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  1. We report the synthesis and reactivity of a model of [Fe]-hydrogenase derived from an anthracene-based scaffold that includes the endogenous, organometallic acyl(methylene) donor. In comparison to other non-scaffolded acyl-containing complexes, the complex described herein retains molecularly well-defined chemistry upon addition of multiple equivalents of exogenous base. Clean deprotonation of the acyl(methylene) C–H bond with a phenolate base results in the formation of a dimeric motif that contains a new Fe–C(methine) bond resulting from coordination of the deprotonated methylene unit to an adjacent iron center. This effective second carbanion in the ligand framework was demonstrated to drive heterolytic H 2 activation across the Fe( ii ) center. However, this process results in reductive elimination and liberation of the ligand to extrude a lower-valent Fe–carbonyl complex. Through a series of isotopic labelling experiments, structural characterization (XRD, XAS), and spectroscopic characterization (IR, NMR, EXAFS), a mechanistic pathway is presented for H 2 /hydride-induced loss of the organometallic acyl unit ( i.e. pyCH 2 –CO → pyCH 3 +CO). The known reduced hydride species [HFe(CO) 4 ] − and [HFe 3 (CO) 11 ] − have been observed as products by 1 H/ 2 H NMR and IR spectroscopies, as well as independent syntheses of PNP[HFe(CO) 4 ]. The former species ( i.e. [HFe(CO) 4 ] − ) is deduced to be the actual hydride transfer agent in the hydride transfer reaction (nominally catalyzed by the title compound) to a biomimetic substrate ([ Tol Im](BAr F ) = fluorinated imidazolium as hydride acceptor). This work provides mechanistic insight into the reasons for lack of functional biomimetic behavior (hydride transfer) in acyl(methylene)pyridine based mimics of [Fe]-hydrogenase. 
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  2. This work investigates the effect of molecular flexibility on fundamental ligand substitution kinetics in a pair of manganese( i ) carbonyls supported by scaffold-based ligands. In previous work, we reported that the planar and rigid, anthracene-based scaffold with two pyridine ‘arms’ ( Anth-py 2 , 2) serves as a bidentate, cis donor set, akin to a strained bipyridine (bpy). In the present work, we have installed a more flexible and dynamic scaffold in the form of thianthrene ( Thianth-py 2 , 1), wherein the scaffold in the free ligand exhibits a ∼130° dihedral angle in the solid state. Thianth-py 2 also exhibits greater flexibility (molecular motion) in solution compared with Anth-py 2 , as evidenced by longer 1 H NMR T 1 times Thianthy-py 2 ( T 1 = 2.97 s) versus Anth-py 2 ( T 1 = 1.91 s). Despite the exchange of rigid Anth-py2 for flexible Thianth-py2 in the complexes [( Anth-py 2 )Mn(CO) 3 Br] (4) and [( Thianth-py 2 )Mn(CO) 3 Br] (3), respectively, nearly identical electronic structures and electron densities were observed at the Mn center: the IR of 3 exhibits features at 2026, 1938 and 1900 cm −1 , nearly identical to the features of the anthracene-based congener (4) at 2027, 1936 and 1888 cm −1 . Most importantly, we assessed the effect of ligand-scaffold flexibility on reactivity and measured the rates of an elementary ligand substitution reaction. For ease of IR study, the corresponding halide-abstracted, nitrile-bound (PhCN) cations [( Thianth-py 2 )Mn(CO) 3 (PhCN)](BF 4 ) (6) and [( Anth-py 2 )Mn(CO) 3 (PhCN)](BF 4 ) (8) were generated in situ , and the PhCN → Br – back-reaction was monitored. The more flexible 3 (thianth-based) exhibited ∼3–4× faster ligand substitution kinetics ( k 25 C = 22 × 10 −2 min −1 , k 0 C = 43 × 10 −3 min −1 ) than the rigid analogue 4 (anth-based: ( k 25 C = 6.0 × 10 −2 min −1 , k 0 C = 9.0 × 10 −3 min −1 ) on all counts. Constrained angle DFT calculations revealed that despite large changes in the thianthrene scaffold dihedral angle, the bond metrics of 3 about the metal center remain unchanged; i.e. the ‘flapping’ motion is strictly a second coordination sphere effect. These results suggest that the local environment of molecular flexibility plays a key role in determining reactivity at the metal center, which has essential implications for understanding the reactivity of organometallic catalysts and metalloenzyme active sites. We propose that this molecular flexibility component of reactivity can be considered a thematic ‘third coordination sphere’ that dictates metal structure and function. 
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  3. The reactivity of the novel Re( i ) catalyst [Re( C12 Anth-py 2 )(CO) 3 Br] is modulated by its interactions with the covalent organic framework (COF) TFB-BD. The complex catalyzes either reductive etherification, oxidative esterification, or transfer hydrogenation depending on its local environment (embedded in TFB-BD, in homogeneous solution or co-incubated with TFB-BD, respectively). The results highlight that COFs can drastically modulate the reactivity of homogeneous catalysts. 
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