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Abstract Electron-deficient olefin (EDO) ligands are known to promote a variety of nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, presumably by accelerating the reductive elimination step and preventing undesired β-hydride elimination. While there is a growing body of experimental and computational evidence elucidating the beneficial effects of EDO ligands, significant gaps remain in our understanding of the underlying coordination chemistry of the Ni–EDO species involved. In particular, most procedures rely on in situ assembly of the active catalyst, and there is a paucity of preligated Ni–EDO precatalysts. Herein, we investigate the 16-electron, heteroleptic nickel complex, Ni(COD)(DMFU), and examine the performance of this complex as a precatalyst in 1,2-diarylation of alkenes. 

Treatment of the gold vinyl carbene/allylic cation complex ( E )-[(IPr)AuC(H)C(H)C(4-C 6 H 4 OMe) 2 ] + OTf − with sulfoxides at −95 °C formed the corresponding gold allyloxysulfonium complexes [(IPr)AuC(H)(OSR 2 )C(H)C(4-C 6 H 4 OMe) 2 ] + OTf − [R = Me, –(CH 2 ) 4 –, Ar] in ≥95 ± 5% NMR yield. Allyloxysulfonium gold complexes underwent elimination at or below room temperature to form 3,3-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)acrylaldehyde in ≥67% yield. 

Cationic gold vinyl carbene/allylic cation complexes of the form ( E )-[(L)AuC(H)C(H)CAr 2 ] + OTf − {L = IPr, Ar = Ph [( E )- 5a ], L = IPr, Ar = 4-C 6 H 4 OMe [( E )- 5b ], L = P( t -Bu) 2 o -biphenyl, Ar = 4-C 6 H 4 OMe [( E )- 5c ]} were generated in solution via Lewis acid-mediated ionization of the corresponding gold (γ-methoxy)vinyl complexes ( E )-(L)AuC(H)C(H)C(OMe)Ar 2 at or below −95 °C. Complexes ( E )- 5b and ( E )- 5c were fully characterized in solution employing multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, which established the predominant contribution of the aurated allylic cation resonance structure and the significant distribution of positive charge into the γ-anisyl rings. Complex ( E )- 5b reacted rapidly at −95 °C with neutral two-electron, hydride, and oxygen atom donors exclusively at the C1 position of the vinyl carbene moiety and with p -methoxystyrene to form the corresponding vinylcyclopropane. In the absence of nucleophile ( E )- 5a decomposed predominantly via intermolecular carbene dimerization whereas formation of 1-aryl-5-methoxy indene upon ionization of ( Z )-(IPr)AuC(H)C(H)C(OMe)(4-C 6 H 4 OMe) 2 [( Z )- 6b ] implicated an intramolecular Friedel–Crafts or electrocyclic Nazarov pathway for the decomposition of the unobserved vinyl carbene complex ( Z )-[(IPr)AuC(H)C(H)C(4-C 6 H 4 OMe) 2 ] + OTf − [( Z )- 5b ]. 

Abstract Methoxide abstraction from gold acetylide complexes of the form (L)Au[η¹‐C≡CC(OMe)ArAr′] (L=IPr, P(^tBu)₂(ortho‐biphenyl); Ar/Ar′=C₆H₄X where X=H, Cl, Me, OMe) with trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate (TMSOTf) at −78 °C resulted in the formation of the corresponding cationic gold diarylallenylidene complexes [(L)Au=C=C=CArAr′]⁺ OTf⁻in ≥85±5 % yield according to¹H NMR analysis.¹³C NMR and IR spectroscopic analysis of these complexes established the arene‐dependent delocalization of positive charge on both the C1 and C3 allenylidene carbon atoms. The diphenylallenylidene complex [(IPr)Au=C=C=CPh₂]⁺ OTf⁻reacted with heteroatom nucleophiles at the allenylidene C1 and/or C3 carbon atom. 

Abstract A flurry of recent research has centered on harnessing the power of nickel catalysis in organic synthesis. These efforts have been bolstered by contemporaneous development of well‐defined nickel (pre)catalysts with diverse structure and reactivity. In this report, we present ten different bench‐stable, 18‐electron, formally zero‐valent nickel–olefin complexes that are competent pre‐catalysts in various reactions. Our investigation includes preparations of novel, bench‐stable Ni(COD)(L) complexes (COD=1,5‐cyclooctadiene), in which L=quinone, cyclopentadienone, thiophene‐S‐oxide, and fulvene. Characterization by NMR, IR, single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, cyclic voltammetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and natural bond orbital analysis sheds light on the structure, bonding, and properties of these complexes. Applications in an assortment of nickel‐catalyzed reactions underscore the complementary nature of the different pre‐catalysts within this toolkit.