More Like this

1. Bridging cyanides from cyanoiron metalloligands to redox-active dinitrosyl iron units

   https://doi.org/10.1039/C8DT01761A  

   Ghosh, Pokhraj; Quiroz, Manuel; Pulukkody, Randara; Bhuvanesh, Nattamai; Darensbourg, Marcetta Y. (January 2018, Dalton Transactions)

   Cyanide, as an ambidentate ligand, plays a pivotal role in providing a simple diatomic building-block motif for controlled metal aggregation (M–CN–M′). Specifically, the inherent hard–soft nature of the cyanide ligand, i.e. , hard-nitrogen and soft-carbon centers, is due to electronic handles for binding Lewis acids following the hard–soft acid–base principle. Studies by Holm and Karlin showed structural and electronic requirements for cyanide-bridged (por)Fe III –CN–Cu II/I (por = porphyrin) molecular assemblies as biomimetics for cyanide-inhibited terminal quinol oxidases and cytochrome-C oxidase. The dinitrosyliron unit (DNIU) that exists in two redox states, {Fe(NO) 2 } 9 and {Fe(NO) 2 } 10 , draws attention as an electronic analogy of Cu II and Cu I , d 9 and d 10 , respectively. In similar controlled aggregations, L-type [(η 5 -C 5 R 5 )Fe(dppe)(CN)] (dppe = diphenyl phosphinoethane; R = H and Me) have been used as N-donor, μ-cyanoiron metalloligands to stabilize the DNIU in two redox states. Two bimetallic [(η 5 -C 5 R 5 )(dppe)Fe II –CN–{Fe(NO) 2 } 9 (sIMes)][BF 4 ] complexes, Fe-1 (R = H) and Fe*-1 (R = CH 3 ), showed dissimilar Fe II CN–{Fe(NO) 2 } 9 angular bends due to the electronic donor properties of the [(η 5 -C 5 R 5 )Fe(dppe)(CN)] μ-cyanoiron metalloligand. A trimetallic [(η 5 -C 5 Me 5 )(dppe)Fe II –CN] 2 –{Fe(NO) 2 } 10 complex, Fe*-2 , engaged two bridging μ-cyanoiron metalloligands to stabilize the {Fe(NO) 2 } 10 unit. The lability of the Fe II –CN–{Fe(NO) 2 } 9/10 bond was probed by suitable X-type (Na + SPh − ) and L-type (PMe 3 ) ligands. Treatment of Fe-1 and Fe*-1 with PMe 3 accounted for a reduction-induced substitution at the DNIU, releasing [(η 5 -C 5 R 5 )Fe(dppe)(CN)] and N-heterocyclic carbene, and generating (PMe 3 ) 2 Fe(NO) 2 as the reduced {Fe(NO) 2 } 10 product. 

   more » « less
2. Higher spin states in some low-energy bis(tetramethyl-1,2-diaza-3,5-diborolyl) sandwich compounds of the first row transition metals: boraza analogues of the metallocenes

   https://doi.org/10.1039/C8NJ05517C  

   Chen, Jianlin; Feng, Hao; Xie, Yaoming; King, R. Bruce; Schaefer, Henry F. (March 2019, New Journal of Chemistry)

   The known sandwich compound [η 5 -(CH 2 ) 3 N 2 (BPh) 2 CMe] 2 Fe in which adjacent C 2 units are replaced by isoelectronic BN units can be considered as a boraza analogues of ferrocene similar to borazine, B 3 N 3 H 6 , considered as a boraza analogue of benzene. In this connection, the related bis(1,2,3,5-tetramethyl-1,2-diaza-3,5-diborolyl) derivatives (Me 4 B 2 N 2 CH) 2 M (M = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) for all of the first row transition metals have been optimized using density functional theory for comparison with the isoelectronic tetramethylcyclopentadienyl derivatives (Me 4 C 5 H) 2 M. Low-energy sandwich structures having parallel B 2 N 2 C rings in a trans orientation are found for all seven metals. The 1,2-diaza-3,5-diborolyl ligand appears to be a weaker field ligand than the isoelectronic cyclopentadienyl ligand as indicated by higher spin ground states for some (η 5 -Me 4 B 2 N 2 CH) 2 M sandwich compounds relative to the corresponding metallocenes (η 5 -Me 4 C 5 H) 2 M. Thus (η 5 -Me 4 B 2 N 2 CH) 2 Cr has a quintet ground state in contrast to the triplet ground state of (η 5 -Me 4 C 5 H) 2 Cr. Similarly, the sextet ground state of (η 5 -Me 4 B 2 N 2 CH) 2 Mn lies ∼18 kcal mol −1 below the quartet state in contrast to the doublet ground state of the isoelectronic (Me 4 C 5 H) 2 Mn. These sandwich compounds are potentially accessible by reaction of 1,2-diaza-3,5-diborolide anions with metal halides analogous to the synthesis of [η 5 -(CH 2 ) 3 N 2 (BPh) 2 CMe] 2 Fe. 

   more » « less
3. Rapid build up of nanooptomechanical transduction in single crystals of a ruthenium-based SO ₂ linkage photoisomer

   https://doi.org/10.1039/d0cc06755e  

   Cole, Jacqueline M.; Gosztola, David J.; Velazquez-Garcia, Jose de; Grass Wang, SuYin; Chen, Yu-Sheng (February 2021, Chemical Communications)

   null (Ed.)

   Single-crystal nanooptomechanical transduction occurs in [Ru(SO 2 )(NH 3 ) 4 (H 2 O)]chlorobenzenesulfonate 2 , reaching maximal levels within 40 s at 100 K when photostimulated by 505 nm light. Its in situ light-induced crystal structure reveals the molecular origins of this optical actuation: 26.0(3)% of the η 1 -SO 2 ligand photoconverts into an η 1 -OSO photoisomer which, in turn, induces a 49.6(9)° arene ring rotation in its neighbouring counter ion. 

   more » « less
4. Terminal coordination of diatomic boron monofluoride to iron

   https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaw6102  

   Drance, Myles J.; Sears, Jeffrey D.; Mrse, Anthony M.; Moore, Curtis E.; Rheingold, Arnold L.; Neidig, Michael L.; Figueroa, Joshua S. (March 2019, Science)

   Boron monofluoride (BF) is a diatomic molecule with 10 valence electrons, isoelectronic to carbon monoxide (CO). Unlike CO, which is a stable molecule at room temperature and readily serves as both a bridging and terminal ligand to transition metals, BF is unstable below 1800°C in the gas phase, and its coordination chemistry is substantially limited. Here, we report the isolation of the iron complex Fe(BF)(CO) 2 (CNAr Tripp2 ) 2 [Ar Tripp2 , 2,6-(2,4,6-( i- Pr) 3 C 6 H 2 ] 2 C 6 H 3 ; i -Pr, iso -propyl], featuring a terminal BF ligand. Single-crystal x-ray diffraction as well as nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared, and Mössbauer spectroscopic studies on Fe(BF)(CO) 2 (CNAr Tripp2 ) 2 and the isoelectronic dinitrogen (N 2 ) and CO complexes Fe(N 2 )(CO) 2 (CNAr Tripp2 ) 2 and Fe(CO) 3 (CNAr Tripp2 ) 2 demonstrate that the terminal BF ligand possesses particularly strong σ-donor and π-acceptor properties. Density functional theory and electron-density topology calculations support this conclusion. 

   more » « less
5. Dianionic Mononuclear Cyclo ‐P ₄ Complexes of Zero‐Valent Molybdenum: Coordination of the Cyclo ‐P ₄ Dianion in the Absence of Intramolecular Charge Transfer

   https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201908885  

   Mandla, Kyle A.; Neville, Michael L.; Moore, Curtis E.; Rheingold, Arnold L.; Figueroa, Joshua S. (September 2019, Angewandte Chemie International Edition)

   Abstract Relative to other cyclic poly‐phosphorus species (that is,cyclo‐P_n), the planarcyclo‐P₄group is unique in its requirement of two additional electrons to achieve aromaticity. These electrons are supplied from one or more metal centers. However, the degree of charge transfer is dependent on the nature of the metal fragment. Unique examples of dianionic mononuclear η⁴‐P₄complexes are presented that can be viewed as the simple coordination of the [cyclo‐P₄]²⁻dianion to a neutral metal fragment. Treatment of the neutral, molybdenumcyclo‐P₄complexes Mo(η⁴‐P₄)I₂(CO)(CNAr^Dipp2)₂and Mo(η⁴‐P₄)(CO)₂(CNAr^Dipp2)₂with KC₈produces the dianionic, three‐legged piano stool complexes, [Mo(η⁴‐P₄)(CO)(CNAr^Dipp2)₂]²⁻and [Mo(η⁴‐P₄)(CO)₂(CNAr^Dipp2)]²⁻, respectively. Structural, spectroscopic, and computational studies reveal a similarity to the classic η⁶‐benzene complex (η⁶‐C₆H₆)Mo(CO)₃regarding the metal‐center valence state and electronic population of the planar‐cyclic ligand π system. 

   more » « less