A series of neutral and cationic rhodium and iridium(I) complexes based on hemilabile O-donor-and N-donor-functionalized NHC ligands having methoxy, dimethylamino, and pyridine as donor functions have been synthesized. The hemilabile fragment is coordinated to the iridium center in the cationic complexes [Ir(cod] has been determined by X-ray diffraction. The iridium complexes are efficient precatalysts for the transfer hydrogenation of cyclohexanone in 2-propanol/KOH. A comparative study has shown that cationic complexes are more efficient than the neutral and also that complexes having O-functionalized NHC ligands provide much more active systems than the corresponding N-functionalized ligands with TOFs up to 4600 h À1 . The complexes [Ir(NCCH 3 )(cod)(MeImR)] + (R = 2-methoxyethyl and 2-methoxybenzyl) have been successfully applied to the reduction of several unsaturated substrates as ketones, aldehydes, α,β-unsaturated ketones, and imines. The investigation of the reaction mechanism by NMR and MS has allowed the identification of relevant alkoxo intermediates [Ir(OR)(cod)(MeImR)] and the unsaturated hydride species [IrH(cod)(MeImR)]. The β-H elimination in the alkoxo complex [Ir(OiPr)(cod)(MeIm(2-methoxybenzyl))] leading to hydrido species has been studied by DFT calculations. An interaction between the β-H on the alkoxo ligand and the oxygen atom of the methoxy fragment of the NHC ligand, which results in a net destabilization of the alkoxo intermediate by a free energy of +1.0 kcal/mol, has been identified. This destabilization facilitates the β-H elimination step in the catalytic process and could explain the positive effect of the methoxy group of the functionalized NHC ligands on the catalytic activity.

The elongated dihydrogen complex [Os{C6H4C(O)CH3}(η 2 -H2)(H2O)(P i Pr3)2]BF4 (1) reacts with 1,1-diphenyl-2-propyn-1-ol and 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol to give the hydride-hydroxyvinylidene-π-alkynol derivatives [OsH{dCdCHC(OH)R2}{η 2 -HCtCC(OH)R2}(P i Pr3)2]BF4 (R ) Ph (2), Me (3)), where the π-alkynols act as four-electron donor ligands. Treatment of 2 and 3 with HBF4 and coordinating solvents leads to the dicationic hydride-alkenylcarbyne compounds [OsH(tCCHdCR2)S2( 6)), which in acetonitrile evolve into the alkenylcarbene complexes [Os(dCHCHdCR2)(CH3CN)3(P i Pr3)2][BF4]2 (R ) Ph (7), Me (8)) by means of a concerted 1,2hydrogen shift from the osmium to the carbyne carbon atom. Treatment of 2-propanol solutions of 5 with NaCl affords OsHCl2(tCCHdCPh2)(P i Pr3)2 (10), which reacts with AgBF4 and acetonitrile to give [OsHCl-(tCCHdCPh2)(CH3CN)(P i Pr3)2]BF4 (11). In this solvent complex 11 is converted to [OsCl(dCHCHd CPh2)(CH3CN)2(P i Pr3)2]BF4 (12). Complex 5 reacts with CO to give [Os(dCHCHdCPh2)(CO)(CH3CN)2-(P i Pr3)2][BF4]2 (15). DFT calculations and kinetic studies for the hydride-alkenylcarbyne to alkenylcarbene transformation show that the difference of energy between the starting compounds and the transition states, which can be described as η 2 -carbene species (OsdC(R)H), increases with the basicity of the metallic center. The X-ray structures of 4 and 7 and the rotational barriers for the carbene ligands of 7, 8, and 12 are also reported.

The borrowing hydrogen methodology allows for the use of alcohols as alkylating agents for CC bond forming processes offering significant environmental benefits over traditional approaches. Iridium(I)-cyclooctadiene complexes having a NHC ligand with a O- or N-functionalised wingtip efficiently catalysed the oxidation and β-alkylation of secondary alcohols with primary alcohols in the presence of a base. The cationic complex [Ir(NCCH3 )(cod)(MeIm(2- methoxybenzyl))][BF4 ] (cod=1,5-cyclooctadiene, MeIm=1-methylimidazolyl) having a rigid O-functionalised wingtip, shows the best catalyst performance in the dehydrogenation of benzyl alcohol in acetone, with an initial turnover frequency (TOF0 ) of 1283 h(-1) , and also in the β-alkylation of 2-propanol with butan-1-ol, which gives a conversion of 94 % in 10 h with a selectivity of 99 % for heptan-2-ol. We have investigated the full reaction mechanism including the dehydrogenation, the cross-aldol condensation and the hydrogenation step by DFT calculations. Interestingly, these studies revealed the participation of the iridium catalyst in the key step leading to the formation of the new CC bond that involves the reaction of an O-bound enolate generated in the basic medium with the electrophilic aldehyde.

The catalytic activity in the hydrosilylation of terminal alkynes by the unsaturated hydrido iridium­(III) compound [IrH­(κ3-hqca)­(coe)] (1), which contains the rigid asymmetrical dianionic ONO pincer ligand 8-oxidoquinoline-2-carboxylate, has been studied. A range of aliphatic and aromatic 1-alkynes has been efficiently reduced using various hydrosilanes. Hydrosilylation of the linear 1-alkynes hex-1-yne and oct-1-yne gives a good selectivity toward the β-(Z)-vinylsilane product, while for the bulkier t-Bu-CCH a reverse selectivity toward the β-(E)-vinylsilane and significant amounts of alkene, from a competitive dehydrogenative silylation, has been observed. Compound 1, unreactive toward silanes, reacts with a range of terminal alkynes RCCH, affording the unsaturated η1-alkenyl complexes [Ir­(κ3-hqca)­(E-CHCHR)­(coe)] in good yield. These species are able to coordinate monodentate neutral ligands such as PPh3 and pyridine, or CO in a reversible way, to yield octahedral derivatives. Further mechanistic aspects of the hydrosilylation process have been studied by DFT calculations. The catalytic cycle passes through Ir­(III) species with an iridacyclopropene (η2-vinylsilane) complex as the key intermediate. It has been found that this species may lead both to the dehydrogenative silylation products, via a β-elimination process, and to a hydrosilylation cycle. The β-elimination path has a higher activation energy than hydrosilylation. On the other hand, the selectivity to the vinylsilane hydrosilylation products can be accounted for by the different activation energies involved in the attack of a silane molecule at two different faces of the iridacyclopropene ring to give η1-vinylsilane complexes with either an E or Z configuration. Finally, proton transfer from a η2-silane to a η1-vinylsilane ligand results in the formation of the corresponding β-(Z)- and β-(E)-vinylsilane isomers, respectively.

The synthesis of unbridged biscarbene iridium(I) [Ir(cod)(MeIm∩Z) 2 ] + complexes having Nor O-functionalized NHC ligands (∩Z = 2-methoxybenzyl, pyridin-2ylmethyl and quinolin-8-ylmethyl) is described. The molecular structures of the complexes show an antiparallel disposition of the carbene ligands that minimize the steric repulsions between the bulky substituents. However, the complexes were found to be dynamic in solution due to the restricted rotation about the C(carbene)-Ir bond that results in two interconverting diasteromers having different disposition of the functionalized NHC ligands. A rotational barrier of around 80 kJ mol-1 (298 K) has been determined by 2D EXSY NMR spectroscopy. The iridium(III) dihydride complex [IrH 2 (MeIm∩Z) 2 ] + (∩Z = pyridin-2-ylmethyl) has been prepared by reaction of the corresponding iridium(I) complex with molecular hydrogen. These complexes efficiently catalyzed the transfer hydrogenation of cyclohexanone using 2-propanol as hydrogen source and KOH as base at 80 °C with average TOFs of 117-155 h-1 at 0.1 mol% iridium catalyst loading. All the catalyst precursors showed comparable activity independent both of the wingtip type at the NHC ligands or the counterion. Mechanistic studies support the involvement of diene free bis-NHC iridium(I) intermediates in these catalytic systems. DFT calculations have shown that a MPV-like concerted mechanism (Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley mechanism), involving the direct hydrogen transfer at the coordination sphere of the iridium center, might compete with the well-established hydrido mechanism. Indirect evidence of a MPV-like mechanism has been found for the catalyst precursor having NHC ligands having with a pyridin-2-ylmethyl wingtip.

A series of water-soluble zwitterionic complexes featuring a carboxylate bridge-functionalized bis-N-heterocyclic carbene ligand of formula [Cp*MCl{(MeIm)CHCOO}] and [M(diene){(MeIm)CHCOO}] (Cp* = 1,2,3,4,5-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl; M = Rh, Ir; MeIm = 3-methylimidazol-2-yliden-1-yl; diene = 1,5-cyclooctadiene (cod), norbornadiene (nbd)) were prepared from the salt [(MeImH)CHCOO]Br and suitable metal precursor. The solid-state structure of both types of complexes shows a boat-shaped six-membered metallacycle derived of the κC,C' coordination mode of the bis-NHC ligand. The uncoordinated carboxylate fragment is found at the bowsprit position in the Cp*M complexes, whereas in the M(diene) complexes it is at the flagpole position of the metallacycle. The complexes [Rh(diene){(MeIm)CHCOO}] (diene = cod, nbd) exist as two conformational isomers in dichloromethane, bowsprit and flagpole, that interconvert through the boat-to-boat inversion of the metallacycle. An inversion barrier of ∼17 kcal·mol was determined by two-dimensional exchange spectroscopy NMR measurements for [Rh(cod){(MeIm)CHCOO}]. Reaction of zwitterionic Cp*M complexes with methyl triflate or tetrafluoroboric acid affords the cationic complexes [Cp*MCl{(MeIm)CHCOOMe}] or [Cp*MCl{(MeIm)CHCOOH}] (M = Rh, Ir) featuring carboxy and methoxycarbonyl functionalized methylene-bridged bis-NHC ligands, respectively. Similarly, complexes [M(diene){(MeIm)CHCOOMe}] (M = Rh, Ir) were prepared by alkylation of the corresponding zwitterionic M(diene) complexes with methyl triflate. In contrast, reaction of [Ir(cod){(MeIm)CHCOO}] with HBF·EtO (Et = ethyl), CHOTf, CHI, or I gives cationic iridium(III) octahedral complexes [IrX(cod){(MeIm)CHCOO}] (X = H, Me, or I) featuring a tripodal coordination mode of the carboxylate bridge-functionalized bis-NHC ligand. The switch from κC,C' to κC,C',O coordination of the bis-NHC ligand accompanying the oxidative addition prevents the coordination of the anions eventually formed in the process that remain as counterions.

Experimental and theoretical studies give support for an iridium-catalyzed C–N bond formation.

The mono- and dinuclear rhodium­(I) complexes featuring 2-(diphenylphosphino)­pyridine ligands, [Rh­(cod)­(Ph2PPy)]+ and [Rh­(nbd)­(μ-Ph2PPy)]2 2+ (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene, nbd = 2,5-norbornadiene), have been prepared in order to be evaluated as phenylacetylene (PA) polymerization catalysts. In contrast with compound [Rh­(nbd)­{Ph2P­(CH2)2Py}]+, featuring a 2-(2-(diphenylphosphino)­ethyl)­pyridine ligand, that showed a moderate catalytic activity, both [Rh­(diene)­(Ph2PPy)]n n+ (n = 1, cod; n = 2, nbd) complexes showed no catalytic activity due to the formation of unusual dinuclear species [Rh2(diene)2(μ-Ph2PPy)­(μ-CC-R)]+, supported by a Ph2PPy bridging ligand and an alkynyl ligand coordinated in a μ-η1:η2 fashion, which are inactive in PA polymerization. However, compounds [Rh­(diene)­(Ph2PPy)]n n+ efficiently polymerize PA in the presence of a cocatalyst as iPrNH2 affording highly stereoregular poly­(phenylacetylene) (PPA) of M w = 3.42 × 105 (cod) and 2.02 × 105 (nbd) with polydispersities of 1.39 and initiation efficiencies of 4–7%. NMR studies on the polymerization reaction have allowed identification of the alkynyl species [Rh­(CCPh)­(cod)­(Ph2PPy)] as the likely initiating species involved in the generation of the rhodium-vinyl species responsible for the propagation step. The iPrNH2 cocatalyst is possibly involved in the efficient proton transfer from the coordinated PA to iPrNH2 that allows for a significant concentration of the key initiating species [Rh­(CCPh)­(cod)­(Ph2PPy)]. The distinct behavior of compounds [Rh­(diene)­(Ph2PPy)]n n+ as PA polymerization catalysts is a consequence of the binucleating ability of the Ph2PPy ligand in combination with the low basicity of the pyridine fragment which allows for the stabilization of the inactive alkynyl-bridge dinuclear species.