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We expand upon the synthetic utility of anionic rhenium complex Na[(BDI)ReCp] (1, BDI = N,N’-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-3,5-dimethyl-β-diketiminate) to generate several rhenium–phosphorus complexes. Complex 1 reacts in a metathetical manner with chlorophosphines Ph2PCl, MeNHP-Cl, and OHP-Cl to generate XL-type phosphido complexes 2, 3, and 4, respectively (MeNHP-Cl = 2-chloro-1,3-dimethyl-1,3,2-diazaphospholidine; OHP-Cl = 2-chloro-1,3,2-dioxaphospholane). Crystallographic and computational investigations of phosphido triad 2, 3, and 4 reveal that increasing the electronegativity of the phosphorus substituent (C < N < O) results in a shortening and strengthening of the rhenium–phosphorus bond. Complex 1 reacts with iminophosphane Mes*NPCl (Mes* = 2,4,6-tritert-butylphenyl) to generate linear iminophosphanyl complex 5. In the presence of a suitable halide abstraction reagent, 1 reacts with the dichlorophosphine iPr2NPCl2 to afford cationic phosphinidene complex 6+. Complex 6+ may be reduced by one electron to form 6•, a rare example of a stable, paramagnetic phosphinidene complex. Spectroscopic and structural investigations, as well as computational analyses, are employed to elucidate the influence of the phosphorus substituent on the nature of the rhenium–phosphorus bond in 2 through 6. Furthermore, we examine several common analogies employed to understand metal phosphido, phosphinidene, and iminophosphanyl complexes. 

While synthesizing a series of rhenium–lanthanide triple inverse sandwich complexes, we unexpectedly uncovered evidence for rare examples of end-on lanthanide dinitrogen coordination for certain heavy lanthanide elements as well as for uranium. We begin our report with the synthesis and characterization of a series of trirhenium triple inverse sandwich complexes with the early lanthanides, Ln[(μ-η5:η5-Cp)Re(BDI)]3(THF) (1-Ln, Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm; Cp = cyclopentadienide, BDI = N,N′-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-3,5-dimethyl-β-diketiminate). However, as we moved across the lanthanide series, we ran into an unexpected result for gadolinium in which we structurally characterized two products for gadolinium, namely, 1-Gd (analogous to 1-Ln) and a diazenido dirhenium double inverse sandwich complex Gd[(μ-η1:η1-N2)Re(η5-Cp)(BDI)][(μ-η5:η5-Cp)Re(BDI)]2(THF)2 (2-Gd). Evidence for analogues of 2-Gd was spectroscopically observed for other heavy lanthanides (2-Ln, Ln = Tb, Dy, Er), and, in the case of 2-Er, structurally authenticated. These complexes represent the first observed examples of heterobimetallic end-on lanthanide dinitrogen coordination. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were utilized to probe relevant bonding interactions and reveal energetic differences between both the experimental and putative 1-Ln and 2-Ln complexes. We also present additional examples of novel end-on heterobimetallic lanthanide and actinide diazenido moieties in the erbium–rhenium complex (η8-COT)Er[(μ-η1:η1-N2)Re(η5-Cp)(BDI)](THF)(Et2O) (3-Er) and uranium–rhenium complex [Na(2.2.2-cryptand)][(η5-C5H4SiMe3)3U(μ-η1:η1-N2)Re(η5-Cp)(BDI)] (4-U). Finally, we expand the scope of rhenium inverse sandwich coordination by synthesizing divalent double inverse sandwich complex Yb[(μ-η5:η5-Cp)Re(BDI)]2(THF)2 (5-Yb), as well as base-free, homoleptic rhenium–rare earth triple inverse sandwich complex Y[(μ-η5:η5-Cp)Re(BDI)]3 (6-Y). 

In this Perspective, we discuss the strategy of π-loading, i.e. , coordination of two or more strongly π-donating ligands to a single metal center, as it applies to promoting reactivity at group 5 transition metal-imido groups. When multiple π-donor ligands compete to interact with the same symmetrically-available metal d π orbitals, the energy of the imido-based frontier molecular orbitals increases, leading to amplified imido-based reactivity. This strategy is of particular relevance to group 5 metals, as mono(imido) complexes of these metals tend to be inert at the imido group. Electronic structure studies of group 5 bis(imido) complexes are presented, and examples of catalytically and stoichiometrically active group 5 bis(imido) and chalcogenido–imido complexes are reviewed. These examples are intended to encourage future work exploring π-loaded bis(imido) systems of the group 5 triad. 

Salt metathesis reactions between a low-valent rhenium( i ) complex, Na[Re(η 5 -Cp)(BDI)] (BDI = N , N ′-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-3,5-dimethyl-β-diketiminate), and a series of amidinate-supported tetrylenes of the form ECl[PhC(N t Bu) 2 ] (E = Si, Ge, Sn) led to rhenium metallotetrylenes Re(E[PhC(N t Bu) 2 ])(η 5 -Cp)(BDI) (E = Si ( 1a ), Ge ( 2 ), Sn ( 4 )) with varying extents of Re–E multiple bonding. Whereas the rhenium–stannylene 4 adopts a σ-metallotetrylene arrangement featuring a Re–E single bond, the rhenium–silylene ( 1a ) and –germylene ( 2 ) both engage in π-interactions to form short Re–E multiple bonds. Temperature was found to play a crucial role in reactions between Na[Re(η 5 -Cp)(BDI)] and SiCl[PhC(N t Bu) 2 ], as manipulation of reaction conditions led to isolation of an unusual rhenium–silane, (BDI)Re(μ-η 5 :η 1 -C 5 H 4 )(SiH[PhC(N t Bu) 2 ]) ( 1b ) and a dinitrogen bridged rhenium–silylene, (η 5 -Cp)(BDI)Re(μ-N 2 )Si[PhC(N t Bu) 2 ] ( 1c ), in addition to 1a . Finally, the reaction of Na[Re(η 5 -Cp)(BDI)] with GeCl 2 ·dioxane led to a rare μ 2 -tetrelido complex, μ 2 -Ge[Re(η 5 -Cp)(BDI)] 2 ( 3 ). Bonding interactions within these complexes are discussed through the lens of various spectroscopic, structural, and computational investigations. 

The bis(imido) complexes (BDI)Nb(N t Bu) 2 and (BDI)Nb(N t Bu)(NAr) (BDI = N , N ′-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-3,5-dimethyl-β-diketiminate; Ar = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl) were shown to engage in 1,2-addition and [2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions with a wide variety of substrates. Reaction of the bis(imido) complexes with dihydrogen, silanes, and boranes yielded hydrido-amido-imido complexes via 1,2-addition across Nb-imido π-bonds; some of these complexes were shown to further react via insertion of carbon dioxide to give formate-amido-imido products. Similarly, reaction of (BDI)Nb(N t Bu) 2 with tert -butylacetylene yielded an acetylide-amido-imido complex. In contrast to these results, many related mono(imido) Nb BDI complexes do not exhibit 1,2-addition reactivity, suggesting that π-loading plays an important role in activating the Nb–N π-bonds toward addition. The same bis(imido) complexes were also shown to engage in [2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions with oxygen- and sulfur-containing heteroallenes to give carbamate- and thiocarbamate-imido complexes: some of these complexes readily dimerized to give bis-μ-sulfido, bis-μ-iminodicarboxylate, and bis-μ-carbonate complexes. The mononuclear carbamate imido complex (BDI)Nb(NAr)(N( t Bu)CO 2 ) ( 12 ) could be induced to eject tert -butylisocyanate to generate a four-coordinate terminal oxo imido intermediate, which could be trapped as the five-coordinate pyridine or DMAP adduct. The DMAP adducted oxo imido complex (BDI)NbO(NAr)(DMAP) ( 16 ) was shown to engage in 1,2-addition of silanes across the Nb-oxo π-bond; this represents a new reaction pathway in group 5 chemistry.