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Multidentate Schiff base ligands derived from a selection of biphenyl- and terphenyl polyamines were synthesized, and their reactivity towards divalent (Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd) and trivalent (Co, Y, Lu) metals was studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, NMR spectroscopy, and UV/Vis spectroscopy for the Cu(II) complexes. Large variations in the resulting complexes were observed based on the relative position of the amine substituents in the parent triamines, as well as the electronic properties of the Schiff base ligand itself. Most notably, Schiff base ligands derived from a m-terphenyl-2,2’,2’’-triamine were found to coordinate in a tetradentate, pentadentate or hexadentate fashion, depending on the size and the valency of the corresponding metal center.

Zn complexes of Schiff base ligands derived from 2,2'‐diaminobiphenyls and salicylaldehyde derivatives were synthesized and characterized by NMR and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis. The detailed NMR studies suggest that the Zn complexes have a complicated behavior in solution, which is strongly dependent on the donating ability of the solvent, the steric properties of the ligand, as well as the concentration of the complex in the solvent. All these factors are decisive for the determination of the coordination number of the complex in solution. Furthermore, pentacoordinated Zn complexes of the aforementioned type, ligated by a series of nitrogen bases, were synthesized. NMR studies of the different complexes at different concentrations and temperatures, revealed information about their conformational stability. The differences were further examined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis. In addition to the studies conducted on Zn complexes, comparative studies were conducted on a series of Cd complexes.

A highly efficient mercury-free route, providing [C^N] cyclometalated symmetric dialkynyl gold(III) complexes with 2-(p-tolyl)pyridine (tpy) as bidentate ligands and using alkynyllithium reagents, ...

2‐Nitrophenylboronic acids serve as interesting starting materials for the construction of biphenyl‐ and terphenyl‐based amines if subjected to the Suzuki–Miyaura reaction. Unfortunately, these boronic acids suffer from low reactivity in Suzuki reactions, alongside their low stability in the presence of Pd. Herein, a general method for the construction of 2‐nitro‐substituted bi‐ and terphenyls is presented, with special emphasis on the synthesis of 2‐amino‐2'‐nitrobi‐ and terphenyls. Comparisons are made with other boronic acids that have some of the aforementioned issues. Finally, the application of the obtained 2‐amino‐2'‐nitrobi‐ and terphenyls as starting materials for the synthesis of bi‐ and terphenyl based di‐ and triamines is encountered for, with emphasis on the use of these amines as precursors for Schiff base ligands. In addition, the synthesis of some Zn complexes of these ligands is presented.

The synthesis and characterization of a series of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes of Au(iii), (NHC)AuCl3, is described. High yields are obtained when the corresponding Au(i) species (NHC)AuCl are oxidized with inexpensive aqua regia. The oxidation is in some cases accompanied by substitution and/or anti addition of Cl2 across the backbone C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bond of unsaturated NHC ligands.

Cyclometalated Au(III) complexes are of interest due to their catalytic, medicinal, and photophysical properties. Herein, we describe the synthesis of derivatives of the type (N,C)Au(OAcF)2 (OAcF = trifluoroacetate) and (N,C,C)AuOAcF by a cyclometalation route, where (N,C) and (N,C,C) are chelating 2-arylpyridine ligands. The scope of the synthesis is explored by substituting the 2-arylpyridine core with electron donor or acceptor substituents at one or both rings. Notably, a variety of functionalized Au(III) complexes can be obtained in one step from the corresponding ligand and Au(OAc)3, eliminating the need for organomercury intermediates, which is commonly reported for similar syntheses. The influence of substituents in the ligand backbone on the resulting complexes was assessed using DFT calculations, 15N NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. A correlation between the electronic properties of the (N,C) ligands and their ability to undergo cyclometalation was found from experimental studies combined with natural charge analysis, suggesting the cyclometalation at Au(III) to take place via an electrophilic aromatic substitution-type mechanism. The formation of Au(III) pincer complexes from tridentate (N,C,C) ligands was investigated by synthesis and DFT calculations, in order to assess the feasibility of C(sp3)–H bond activation as a synthetic pathway to (N,C,C) cyclometalated Au(III) complexes. It was found that C(sp3)–H bond activation is feasible for ligands containing different alkyl groups (isopropyl and ethyl), although the C–H activation is less energetically favored compared to a ligand containing tert-butyl groups.

A series of Cu(I) complexes of bidentate or tetradentate Schiff base ligands bearing either 1

A gold(III) complex with the hitherto most electron poor mesoionic carbene ligand is presented. Aqua regia was the oxidizing agent of choice for the synthesis of this unusual organometallic compound. The AuIII complex is redox-rich, and also acts as a catalyst for oxazole formation, delivering selectively a completely different isomer compared to its AuI congener.

The bench-stable cationic bis(σ-B–H) aminoborane complex [Fe(PNPNMe-iPr)(H)(η2-H2B = NMe2)]+ (2) efficiently catalyzes the semihydrogenation of internal alkynes, 1,3-diynes and 1,3-enynes. Moreover, selective incorporation of deuterium was achieved in the case of 1,3-diynes and 1,3-enynes. The catalytic reaction takes place under mild conditions (25 °C, 4–5 bar H2 or D2) in 1 h, and alkenes were obtained with high Z-selectivity for a broad scope of substrates. Mechanistic insight into the catalytic reaction, explaining also the stereo- and chemoselectivity, is provided by means of DFT calculations. Intermediates featuring a bisdihydrogen moiety [Fe(PNPNMe-iPr)(η2-H2)2]+ are found to play a key role. Experimental support for such species was unequivocally provided by the fact that [Fe(PNPNMe-iPr)(H)(η2-H2)2]+ (3) exhibited the same catalytic activity as 2. The novel cationic bisdihydrogen complex 3 was obtained by protonolysis of [Fe(PNPNMe-iPr)(H)(η2-AlH4)]2 (1) with an excess of nonafluoro-tert-butyl alc...

A modular one-pot synthesis yielding tetracoordinated-N,N,N,N-copper(I) complexes bearing imine and diimine ligands was developed. Copper aids the condensation of a pyridine or imidazole carbaldehyde with a biphenyl amine and even stabilizes labile ligands. Tetradentate and bidentate ligands were formed, the latter forming homoleptic CuL2 complexes. The identity and purity of the compounds were assessed by NMR, elemental analysis and mass spectrometry. The interconversion of different species in solution was studied by variable temperature NMR. The complexes aim to mimic the histidine copper brace of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) and bond lengths obtained from XAS and single crystal XRD for the complexes were compared to reported photoreduced LPMOs.

Seven gold(I) N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes were synthesized, characterized, and identified as suitable precursors for focused electron beam-induced deposition (FEBID). Several variations on the core Au(NHC)X moiety were introduced, that is, variations of the NHC ring (imidazole or triazole), of the alkyl N-substituents (Me, Et, or iPr), and of the ancillary ligand X (Cl, Br, I, or CF3). The seven complexes were tested as FEBID precursors in an on-substrate custom setup. The effect of the substitutions on deposit composition and growth rate indicates that the most suitable organic ligand for the gold precursor is triazole-based, with the best deposit composition of 15 atom % gold, while the most suitable anionic ligand is the trifluoromethyl group, leading to a growth rate of 1 × 10−2 nm3/e−.

A comparative study of vacuum versus ambient pressure inert gas thermogravimetry was performed on silver carboxylates compounds. Some of the complexes from this group have been previously successfully applied as precursors for both chemical vapour deposition and electron beam-induced deposition. Considerable differences were found between the thermogravimetry methods, which we associate with changes in evaporation dynamics. Vacuum thermogravimetry sublimation onsets consistently occurred at lower temperatures than ambient pressure N2-flow thermogravimetry, where the differences reached up to 120 °C. Furthermore, compound sublimation during N2-TGA was suppressed to such an extent that significant thermal decomposition of the compounds into metal and volatile organic fragments was observed while at vacuum the same complexes sublimed as intact molecules. Moreover, thermal stability of silver complexes was investigated using isothermal thermogravimetry. These findings are interesting for the field of thin film synthesis and nanomanufacturing via chemical vapour deposition, atomic layer deposition and focused electron beam induced deposition. In all three methods, delivery of functional precursor over the substrate is crucial. The presented results prove that vacuum thermogravimetry can be used as fast method of pre-screening for novel, especially low-volatility precursors. Graphic abstract

The title compound, an (N^C)-cyclo­metalated gold(III) diazide, namely, di­azido­[5-eth­oxy­carbonyl-2-(5-eth­oxy­carbonyl­pyridin-2-yl)phenyl-κ2 C 1,N]gold(III), [Au(C17H16NO4)(N3)2] or Au(ppyEt)(N3)2, was synthesized by reacting Au(ppyEt)Cl2 with NaN3 in water for 24 h. The complex features a gold center with a square-planar environment., The title compound, an (N^C)-cyclo­metalated gold(III) diazide, namely, di­azido­[5-eth­oxy­carbonyl-2-(5-eth­oxy­carbonyl­pyridin-2-yl)phenyl-κ2 C 1,N]gold(III), [Au(C17H16NO4)(N3)2] or Au(ppyEt)(N3)2, was synthesized by reacting Au(ppyEt)Cl2 with NaN3 in water for 24 h. The complex has been structurally characterized and features a gold center with a square-planar environment. The Au—N(azide) bond lengths are significantly different depending on the influence of the atom trans to the azide group [Au—N(trans to C) of 2.067 (2) Å versus Au—N(trans to N) of 2.042 (2) Å]. The azide groups are twisted in-and-out of plane by 56.2 (2)°.

Cyclometalated gold(III) complexes Au(L)(OAcF)2 (L = phenylpyridine dicarboxylic diester (ppyde) or phenylpyridine dicarboxylic acid (ppydc)) have been prepared reacting Au(OAc)3 with corresponding phenyl pyridines (ppyde or ppydc) in trifluoroacetic acid (HOAcF) under microwave heating. Further treatment of Au(L)(OAcF)2 with aqua regia resulted in dichloro complexes Au(L)Cl2. Au-functionalized UiO-67 MOF has been synthesized by exchanging linkers of UiO-67 with Au(ppydc)Cl2, furnishing the MOF with (N^C)-cyclometalated Au(III) centers. The catalytic activities of the molecular cyclometalated complexes and the Au-incorporated MOF were studied in gold-catalyzed propargyl ester cyclopropanations. Almost all complexes and the MOF showed catalytic activity to the cyclopropanation product (up to 97% conversion), with a preference for the trans diastereoisomer (up to 14:86 d.r.). The recyclability of the most active molecular complex has also been investigated. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/BY/4.0/).

Four different ruthenium(II) complexes were incorporated into the metal–organic framework (MOF) UiO-67 using three different synthetic strategies: premade linker synthesis, postsynthetic functionalization, and postsynthetic linker exchange. One of these complexes was of the type (N–N)3Ru2+, and three of the complexes were of the type (N–N)2(N–C)Ru+, where N–N is a bipyridine-type ligand and N–C is a cyclometalated phenylpyridine-type ligand. The resulting materials were characterized by PXRD, SC-XRD (the postsynthetic functionalization MOFs), N2 sorption, TGA-DSC, SEM, EDS, and UV-Vis spectroscopy, and were digested in base for subsequent 1H NMR analysis. The absorption profiles of the MOFs that were functionalized with cyclometalated Ru(II) complexes extend significantly further into the visible region of the spectrum compared to the absorption profiles of the MOFs that were functionalized with the non-cyclometalated reference, (N–N)3Ru2+.

International audience; Amides functionalities are among the most widely found groups in biologically active molecules, and their selective catalytic reduction is an important target for synthetic methods. Recent advances in base metal catalysis have identified efficient systems for selective hydrogenolysis of the amide C–N linkage. This study examines in detail the mechanism for deaminative hydrogenation of formanilide and dimethylformamide (DMF) to the corresponding amines (aniline and dimethylamine, respectively) and methanol catalyzed by (iPrPNHP)Fe(H)2(CO) (iPrPNHP = HN{CH2CH2(PiPr2)}2) using density functional theory (DFT) calculations and microkinetic modeling. Following an initial hydrogenation of the amide carbonyl group, protonolysis of the C–N bond of the hemiaminal intermediate produces amine and formaldehyde, which is further hydrogenated to methanol. Remarkably, protonolysis of the C–N bond of the hemiaminal intermediate follows different pathways, depending on the nature of the substrate and the experimental conditions (presence or absence of cocatalyst) to yield the same products. In particular, cleavage of the C–N bond can be facilitated by either the metal catalyst or one of the organic species present (the amide substrate itself or an amide cocatalyst), with interesting consequences on the kinetics as evidenced by simulations using DFT calculated energy profiles for the entire pathway. This study reveals the subtle interplay between the nature of the substrate and the need for additives and changes the long-established principle that the hydrogenation of electron rich carbonyl substrates is governed by their carbonyl hydrogenation step and, therefore, only metal-hydride hydricity is relevant for catalyst design.

The syntheses and characterization of nine new cyclometalated ruthenium complexes are reported. These structures consist of Ru(ii) with bipyridine and phenylpyridine ligands which are substituted with ester or carboxylate groups. Two of the complexes were extensively studied and their properties were compared to those of two previously reported structures. The identities of the compounds were confirmed by NMR, HR-MS and single crystal XRD, and the electronic properties were investigated by UV-Vis spectroscopy. DFT and TD-DFT calculations showed that the intense absorbances in the visible region of the spectrum of these cyclometalated complexes are due to electronic excitations to virtual orbitals located on the carboxylated ligands. These results indicate that the compounds are promising candidates as sensitizers for more efficient photocatalysis with sunlight. Further, the carboxylate groups should facilitate their use as linkers in metal-organic frameworks.

A (N,CAr,CAlk) Au(III) pincer complex has been synthesized from Au(OAc)3 (OAc = OCOCH3) and 2-(3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)pyridine (L1) involving a Csp3–H bond activation by electrophilic substitution. In agreement with DFT calculations, the resulting complex significantly improves the performance of Au(tpy)(OAcF)2 (tpy = 2-(p-tolyl)pyridine, OAcF = OCOCF3) in the catalytic trifluoroacetylation of acetylene.

The bench-stable cationic bis(σ-B-H) aminoborane complex [Fe(PNP

A highly asymmetric AuIII η3‐allyl complex has been generated by treating Au(η1‐allyl)Br(tpy) (tpy=2‐(p‐tolyl)pyridine) with AgNTf2. The resulting η3‐allyl complex has been characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray crystallography. DFT calculations and variable temperature 1H NMR suggest that the allyl ligand is highly fluxional., Gold and dynamic: The π coordination of an allyl group at the cyclometalated (N,C coordinated) AuIII moiety induces high asymmetry in the allyl group. DFT calculations and variable temperature 1H NMR spectroscopy suggest that the allyl ligand is highly fluxional.

We describe here the application of the well-defined bench-stable cationic aminoborane complex as highly efficient pre-catalysts for the semi-hydrogenation of internal alkynes, 1,3-diynes and 1,3-enynes with molecular hydrogen under mild conditions.

A highly asymmetric AuIII η3‐allyl complex has been generated by treating Au(η1‐allyl)Br(tpy) (tpy=2‐(p‐tolyl)pyridine) with AgNTf2. The resulting η3‐allyl complex has been characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray crystallography. DFT calculations and variable temperature 1H NMR suggest that the allyl ligand is highly fluxional.

A (N,CAr,CAlk) Au(iii) pincer complex has been synthesized from Au(OAc)3 (OAc = OCOCH3) and 2-(3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)pyridine (L1) involving a Csp3-H bond activation by electrophilic substitution. In agreement with DFT calculations, the resulting complex significantly improves the performance of Au(tpy)(OAcF)2 (tpy = 2-(p-tolyl)pyridine, OAcF = OCOCF3) in the catalytic trifluoroacetylation of acetylene.

The reactivity of Au(OAcF)2(tpy) (1, OAcF = OCOCF3; tpy = 2-(p-tolyl)pyridine) toward a wide variety of different alkenes with various substitution patterns and different oxygen-based nucleophiles has been investigated. These reactions are two-step processes where a ligand substitution is followed by a nucleophilic addition furnishing Au(III) complexes with C(sp3) ligands. In this work we have found that the reactions always occur trans to tpy-N while the OAcF ligand remains in place trans to tpy-C. The nucleophilic addition takes place exclusively at the most substituted side of the double bond, in a Markovnikov manner, and the nucleophilic addition occurs in an anti fashion as can be seen from the reaction with the 2,3-disubstituted alkene trans-2-hexene. This study has provided valuable insight into the scope and regiochemistry of Au(III) mediated nucleophilic additions, which is of great importance for further development of Au(III) catalysis and alkene functionalization.

Efficient synthesis protocols for five linkers of immediate interest for use in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are presented. The importance of scalable, cost-effective, high-yield processes with simple purifications and few steps is emphasized. The protocols allow for the efficient synthesis of biphenyl-, terphenyl-, and quaterphenyl-based linkers. Four of the linkers have been structurally characterized.

Aryl sulfamates are valuable electrophiles for cross-coupling reactions because they can easily be synthesized from phenols and can act as directing groups for C–H bond functionalization prior to cross-coupling. Recently, it was demonstrated that (1-tBu-Indenyl)Pd(XPhos)Cl (XPhos = 2-dicyclohexylphosphino-2′,4′,6′-triisopropylbiphenyl) is a highly active precatalyst for room-temperature Suzuki–Miyaura couplings of a variety of aryl sulfamates. Herein, we report an in-depth computational investigation into the mechanism of Suzuki–Miyaura reactions with aryl sulfamates using an XPhos-ligated palladium catalyst. Particular emphasis is placed on the turnover-limiting oxidative addition of the aryl sulfamate C–O bond, which has not been studied in detail previously. We show that bidentate coordination of the XPhos ligand via an additional interaction between the biaryl ring and palladium plays a key role in lowering the barrier to oxidative addition. This result is supported by NBO and NCI-Plot analysis on the transition states for oxidative addition. After oxidative addition, the catalytic cycle is completed by transmetalation and reductive elimination, which are both calculated to be facile processes. Our computational findings explain a number of experimental results, including why elevated temperatures are required for the coupling of phenyl sulfamates without electron-withdrawing groups and why aryl carbamate electrophiles are not reactive with this catalyst.

A new one-dimensional coordination polymer formed unexpectedly during the synthesis of a Pt-functionalized bi­pyridine linker for metal–organic frameworks. We report here the synthesis, structure determination and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis of this new coordination polymer., The title compound, {[MgPtCl2(C12H6N2O4)(C3H7NO)2(H2O)]·C3H7NO}n, is a one-dimensional coordination polymer. The structure consists of Pt-functionalized bi­pyridine ligands connected by MgII cations, as well as coordinating and non-coordinating solvent mol­ecules. The PtII cation is coordinated by the two N atoms of the bi­pyridine moiety and two Cl atoms in a square-planar fashion. This coordination induces an in-plane bend along the bi­pyridine backbone of approximately 10° from the linear ideal of a conjugated π-system. Likewise, the coordination to the MgII cation induces a significant bowing of the plane of the bi­pyridine of about 12°, giving it a distinct curved appearance. The carboxyl­ate groups of the bi­pyridine ligand exhibit moderate rotations relative to their parent pyridine rings. The MgII cation has a fairly regular octa­hedral coordination polyhedron, in which three vertices are occupied by O atoms from the carboxyl­ate groups of three different bi­pyridine ligands. The remaining three vertices are occupied by the O atoms of two di­methyl­formamide (DMF) mol­ecules and one water mol­ecule. The one-dimensional chains are oriented in the [01-1] direction, and non-coordinating DMF mol­ecules can be found in the space between the chains. The shortest inter­molecular O⋯H contacts are 2.844 (4) and 2.659 (4) Å, suggesting moderate hydrogen-bonding inter­actions. In addition, there is a short inter­molecular Pt⋯Pt contact of 3.491 (1) Å, indicating a Pt stacking inter­action. Some structure-directing contribution from the hydrogen bonding and Pt⋯Pt inter­action is probable. However, the crystal packing seems to be directed primarily by van der Waals inter­actions.

The Au(III) complex Au(tpy)(OAcF)2 (OAcF = OCOCF3; tpy = 2-(p-tolyl)pyridine) catalyzes the anti addition of trifluoroacetic acid (HOAcF) to acetylene to furnish vinyl trifluoroacetate. The Au(III) vinyl complex Au(tpy)(OAcF)(CH═CHOAcF) (vinyl group bonded trans to tpy-N) is formed during the early stage of the reaction. The vinyl complex, which has been isolated and structurally characterized, resists protolytic cleavage of the vinyl group, and therefore catalysis does not proceed by a simple formal insertion (i.e., coordination-nucleophilic attack-protolysis at the site trans to tpy-N) mechanism. Experimental evidence, including isotopic labeling, rather suggests that a double-insertion process is operative. The unobserved Au(III) divinyl complex Au(tpy)(CH═CHOAcF)2 is a crucial intermediate for which the true catalytic activity, comprising a coordination-nucleophilic attack-protolysis sequence, occurs at the site trans to tpy-C. The overall mechanism is in full agreement with DFT calculations and is a result of the considerable differences in the kinetic and thermodynamic trans effects of tpy-N versus tpy-C on each reaction step. The computational data provide a rationale for the catalytic functionalization of acetylene trans to tpy-C, whereas ethylene (previously reported) only undergoes a stoichiometric insertion, and then comes to a full stop, trans to tpy-N. © 2017 American Chemical Society

The title compound, {[MgPtCl2(C12H6N2O4)(C3H7NO)2(H2O)]·C3H7NO}n, is a one-dimensional coordination polymer. The structure consists of Pt-functionalized bipyridine ligands connected by MgII cations, as well as coordinating and non-coordinating solvent molecules. The PtII cation is coordinated by the two N atoms of the bipyridine moiety and two Cl atoms in a square-planar fashion. This coordination induces an in-plane bend along the bipyridine backbone of approximately 10° from the linear ideal of a conjugated π-system. Likewise, the coordination to the MgII cation induces a significant bowing of the plane of the bipyridine of about 12°, giving it a distinct curved appearance. The carboxylate groups of the bipyridine ligand exhibit moderate rotations relative to their parent pyridine rings. The MgII cation has a fairly regular octahedral coordination polyhedron, in which three vertices are occupied by O atoms from the carboxylate groups of three different bipyridine ligands. The remaining three vertices are occupied by the O atoms of two dimethylformamide (DMF) molecules and one water molecule. The one-dimensional chains are oriented in the [01-1] direction, and non-coordinating DMF molecules can be found in the space between the chains. The shortest intermolecular O...H contacts are 2.844 (4) and 2.659 (4) Å, suggesting moderate hydrogen-bonding interactions. In addition, there is a short intermolecular Pt...Pt contact of 3.491 (1) Å, indicating a Pt stacking interaction. Some structure-directing contribution from the hydrogen bonding and Pt...Pt interaction is probable. However, the crystal packing seems to be directed primarily by van der Waals interactions.

The Au(III) complex Au(OAc(F))2(tpy) (1, OAc(F) = OCOCF3; tpy = 2-p-tolylpyridine) undergoes reversible dissociation of the OAc(F) ligand trans to C, as seen by (19)F NMR. In dichloromethane or trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), the reaction between 1 and ethylene produces Au(OAc(F))(CH2CH2OAc(F))(tpy) (2). The reaction is a formal insertion of the olefin into the Au-O bond trans to N. In TFA this reaction occurs in less than 5 min at ambient temperature, while 1 day is required in dichloromethane. In trifluoroethanol (TFE), Au(OAc(F))(CH2CH2OCH2CF3)(tpy) (3) is formed as the major product. Both 2 and 3 have been characterized by X-ray crystallography. In TFA/TFE mixtures, 2 and 3 are in equilibrium with a slight thermodynamic preference for 2 over 3. Exposure of 2 to ethylene-d4 in TFA caused exchange of ethylene-d4 for ethylene at room temperature. The reaction of 1 with cis-1,2-dideuterioethylene furnished Au(OAc(F))(threo-CHDCHDOAc(F))(tpy), consistent with an overall anti addition to ethylene. DFT(PBE0-D3) calculations indicate that the first step of the formal insertion is an associative substitution of the OAc(F) trans to N by ethylene. Addition of free (-)OAc(F) to coordinated ethylene furnishes 2. While substitution of OAc(F) by ethylene trans to C has a lower barrier, the kinetic and thermodynamic preference of 2 over the isomer with CH2CH2OAc(F) trans to C accounts for the selective formation of 2. The DFT calculations suggest that the higher reaction rates observed in TFA and TFE compared with CH2Cl2 arise from stabilization of the (-)OAc(F) anion lost during the first reaction step.

Despite widespread use of complexes of the type Pd(L)(η(3)-allyl)Cl as precatalysts for cross-coupling, the chemistry of related Pd(I) dimers of the form (μ-allyl)(μ-Cl)Pd2(L)2 has been underexplored. Here, the relationship between the monomeric and the dimeric compounds is investigated using both experiment and theory. We report an efficient synthesis of the Pd(I) dimers (μ-allyl)(μ-Cl)Pd2(IPr)2 (allyl = allyl, crotyl, cinnamyl; IPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene) through activation of Pd(IPr)(η(3)-allyl)Cl type monomers under mildly basic reaction conditions. The catalytic performance of the Pd(II) monomers and their Pd(I) μ-allyl dimer congeners for the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction is compared. We propose that the (μ-allyl)(μ-Cl)Pd2(IPr)2-type dimers are activated for catalysis through disproportionation to Pd(IPr)(η(3)-allyl)Cl and monoligated IPr-Pd(0). The microscopic reverse comproportionation reaction of monomers of the type Pd(IPr)(η(3)-allyl)Cl with IPr-Pd(0) to form Pd(I) dimers is also studied. It is demonstrated that this is a facile process, and Pd(I) dimers are directly observed during catalysis in reactions using Pd(II) precatalysts. In these catalytic reactions, Pd(I) μ-allyl dimer formation is a deleterious process which removes the IPr-Pd(0) active species from the reaction mixture. However, increased sterics at the 1-position of the allyl ligand in the Pd(IPr)(η(3)-crotyl)Cl and Pd(IPr)(η(3)-cinnamyl)Cl precatalysts results in a larger kinetic barrier to comproportionation, which allows more of the active IPr-Pd(0) catalyst to enter the catalytic cycle when these substituted precatalysts are used. Furthermore, we have developed reaction conditions for the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction using Pd(IPr)(η(3)-cinnamyl)Cl which are compatible with mild bases.

One of the major weaknesses of metal–organic framework (MOF) materials is their rather low thermal, hydrothermal, and chemical stabilities. Identification of stable and solvent resistant MOF materials will be key to their real world utilization. Recently, Lillerud and coworkers reported the synthesis of a new class of Zr MOF materials. These materials have very high surface area and exceptional thermal stability, are resistant to water and some solvents, acids, bases, and remain crystalline at high pressure. The newly synthesized Zr metal–organic frameworks (UiO-66, -67, and -68) as well as analogues substituting Ti and Hf for Zr, are explored using density functional theory calculations. The crystal structure, phase stability, bulk modulus, electronic structure, formation enthalpies, powder X-ray diffraction, chemical bonding, and optical properties are studied. We find bulk moduli of 36.6, 22.1, and 14.8 GPa for UiO-66, -67, and -68 respectively. As the linkers are extended, the bulk modulus drops. The highest occupied crystal orbital to lowest unoccupied crystal orbital gaps range from 2.9 to 4.1 eV. The compounds have similar electronic structure properties. Experimental powder X-ray diffraction patterns compare well with simulation. The large formation enthalpies (−40 to −90 kJ mol−1) for the series indicate high stability. This is consistent with the fact that these materials have very high decomposition temperatures. A detailed analysis of chemical bonding is carried out. Potential applications for these new materials include organic semiconducting devices such as field-effect transistors, solar cells, and organic light-emitting devices. We hope that the present study will stimulate research on UiO-based photocatalysis and will open new perspectives for the development of photocatalysts for water splitting and CO2 reduction. The large surface areas also make these materials good candidates for gas adsorption, storage, and separation.

A systematic investigation of the crystal structure, chemical bonding, electronic structure, formation energy, and optical properties of Cd-MOF-5 via DFT calculations is presented. The calculated bulk modulus (13.4 GPa) indicates that Cd-MOF-5 is a soft material. The estimated band gap for Cd-MOF-5 is 3.6 eV, indicating semiconducting behavior. Moreover, large formation enthalpy (−41 kJ mol −1 ) indicates its high stability and could be synthesizable. The systematic investigation on the optical response properties of Cd-MOF-5 will trigger the experimental efforts in this direction. The detailed chemical bonding analysis reveals the nature of bonds, i.e., Cd–O having mainly ionic interaction whereas O–C, H–C and C–C exhibit mainly covalent interactions.

Incorporation of the simple, readily available, building blocks ethylene, water and acetonitrile into Au(tpy)(OCOCF3)2 (tpy = 2-(p-tolyl)pyridine) in a one-step reaction leads to high yields of a new 6-membered ring gold(III) metallacycle complex. The metallacycle has been characterized spectroscopically and crystallographically, and the mechanism of its formation has been investigated with the aid of DFT calculations.

The contribution of Au(III) species to catalysis is still debated due to the limited number of characterized intermediates with this oxidation state. In particular, the coordination of alkenes and alkynes to Au(III) followed by insertion into Au(III)-X bonds has been suggested but rarely proven experimentally. Here, these reactions are explored by means of DFT and CCSD(T) calculations considering [AuX3(L)] and [AuX2(L)2](+) complexes. In these complexes, L = ethylene and acetylene have been chosen as substrates of high interest and representative of any unsaturated organic substrate, whereas X is Cl, Me or H, as found in metal salts and as model for intermediates involved in catalysis. Isoelectronic Pt(II) complexes are also considered for comparison. Ethylene coordination occurs preferentially perpendicular for all X except H, whereas for acetylene, coordination takes place in-plane for all X except Cl. These coordination isomers can represent either minima (intermediates) or saddle points (transition states) on the potential energy surface, depending on X. NBO analysis shows how this variety of structures results from the combination of electronic (M-L donation and back-donation) and steric (cis L-X repulsion) effects. With the sole exception of [AuMe2(ethylene)2](+), rotation of the unsaturated ligand and insertion into a cis Au-X bond involve low to moderate energy barriers, ΔG(‡) = 2.5 to 23.5 kcal mol(-1), and are thermodynamically feasible, ΔG = 4.3 to -47.2 kcal mol(-1). The paucity of experimental observations for such reactions should thus be caused by other factors, like the participation of the intermediates and products in competitive side reactions including the reductive elimination of XCHnCHnX (n = 1 or 2).

The structure and properties of two new UiO-67-type metal–organic frameworks, along with their linker synthesis and powder and single crystal synthesis, are presented. The new MOFs, UiO-67-Me and UiO-67-BN, are based on 3,3′-dimethylbiphenyl and 1,1′-binaphthyl linker scaffolds, and show a much higher stability to water than the thoroughly investigated UiO-67, which is based on the biphenyl scaffold. On the basis of structure models obtained from single crystal X-ray diffraction, it is seen that these linkers are partly shielding the Zr cluster. The new materials have higher density than UiO-67, but show a higher volumetric adsorption capacity for methane. UiO-67-BN exhibits excellent reversible water sorption properties, and enhanced stability to aqueous solutions over a wide pH range; it is to the best of our knowledge the most stable Zr-MOF that is isostructural to UiO-67 in aqueous solutions.

In this article the authors provide a brief review of the main developments in our understanding of chemical bonding in representative compounds of the main group elements from Lewis’ and Kossel’s shell-setting articles in 1916 and until the present.