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Iridium bis(iminoxolene) complexes with 2,6-dibromophenyl substituents can be prepared in four different oxidation states, including a reduced complex with a sodium–iridium bond. 

The bis(iminoxolene) complex (Diso)2IrCl (Diso = N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-4,6-di-tert-butyl-2-imino-o-benzoquinone) is reduced by two equivalents of sodium naphthalenide to give square planar, diamagnetic Na[(Diso)2Ir]. The anionic iridium center acts as a nucleophile to primary and secondary alkyl and allyl halides to give square pyramidal iridium alkyls. Benzoyl chloride reacts to give an iridium benzoyl complex. Organoiridium complexes are also formed by reaction of (Diso)2IrCl with Grignard reagents, and treatment with acetone in the presence of base gives the 1 carbon-bonded enolate complex (Diso)2IrCH2COCH3. The solid-state structures of the primary alkyls show significant inclinations of the iridium-carbon bond away from the twofold axis of the square pyramid, apparently for steric reasons. The relative reactivity of substrates and exclusive formation of (Diso)2Ir(5-hexenyl) from 1-bromo-5-hexene indicates that primary alkyl halides react by an SN2 mechanism. Structural data suggest that the oxidative addition is about 70% metal centered, consistent with nucleophilic behavior that is analogous to that of other square planar group 9 anions. 

Reaction of the 9,9-dimethylxanthene-bis(imine)-bis(catechol) ligand XbicH 4 with half an equivalent of Zr(acac) 4 affords the neutral tetracatecholate complex (XbicH 2 ) 2 Zr, containing four iminium ions hydrogen bonded to the catecholates. The heteroleptic bis(catecholate)-tetraphenylporphyrin complex (TPP)Zr(XbicH 2 ) is formed from reaction of (TPP)Zr(OAc) 2 with XbicH 4 in the presence of base. Both compounds adopt an eight-coordinate square antiprismatic geometry around the zirconium center. NMR spectra of (TPP)Zr(XbicH 2 ) show that it is fluxional at room temperature, with homoleptic (XbicH 2 ) 2 Zr showing fluxionality at higher temperatures. Calculations and kinetic isotope effect measurements suggest that the motions involve dissociation of a single catecholate oxygen and subsequent twisting of the seven-coordinate species. The compounds show reversible one-electron oxidations of each of the bound catecholates to bound semiquinones. 

Schiff base condensation of 4,5-diamino-9,9-dimethylxanthene with 4,6-di- tert -butylcatechol-3-carboxaldehyde affords the bis(catecholimine) ligand XbicH 4 , which can bind metals in both a square bis(catecholate) upper pocket and a pentagonal N 2 O 3 lower pocket. Metalation with PhSiCl 3 results in [(XbicH 2 )SiPh][HCl 2 ], where the silicon adopts a five-coordinate, square pyramidal geometry in the upper pocket and the lower pocket binds to two protons on the imine nitrogens. Deprotonation of the imines with LiO t Bu, NaN[SiMe 3 ] 2 , or AgOAc results in binding of the univalent metal ion in the lower pocket, where it adopts an unusual pentagonal monopyramidal geometry in the solid state. The complexes show irreversible electrochemistry, with oxidations taking place at relatively high potentials.