Search for: All records

Transition metal interactions with Lewis acids (M → Z linkages) are fundamentally interesting and practically important. The most common Z-type ligands contain boron, which contains an NMR active 11 B nucleus. We measured solid-state 11 B{ 1 H} NMR spectra of copper, silver, and gold complexes containing a phosphine substituted 9,10-diboraanthracene ligand (B 2 P 2 ) that contain planar boron centers and weak M → BR 3 linkages ([(B 2 P 2 )M][BAr F 4 ] (M = Cu (1), Ag (2), Au (3)) characterized by large quadrupolar coupling ( C Q ) values (4.4–4.7 MHz) and large span ( Ω ) values (93–139 ppm). However, the solid-state 11 B{ 1 H} NMR spectrum of K[Au(B 2 P 2 )] − (4), which contains tetrahedral borons, is narrow and characterized by small C Q and Ω values. DFT analysis of 1–4 shows that C Q and Ω are expected to be large for planar boron environments and small for tetrahedral boron, and that the presence of a M → BR 3 linkage relates to the reduction in C Q and 11 B NMR shielding properties. Thus solid-state 11 B NMR spectroscopy contains valuable information about M → BR 3 linkages in complexes containing the B 2 P 2 ligand. 

The origin in deshielding of 29 Si NMR chemical shifts in R 3 Si–X, where X = H, OMe, Cl, OTf, [CH 6 B 11 X 6 ], toluene, and O X (O X = surface oxygen), as well as i Pr 3 Si + and Mes 3 Si + were studied using DFT methods. At the M06-L/6-31G(d,p) level of theory the geometry optimized structures agree well with those obtained experimentally. The trends in 29 Si NMR chemical shift also reproduce experimental trends; i Pr 3 Si–H has the most shielded 29 Si NMR chemical shift and free i Pr 3 Si + or isolable Mes 3 Si + have the most deshielded 29 Si NMR chemical shift. Natural localized molecular orbital (NLMO) analysis of the contributions to paramagnetic shielding ( σ p ) in these compounds shows that Si–R (R = alkyl, H) bonding orbitals are the major contributors to deshielding in this series. The Si–R bonding orbitals are coupled to the empty p-orbital in i Pr 3 Si + or Mes 3 Si + , or to the orbital in R 3 Si–X. This trend also applies to surface bound R 3 Si–O X . This model also explains chemical shift trends in recently isolated t Bu 2 SiH 2 + , t BuSiH 2 + , and SiH 3 + that show more shielded 29 Si NMR signals than R 3 Si + species. There is no correlation between isotropic 29 Si NMR chemical shift and charge at silicon. 

Al(OC(CF₃)₃)(PhF) reacts with silanols present on partially dehydroxylated silica to form well‐defined ≡SiOAl(OC(CF₃)₃)₂(O(Si≡)₂) (1).²⁷Al NMR and DFT calculations with a small cluster model to approximate the silica surface show that the aluminum in1adopts a distorted trigonal bipyramidal coordination geometry by coordinating to a nearby siloxane bridge and a fluorine from the alkoxide. Fluoride ion affinity (FIA) calculations follow experimental trends and show that1is a stronger Lewis acid than B(C₆F₅)₃and Al(OC(CF₃)₃)(PhF) but is weaker than Al(OC(CF₃)₃) andⁱPr₃Si⁺. Cp₂Zr(CH₃)₂reacts with1to form [Cp₂ZrCH₃][≡SiOAl(OC(CF₃)₃)₂(CH₃)] (3) by methide abstraction. This reactivity pattern is similar to reactions of organometallics with the proposed strong Lewis acid sites present on Al₂O₃.

 

Al(OC(CF₃)₃)(PhF) reacts with silanols present on partially dehydroxylated silica to form well‐defined ≡SiOAl(OC(CF₃)₃)₂(O(Si≡)₂) (1).²⁷Al NMR and DFT calculations with a small cluster model to approximate the silica surface show that the aluminum in1adopts a distorted trigonal bipyramidal coordination geometry by coordinating to a nearby siloxane bridge and a fluorine from the alkoxide. Fluoride ion affinity (FIA) calculations follow experimental trends and show that1is a stronger Lewis acid than B(C₆F₅)₃and Al(OC(CF₃)₃)(PhF) but is weaker than Al(OC(CF₃)₃) andⁱPr₃Si⁺. Cp₂Zr(CH₃)₂reacts with1to form [Cp₂ZrCH₃][≡SiOAl(OC(CF₃)₃)₂(CH₃)] (3) by methide abstraction. This reactivity pattern is similar to reactions of organometallics with the proposed strong Lewis acid sites present on Al₂O₃.

 

Weakly Coordinating Anions (WCAs) containing electron deficient delocalized anionic fragments that are reasonably inert allow for the isolation of strong electrophiles. Perfluorinated borates, perfluorinated aluminum alkoxides, and halogenated carborane anions are a few families of WCAs that are commonly used in synthesis. Application of similar design strategies to oxide surfaces is challenging. This paper describes the reaction of Al(OR F ) 3 *PhF (R F = C(CF 3 ) 3 ) with silica partially dehydroxylated at 700 °C (SiO 2-700 ) to form the bridging silanol Si–OH⋯Al(OR F ) 3 ( 1 ). DFT calculations using small clusters to model 1 show that the gas phase acidity (GPA) of the bridging silanol is 43.2 kcal mol −1 lower than the GPA of H 2 SO 4 , but higher than the strongest carborane acids, suggesting that deprotonated 1 would be a WCA. Reactions of 1 with NOct 3 show that 1 forms weaker ion-pairs than classical WCAs, but stronger ion-pairs than carborane or borate anions. Though 1 forms stronger ion-pairs than these state-of-the-art WCAs, 1 reacts with alkylsilanes to form silylium type surface species. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of a silylium supported on derivatized silica. 

Multinuclear solid‐state NMR studies of Cp*₂Sc−R (Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadienyl; R=Me, Ph, Et) and DFT calculations show that the Sc−Et complex contains a β‐CH agostic interaction. The static central transition⁴⁵Sc NMR spectra show that the quadrupolar coupling constants (C_q) follow the trend of Ph≈Me>Et, indicating that the Sc−R bond is different in Cp*₂Sc−Et compared to the methyl and phenyl complexes. Analysis of the chemical shift tensor (CST) shows that the deshielding experienced by Cβ in Sc−CH₂CH₃is related to coupling between the filled σ_C‐Corbital and the vacantorbital.

 

Multinuclear solid‐state NMR studies of Cp*₂Sc−R (Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadienyl; R=Me, Ph, Et) and DFT calculations show that the Sc−Et complex contains a β‐CH agostic interaction. The static central transition⁴⁵Sc NMR spectra show that the quadrupolar coupling constants (C_q) follow the trend of Ph≈Me>Et, indicating that the Sc−R bond is different in Cp*₂Sc−Et compared to the methyl and phenyl complexes. Analysis of the chemical shift tensor (CST) shows that the deshielding experienced by Cβ in Sc−CH₂CH₃is related to coupling between the filled σ_C‐Corbital and the vacantorbital.