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A method for the preparation of nitridorhenium( v ) complexes of the form (SSS)Re(N)(L) (where SSS = 2-mercaptoethylsulfide and L = PPh 3 and t -BuNC) has been described. These complexes react with Lewis acids allowing for the isolation of adducts. The lack of a significant steric profile on the SSS ligand combined with enhanced nucleophilicity of the nitrido group does not allow for the effective formation of frustrated Lewis pairs with these complexes and as a result these species are poor catalysts for the hydrogenation of unactivated olefins. 

Cp*Ir( iii ) complexes have been shown to be effective for the halogenation of N , N -diisopropylbenzamides with N -halosuccinimide as a suitable halogen source. The optimized conditions for the iodination reaction consist of 0.5 mol% [Cp*IrCl 2 ] 2 in 1,2-dichloroethane at 60 °C for 1 h to form a variety of iodinated benzamides in high yields. Increasing the catalyst loading to 6 mol% and the time to 4 h enabled the bromination reaction of the same substrates. Reactivity was not observed for the chlorination of these substrates. A variety of functional groups on the para -position of the benzamide were well tolerated. Kinetic studies showed the reaction dependence is first order in iridium, positive order in benzamide, and zero order in N -iodosuccinimide. A KIE of 2.5 was obtained from an independent H/D kinetic isotope effect study. Computational studies (DFT-BP3PW91) indicate that a CMD mechanism is more likely than an oxidative addition pathway for the C–H bond activation step. The calculated functionalization step involves an Ir( v ) species that is the result of oxidative addition of acetate hypoiodite that is generated in situ from N -iodosuccinimide and acetic acid. 

The synthesis of (PNP)Re(N)X (PNP = [2-P(CHMe 2 ) 2 -4-MeC 6 H 3 ] 2 N, X = Cl and Me) complexes is described. The methylnitridorhenium complex 3 was found to react differently with CO and isocyanides, leading to the isolation of a Re( v ) acyl complex 4 and an isocyanide adduct 6 . Two parallel pathways were observed for the reaction of 3 with CO: (1) CO inserts into the Re–Me bond to afford 4 , and (2) 3 isomerizes by distortion of the aryl backbone of the PNP ligand to afford the isomer 3′ . This is followed by the reaction of 3′ with CO to afford the tricarbonyl complex 5 , which was fully characterized. The contrasting reaction of 3 with 2,6-dimethylphenyl isocyanide lends further support for the proposed isomerization pathway. DFT (M06) calculations suggest that insertion of CNR into the Re–Me bond (27.2 kcal mol −1 ) is inaccessible at room temperature. Instead the substrate adds to the metal center via the most accessible face i.e. syn to the rhenium–nitrido bond, to afford 6 . The addition of CO to isomer 3′ is proposed to proceed with a similar mechanism to 2,6-dimethylphenyl isocyanide. 

The correlation of electron transfer with molecular conductance ( g : electron transport through single molecules) by Nitzan and others has contributed to a fundamental understanding of single-molecule electronic materials. When an unsymmetric, dipolar molecule spans two electrodes, the possibility exists for different conductance values at equal, but opposite electrode biases. In the device configuration, these molecules serve as rectifiers of the current and the efficiency of the device is given by the rectification ratio (RR = g forward / g reverse ). Experimental determination of the RR is challenging since the orientation of the rectifying molecule with respect to the electrodes and with respect to the electrode bias direction is difficult to establish. Thus, while two different values of g can be measured and a RR calculated, one cannot easily assign each conductance value as being aligned with or opposed to the molecular dipole, and calculations are often required to resolve the uncertainty. Herein, we describe the properties of two isomeric, triplet ground state biradical molecules that serve as constant-bias analogs of single-molecule electronic devices. Through established theoretical relationships between g and electronic coupling, H 2 , and between H 2 and magnetic exchange coupling, J ( g ∝ H 2 ∝ J ), we use the ratio of experimental J -values for our two isomers to calculate a RR for an unsymmetric bridge molecule with known geometry relative to the two radical fragments of the molecule and at a spectroscopically-defined potential bias. Our experimental results are compared with device transport calculations.