Search for: All records

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.