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1. Nickel-mediated N–N bond formation and N ₂ O liberation via nitrogen oxyanion reduction

   https://doi.org/10.1039/D1SC02846D  

   Beagan, Daniel M.; Cabelof, Alyssa C.; Pink, Maren; Carta, Veronica; Gao, Xinfeng; Caulton, Kenneth G. (August 2021, Chemical Science)

   The syntheses of (DIM)Ni(NO 3 ) 2 and (DIM)Ni(NO 2 ) 2 , where DIM is a 1,4-diazadiene bidentate donor, are reported to enable testing of bis boryl reduced N-heterocycles for their ability to carry out stepwise deoxygenation of coordinated nitrate and nitrite, forming O(Bpin) 2 . Single deoxygenation of (DIM)Ni(NO 2 ) 2 yields the tetrahedral complex (DIM)Ni(NO)(ONO), with a linear nitrosyl and κ 1 -ONO. Further deoxygenation of (DIM)Ni(NO)(ONO) results in the formation of dimeric [(DIM)Ni(NO)] 2 , where the dimer is linked through a Ni–Ni bond. The lost reduced nitrogen byproduct is shown to be N 2 O, indicating N–N bond formation in the course of the reaction. Isotopic labelling studies establish that the N–N bond of N 2 O is formed in a bimetallic Ni 2 intermediate and that the two nitrogen atoms of (DIM)Ni(NO)(ONO) become symmetry equivalent prior to N–N bond formation. The [(DIM)Ni(NO)] 2 dimer is susceptible to oxidation by AgX (X = NO 3 − , NO 2 − , and OTf − ) as well as nitric oxide, the latter of which undergoes nitric oxide disproportionation to yield N 2 O and (DIM)Ni(NO)(ONO). We show that the first step in the deoxygenation of (DIM)Ni(NO)(ONO) to liberate N 2 O is outer sphere electron transfer, providing insight into the organic reductants employed for deoxygenation. Lastly, we show that at elevated temperatures, deoxygenation is accompanied by loss of DIM to form either pyrazine or bipyridine bridged polymers, with retention of a BpinO − bridging ligand. 

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2. Gold( i ) ethylene complexes supported by electron-rich scorpionates

   https://doi.org/10.1039/d0cc07717h  

   Wu, Jiang; Noonikara-Poyil, Anurag; Muñoz-Castro, Alvaro; Dias, H. V. (February 2021, Chemical Communications)

   null (Ed.)

   Ethylene complexes of gold( i ) have been stabilized by electron-rich, κ 2 -bound tris(pyrazolyl)borate ligands. Large up-field shifts of olefinic carbon NMR resonances and relatively long CC distances of gold bound ethylene are indicative of significant Au( i ) → ethylene π-backbonding relative to the analog supported by a weakly donating ligand, consistent with the computational data. 

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3. Exploring opportunities for tuning phenyltris(pyrazol-1-yl)borate donation by varying the extent of phenyl substituent fluorination

   https://doi.org/10.1039/d3dt00735a  

   Fischer, Paul J.; Roe, Charley B.; Stephenson, Jasmine N.; Dunscomb, Rachel J.; Carthy, Camille L.; Nataro, Chip; Young, Victor G. (May 2023, Dalton Transactions)

   The importance of electron deficient Tp ligands motivates the introduction of electron-withdrawing substituents into the scorpionate framework. Since perfluorophenyltris(pyrazol-1-yl)borate affects significant anodic shifts in half-cell potentials in their metal complexes relative those of phenyltris(pyrazol-1-yl)borate analogues, the tuning opportunities achieved using 3,4,5-trifluorophenyl- and 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl(pyrazol-1-yl)borates were explored. Bis(amino)boranes ((3,4,5-F)C 6 H 2 )B(NMe 2 ) 2 and ((3,5-CF 3 )C 6 H 3 )B(NMe 2 ) 2 are precursors to fluorinated tris(pyrazol-1-yl)phenylborates. Thallium salts of these scorpionates exhibit bridging asymmetric κ 3 - N , N , N coordination modes consistent with the reduced π-basicity of the fluorinated phenyl substituents relative those of other structurally characterized tris(pyrazol-1-yl)phenylborates. While a comparative analysis of the spectral and X-ray crystallographic data for classical Mo(0), Mo( ii ), Mn( i ), Fe( ii ) and Cu( ii ) complexes of [((3,4,5-F)C 6 H 2 )Bpz 3 ] − and [((3,5-CF 3 )C 6 H 3 )Bpz 3 ] − could not differentiate these ligands with respect to their metal-based electronic impacts, cyclic voltammetry suggests that 3,4,5-trifluorophenyl- and 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl(pyrazol-1-yl)borates affect similar anodic shifts within their metal complexes, with coordination of [((3,5-CF 3 )C 6 H 3 )Bpz 3 ] − rendering metal centers more difficult to oxidize, and sometimes even more difficult to oxidize than their [C 6 F 5 Bpz 3 ] − analogues. These data suggest that the extent of phenyl substituent fluorination necessary to minimize metal center electron-richness in phenyltris(pyrazol-1-yl)borate complexes cannot be confidently predicted. 

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4. Classical Gold Carbonyl Complexes in Tetrahedral and Trigonal‐Planar Settings

   https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202303339  

   Vanga, Mukundam; Muñoz‐Castro, Alvaro; Dias, H_V_Rasika (December 2023, Chemistry – A European Journal)

   Abstract A unique four‐coordinate, classical gold(I)‐carbonyl complex with substantial backdonation from gold has been isolated by using a B‐methylated and fluorinated tris(pyridyl)borate chelator. Its lighter silver(I) and copper(I) analogs enabled a study of trends in the coinage‐metal family. The B‐arylated ligand version also afforded a gold–carbon monoxide complex that displays a notably low C−O stretch value, but with trigonal planar geometry at the gold. A computational analysis shows that the Au^I−CO bonds of these tris(pyridyl)borate ligand‐supported molecules consist of electrostatic attraction, OC→Au σ‐donation, and very significant Au→CO π‐back‐bonding components. The latter is responsible for the observed C−O stretching frequencies, which are lower than in free CO. 

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5. η2 Coordination of Electron-Deficient Arenes with Group 6 Dearomatization Agents

   https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.organomet.0c00277  

   Smith, J. A.; Simpson, S. R.; Westendorff, K. S.; Weatherford-Pratt, J.; Myers, J. T.; Wilde, J. H.; Dickie, D. A.; Harman, W. D. (June 2020, Organometallics)

   null (Ed.)

   The exceptionally π-basic metal fragments {MoTp(NO)(DMAP)} and {WTp(NO)(PMe3)} (Tp = tris(pyrazolyl)borate; DMAP = 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)pyridine) form thermally stable η2-coordinated complexes with a variety of electron-deficient arenes. The tolerance of substituted arenes with fluorine-containing electron withdrawing groups (EWG; −F, −CF3, −SF5) is examined for both the molybdenum and tungsten systems. When the EWG contains a π bond (nitriles, aldehydes, ketones, ester), η2 coordination occurs predominantly on the nonaromatic functional group. However, complexation of the tungsten complex with trimethyl orthobenzoate (PhC(OMe)3) followed by hydrolysis allows access to an η2-coordinated arene with an ester substituent. In general, the tungsten system tolerates sulfur-based withdrawing groups well (e.g., PhSO2Ph, MeSO2Ph), and the integration of multiple electron-withdrawing groups on a benzene ring further enhances the π-back-bonding interaction between the metal and aromatic ligand. While the molybdenum system did not form stable η2-arene complexes with the sulfones or ortho esters, it was capable of forming rare examples of stable η2-coordinated arene complexes with a range of fluorinated benzenes (e.g., fluorobenzene, difluorobenzenes). In contrast to what has been observed for the tungsten system, these complexes formed without interference of C–H or C–F insertion. 

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