Counter-Ion Influence in Catalyst Efficiency

Funding Information: This research was funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia FCT/MCTES through projects UIDB/50006/2020, UIDP/50006/2020 and LA/P/0008/2020 of the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry—LAQV, UIDB/04378/2020, UIDP/04378/2020 and LA/P/0140/2020 of UCIBIO and Associate Laboratory i4HB, respectively. Funding Information: The authors acknowledge LabRMN at FCT-UNL and Rede Nacional de RMN (RNRMN) for access to the facilities. The NMR spectrometers are part of The National NMR Facility, supported by FCT (ROTEIRO/0031/2013—PINFRA/22161/2016) (co-financed by FEDER through COMPETE 2020, POCI, and PORL and FCT through PIDDAC). Data Mass Spectrometry obtained by the Laboratório de Análises/LAQV REQUIMTE—Chemistry department FCT University NOVA of Lisbon. The SCXR determinations were performed in house (equipment financed by national funds through project RECI/BBBBEP/0124/2012 from FCT/MCTES). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. A series of nine cationic heteroleptic aryl-BIAN-copper(I) (BIAN = bis-iminoacenaphthene) complexes with the general formula [Cu((E-C6H4)2BIAN)(PPh3)2][X] (E = p-Me, p-iPr, o-iPr; X = BF4, OTf, NO3) 1X–3X were synthesized and fully characterized using several analytical techniques, including NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Except for complexes 2BF4 and 3BF4, which were already reported in our previous works, all remaining complexes are herein described for the first time. Two different strategies were used for the preparation of the complexes: complexes bearing BF4− or OTf− counter-ions (1BF4, 1OTf, 2OTf, and 3OTf) were obtained using the appropriate copper(I) precursors [Cu(NCMe)4][BF4] or [Cu(NCMe)4][OTf], whereas for derivatives 1NO3–3NO3, [Cu(PPh3)2NO3] was used. Their activity as catalysts for the copper azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) was assessed alongside other high activity, previously reported Cu(I) complexes. Comparative studies to determine the influence of the counter-ion and of the aryl substituents were performed. All complexes behaved as active catalysts under neat reaction conditions, at 25 °C and in short reaction times without requiring the use of any additive, with complex 2NO3 being the most efficient derivative, along with other NO3−-bearing complexes. publishersversion published