N-heterocyclic carbene ligand SIDipp (SIDipp = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazolin-2-ylidene) and trimesitylphosphine ligand have been used in the synthesis of gold(I) cyanide, t-butylisocyanide, and cyclooctyne complexes (SIDipp)Au(CN) (3), (Mes(3)P)Au(CN) (4), [(Mes(3)P)(2)Au][Au(CN)(2)] (5), [(SIDipp)Au(CN(t)Bu)][SbF(6)] ([6][SbF(6)]), [(SIDipp)Au(cyclooctyne)][SbF(6)] ([8][SbF(6)]), and [(Mes(3)P)Au(cyclooctyne)][SbF(6)] ([9][SbF(6)]). A detailed computational study has been carried out on these and the related gold(I) carbonyl adducts [(SIDipp)Au(CO)][SbF(6)] ([1][SbF(6)]), [(Mes(3)P)Au(CO)][SbF(6)] ([2][SbF(6)]), and [(Mes(3)P)Au(CN(t)Bu)](+) ([7](+)). X-ray crystal structures of 3, 5, [6][SbF(6)], [8][SbF(6)], and [9][SbF(6)] revealed that they feature linear gold sites. Experimental and computational data show that the changes in π-acid ligand on (SIDipp)Au(+) from CO, CN(-), CN(t)Bu, cyclooctyne as in [1](+), 3, [6](+), and [8](+) did not lead to large changes in the Au-C(carbene) bond distances. A similar phenomenon was also observed in Au-P distance in complexes [2](+), 4, [7](+), and [9](+) bearing trimesitylphosphine. Computational data show that the Au-L bonds of "naked" [Au-L](+) or SIDipp and Mes(3)P supported [Au-L](+) (L = CO, CN(-), CN(t)Bu to cyclooctyne) have higher electrostatic character than covalent character. The Au←L σ-donation and Au→L π-back-donation contribute to the orbital term with the former being the dominant component, but the latter is not negligible. In the Au-CO adducts [1](+)and [2](+), the cationic gold center causes the polarization of the C-O σ and π orbitals toward the carbon end making the coefficients at the two atoms more equal which is mainly responsible for the large blue shift in the CO stretching frequency. The SIDipp and Mes(3)P supported gold(I) complexes of cyanide and isocyanide also exhibit a significant blue shift in υ(CN) compared to that of the free ligands. Calculated results for Au(CO)Cl and Au(CF(3))CO suggest that the experimentally observed blue shift in ν(CO) of these compounds may at least partly be caused by intermolecular forces.

The dimethyl sulfide adduct 2(DMS) is a crystalline storage form of the unstable hydroboration reagent 9-H-9-borafluorene (2); 2(DMS) is available by the addition of DMS to either in situ generated [2](2) or 1,2-(2,2'-biphenylylene)diborane(6) (7).

First members of a new family of heterometallic Mn/Ni complexes [Mn(2)Ni(3)X(2)L(4)(LH)(2)(H(2)O)(2)] (X = Cl: 1; X = Br: 2) with the new ligand 2-{3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl}ethanol (H(2)L) have been synthesized, and single crystals obtained from CH(2)Cl(2) solutions have been characterized crystallographically. The molecular structures feature a quasi-linear Mn(III)-Ni(II)-Ni(II)-Ni(II)-Mn(III) core with six-coordinate metal ions, where elongated axes of all the distorted octahedral coordination polyhedra are aligned parallel and are fixed with respect to each other by intramolecular hydrogen bonds. 1 and 2 exhibit quite strong ferromagnetic exchange interactions throughout (J(Mn-Ni) ≈ 40 K (1) or 42 K (2); J(Ni-Ni) ≈ 22 K (1) or 18 K (2)) that lead to an S(tot) = 7 ground state, and a sizable uniaxial magnetoanisotropy with D(mol) values -0.55 K (1) and -0.45 K (2). These values are directly derived also from frequency- and temperature-dependent high-field EPR spectra. Slow relaxation of the magnetization at low temperatures and single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior are evident from frequency-dependent peaks in the out-of-phase ac susceptibilities and magnetization versus dc field measurements, with significant energy barriers to spin reversal U(eff) = 27 K (1) and 22 K (2). Pronounced quantum tunnelling steps are observed in the hysteresis loops of the temperature- and scan rate-dependent magnetization data, but with the first relaxation step shifted above (1) or below (2) the zero crossing of the magnetic field, despite the very similar molecular structures. The different behavior of 1 and 2 is interpreted in terms of antiferromagnetic (1) or ferromagnetic (2) intermolecular interactions, which are discussed in view of the subtle differences of intermolecular contacts within the crystal lattice.

A new family of tetranuclear nickel cube complexes [Ni(4)L(4)(solv)(4)] (1, solv = MeOH; 2, solv = H(2)O; H(2)L = pyrazole-based tridentate {ONO} ligand) has been studied in detail, in particular by X-ray diffraction and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry. Different solvates 1·H(2)O, 2·4C(3)H(6)O, 2·CH(2)Cl(2), and 2·H(2)O were obtained in crystalline form. Only small structural variations were found for the Ni-O-Ni angles of the [Ni(4)O(4)] cores of those compounds, but these slight variations have dramatic consequences for the magnetic properties. [Ni(4)L(4)(MeOH)(4)]·H(2)O (1·H(2)O) and [Ni(4)L(4)(H(2)O)(4)]·H(2)O (2·H(2)O) can be reversibly interconverted in the solid state by exposure to the respective solvent, MeOH or H(2)O, and this goes along with a switching of the spin ground state from magnetic (S(T) = 4) to diamagnetic (S(T) = 0). Likewise the (irreversible) loss of lattice solvent in [Ni(4)L(4)(H(2)O)(4)]·4C(3)H(6)O (2·4C(3)H(6)O) to give 2·2C(3)H(6)O changes the ground state from S(T) = 4 to S(T) = 0. In view of these dramatic solvatomagnetic effects for the present [Ni(4)L(4)(solv)(4)] complexes, which occur upon extrusion of lattice solvent or facile exchange of coordinated solvent molecules while keeping the robust [Ni(4)O(4)] core intact, a note of care is issued: whenever magnetic data are obtained for powdered material or for crystals that easily loose lattice solvent molecules, the magnetic properties may not necessarily reflect the situation observed in the corresponding single crystal diffraction study. Finally, a thorough analysis of the present series of complexes as well as other {Ni(4)(μ(3)-OR)(4)} cubes reported in the literature confirms that a correlation between the (Ni-O-Ni)(av) bond angle and J in [Ni(4)O(4)] cubane complexes does indeed exist.

Golden trefoils: Tris(alkyne)gold complex [(coct)(3)Au][SbF(6)] (see picture; 1-SbF(6)) can be synthesized from cyclooctyne (coct) and AuSbF(6) generated in situ. Treatment of AuCl with cyclooctyne led to the bis(alkyne)gold complex [Au(coct)(2)Cl] (2). DFT analysis indicates that the cyclooctyne ligands are net electron donors in 1 but overall electron acceptors in 2. AuSbF(6) is shown to mediate [2+2+2] cycloaddition reactions of alkynes.

The tris(alkyne) copper complex [(cyclooctyne) 3 Cu][SbF 6 ] has been synthesized using cyclooctyne and in situ generated CuSbF 6 . Tris(alkyne) silver complexes [(cyclooctyne) 3 Ag] + involving weakly coordinating counterions such as [SbF 6 ] − and [PF 6 ] − have also been isolated in good yield using cyclooctyne and commercially available AgSbF 6 and AgPF 6 . These coinage metal tris(alkyne) adducts have trigonal-planar metal sites. The alkyne carbon atoms and the metal site form distorted spoke-wheel (rather than upright trigonal-prismatic) structures in the solid state. In [(cyclooctyne) 3 Cu][SbF 6 ], these distortions result in a propellerlike arrangement of alkynes. A cationic gold(I) complex having two alkynes has been prepared by a reaction of equimolar amounts of Au(cyclooctyne) 2 Cl and AgSbF 6 in dichloromethane. The gold atom of [(cyclooctyne) 2 Au] + coordinates to the cyclooctynes in a linear fashion, while the carbon atoms of the alkyne groups form a tetrahedron around gold(I). Optimized geometries of cationic [(cyclooctyne) 3 M] + , [(cyclooctyne) 2 M] + , and [(cyclooctyne)M] + and neutral [(cyclooctyne) 2 MCl] and [(cyclooctyne)MCl] adducts (M = Cu, Ag, Au) using density functional theory (DFT) at the BP86/def2-TZVPP level of theory and a detailed analysis of metal−alkyne bonding interactions are also presented.

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Boric acid promoted transfer hydrogenation of substituted quinolines to synthetically versatile 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines (1,2,3,4-THQs) was described under mild reaction conditions using a Hantzsch ester as a mild organic hydrogen source.