

The syntheses and full characterization of nickel hydrides containing the PCP "pincer"-type ligand, where PCP = 2,6-C(6)H(3)(CH(2)PR(2))(2) (R = tBu, cHex, and iPr), are reported. These Ni-H complexes are prepared by the conversion of ((R)PCP)NiCl precursors into the corresponding nickel hydrides by use of appropriate hydride donors. Surprisingly, although the ((R)PCP)NiCl precursors are quite similar chemically, the conversions to the hydrides were not straightforward and required different hydride reagents to provide analytically pure products. While NaBH(4) was effective in the preparation of pure ((tBu)PCP)NiH, Super-Hydride solution (LiEt(3)BH in THF) was required to prepare either ((cHex)PCP)NiH or ((iPr)PCP)NiH. Attempts to prepare a Ni-H from ((Ph)PCP)NiCl with a variety of hydride reagents yielded only the free ligand as an identifiable product. Two of the derivatives, tBu and cHex, have also been subjected to single crystal X-ray analysis. The solid-state structures each showed a classic, near-square planar arrangement for Ni in which the PCP ligand occupied three meridional ligand points with the Ni-H trans to the Ni-C bond. The resulting Ni-H bond lengths were 1.42(3) and 1.55(2) A for the tBu and cHex derivatives, respectively.

The platinum(IV) hydride complexes Tp(Me(2))PtR(2)H (Tp(Me(2)) = hydridotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate, R = Me (1a), Ph (1b)) react with molecular oxygen to form platinum(IV) hydroperoxide complexes Tp(Me(2))PtR(2)OOH (R = Me (2a) and Ph (2b), respectively) in high yield. The results of kinetic and mechanistic studies of these reactions are consistent with the net insertion of molecular oxygen into the Pt(IV)-H bonds occurring via radical chain mechanisms. The radical chain pathways resemble, in many respects, those documented for autoxidations of organic substrates, but significant differences are also evident. The autoxidations of 1a and 1b both autoaccelerate, but the nature of the rate accelerations and the dependence of the rates on the hydroperoxide products are not the same. The different rate laws observed for the reactions of Tp(Me(2))PtR(2)H complexes with molecular oxygen can be rationalized on the basis of similar initiation and propagation events with different chain termination steps.

Hydrogenolysis reactions of palladium(II) hydroxide and methoxide complexes to form water and methanol, respectively, and the corresponding palladium(II) hydride are reported. In the presence of water, 1 was found to exist in solution as a water-bridged dimer; however, kinetic studies suggest the reaction of 1 and H(2) proceeds exclusively through the hydroxide monomer to form the palladium(II) hydride and water. Computational studies suggest a four-center intramolecular proton transfer as opposed to an oxidative addition/reductive elimination pathway.

The Ni(II) atom in the title compound, [Ni(C(24)H(43)P(2))(NO(3))], adopts a distorted square-planar geometry with the P atoms in a trans arrangement. The compound contains a twofold rotational axis with the nitrate group offset from this axis, except for an O atom of the nitrate group, generating two positions of 50% occupancy for the other atoms of the nitrate group.

Dehydrogenation of amine boranes is catalyzed efficiently by the iridium pincer complex (kappa (3)-1,3-(OP ( t )Bu 2) 2C 6H 3)Ir(H) 2 ( 1). With CH 3NH 2BH 3 (MeAB) and with AB/MeAB mixtures (AB = NH 3BH 3), the rapid release of 1 equiv of H 2 is observed to yield soluble oligomeric products at rates similar to those previously reported for the dehydrogenation of AB catalyzed by 1. Delta H for the dehydrogenation of AB, MeAB, and AB/MeAB mixtures has been determined by calorimetry. The experimental heats of reaction are compared to results from computational studies.

The reaction of molecular oxygen with iridium pincer hydride complexes, ((tBu)PCP)Ir(H)(X) [(tBu)PCP = kappa(3)-C(6)H(3)(CH(2)P(t)Bu(2))(2), X = Ph, H, CCPh], results in O(2) induced reductive elimination and formation of the novel dioxygen complexes ((tBu)PCP)Ir(O(2))(n) [n = 1 (), 2 ()].

In the title compound, [Ni(C(24)H(43)P(2))Cl], the Ni atom adopts a distorted square-planar geometry, with the P atoms of the 2,6-bis-[(di-tert-butyl-phosphino)meth-yl]phenyl ligand trans to one another. The P-Ni-P plane is twisted out of the plane of the aromatic ring by 21.97 (6)°.

Reaction of NaBH4 with (tBuPOCOP)IrHCl affords the previously reported complex (tBuPOCOP)IrH2(BH3) (1) (tBuPOCOP = kappa(3)-C6H3-1,3-[OP(tBu)2]2). The structure of 1 determined from neutron diffraction data contains a B-H sigma-bond to iridium with an elongated B-H bond distance of 1.45(5) A. Compound 1 crystallizes in the space group P1 (Z = 2) with a = 8.262 (5) A, b = 12.264 (5) A, c = 13.394 (4) A, and V = 1256.2 (1) A(3) (30 K). Complex 1 can also be prepared by reaction of BH3 x THF with (tBuPOCOP)IrH2. Reaction of (tBuPOCOP)IrH2 with pinacol borane gave initially complex 2, which is assigned a structure analogous to that of 1 based on spectroscopic measurements. Complex 2 evolves H2 at room temperature leading to the borane complex 3, which is formed cleanly when 2 is subjected to dynamic vacuum. The structure of 3 has been determined by X-ray diffraction and consists of the (tBuPOCOP)Ir core with a sigma-bound pinacol borane ligand in an approximately square planar complex. Compound 3 crystallizes in the space group C2/c (Z = 4) with a = 41.2238 (2) A, b = 11.1233 (2) A, c = 14.6122 (3) A, and V = 6700.21 (19) A(3) (130 K). Reaction of (tBuPOCOP)IrH2 with 9-borobicyclononane (9-BBN) affords complex 4. Complex 4 displays (1)H NMR resonances analogous to 1 and exists in equilibrium with (tBuPOCOP)IrH2 in THF solutions.

Five-coordinate platinum(IV) alkyl complexes bearing sterically non-demanding pyridylpyrrolide ligands, (LX)PtMe(3) [LX = 3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-(2-pyridyl)pyrrolide (3a) and 3,5-diphenyl-2-(2-pyridyl)pyrrolide (3b)] have been prepared. An X-ray structure of 3a establishes that it is a five-coordinate Pt(IV) complex with a square-pyramidal geometry. Thermolysis of 3a or 3b in C(6)D(6) with ethylene results in reductive elimination of ethane (C(2)H(6)) and methane (CH(4) and CH(3)D) and the formation of cyclometalated platinum(II) ethylene complexes 4a or 4b, respectively. Results of kinetic investigations of the reaction of 3b are consistent with a mechanism of direct C-C reductive elimination from the five-coordinate Pt(IV) compound. Thermolysis of 3a in C(6)D(6) with no ethylene present forms a novel dinuclear complex (5-d(6)).

Platinum(IV) complexes containing monodentate sulfonamide ligands, fac-(dppbz)PtMe(3)(NHSO(2)R) (dppbz = o-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene; R = p-C(6)H(4)(CH2)(3)CH(3) (1a), p-C(6)H(4)CH(3) (1b), CH(3) (1c)), have been synthesized and characterized, and their thermal reactivity has been explored. Compounds 1a-c undergo competitive C-N and C-C reductive elimination upon thermolysis to form N-methylsulfonamides and ethane, respectively. Selectivity for either C-N or C-C bond formation can be achieved by altering the reaction conditions. Good yields of the C-N-coupled products were observed when the thermolyses of 1a-c were conducted in benzene-d(6). In contrast, exclusive C-C reductive elimination occurred upon themolysis of 1a,b in nitrobenzene-d(5). When the thermolyses of 1a were performed in the presence of sulfonamide anion NHSO2R- in benzene-d(6), ethane elimination was completely inhibited and C-N reductive elimination products were formed in high yield. Mechanistic studies support a two-step reaction pathway involving initial dissociation of NHSO(2)R(-) from the platinum center, followed by nucleophilic attack of this anion on a methyl group of the resulting five-coordinate platinum(IV) cation to form MeNHSO(2)R and (dppbz)PtMe(2). C-C reductive elimination to form ethane occurs directly from the five-coordinate Pt(IV) cation.

The mechanism of the direct insertion of molecular oxygen into a palladium hydride bond has been elucidated using quantum mechanics (B3LYP/LACVP** with the PBF continuum solvent model). The key step is found to be the abstraction of the hydrogen atom resulting in the formation of a PdI/HO2 (triplet) radical pair, which then proceeds to form a singlet palladium hydroperoxo species. Potential palladium(0) pathways were explored and were found to be inaccessible. The results are in agreement with recent experimental results and are consistent with our previously predicted mechanism for an analogue system.

In the presence of an iridium pincer complex, dehydrogenation of ammonia borane (H3NBH3) occurs rapidly at room temperature in tetrahydrofuran to generate 1.0 equivalent of H2 and [NH2BH2]5. A metal borohydride complex has been isolated as a dormant form of the catalyst which can be reactivated by reaction with H2.

Insertion of molecular oxygen into a palladium(II) hydride bond to form an (eta1-hydroperoxo)palladium(II) complex is reported. The hydroperoxo palladium(II) product has been crystallographically characterized. A second-order rate law (first-order in palladium and first-order in oxygen) is observed for the reaction and a large kinetic isotope effect implicates Pd-H bond cleavage in the rate-determining step. The results of studies with radical inhibitors and light suggest that the reaction does not proceed by a radical chain mechanism.

Cationic complexes of the type fac-[(L(2))Pt(IV)Me(3)(pyr-X)][OTf] (pyr-X = 4-substituted pyridines; L(2) = diphosphine, viz., dppe = bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane and dppbz = o-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene; OTf = trifluoromethanesulfonate) undergo C-C reductive elimination reactions to form [L(2)Pt(II)Me(pyr-X)][OTf] and ethane. Detailed studies indicate that these reactions proceed by a two-step pathway, viz., initial reversible dissociation of the pyridine ligand from the cationic complex to generate a five-coordinate Pt(IV) intermediate, followed by irreversible concerted C-C bond formation. The reaction is inhibited by pyridine. The highly positive values for DeltaS()(obs) = +180 +/- 30 J K(-1) mol(-1), DeltaH(obs) = 160 +/- 10 kJ mol(-1), and DeltaV()(obs) = +16 +/- 1 cm(3) mol(-1) can be accounted for in terms of significant bond cleavage and/or partial reduction from Pt(IV) to Pt(II) in going from the ground to the transition state. These cationic complexes have provided the first opportunity to carry out detailed studies of C-C reductive elimination from cationic Pt(IV) complexes in a variety of solvents. The absence of a significant solvent effect for this reaction provides strong evidence that the C-C reductive coupling occurs from an unsaturated five-coordinate Pt(IV) intermediate rather than from a six-coordinate Pt(IV) solvento species.