Addition of 1.0 equiv of Ph3SiH to [Cp*(PMe3)Rh(Me)(CH2Cl2)]+BAr'4- (1) resulted in release of methane and quantitative formation of [Cp*(PMe3)Rh(SiPh3)(CH2Cl2)]+BAr'4- (2). Subsequent addition of 1.0 equiv of MeCN to 2 caused immediate displacement of dichloromethane to form the eta1-nitrile adduct [Cp*(PMe3)Rh(SiPh3)(NCMe)]+BAr'4- (3). Upon standing at room-temperature overnight, complex 3 converted quantitatively to another product which has been characterized as the C-C activation product, [Cp*(PMe3)Rh(Me)(CNSiPh3)]+BAr'4- (5). Addition of other nitrile substrates (R-CN, R = Ph, (4-CF3)Ph, (4-MeO)Ph, iPr, tBu) to 2 also resulted in C-C activation of the R-CN bond to form [Cp*(PMe3)Rh(R)(CNSiPh3)]+BAr'4-. Evidence for an eta2-iminoacyl intermediate complex, [Cp*(PMe3)Rh(eta2-C(R)=N(SiPh3)]+BAr'4-, is also presented.
Cationic Rh(III) complex [Cp(PMe(3))Rh(SiPh(3))(CH(2)Cl(2))]BAr(4)' (1) activates the carbon-carbon bond of aryl and alkyl cyanides (R-CN, where R = Ph, (4-(CF(3))C(6)H(4)), (4-(OMe)C(6)H(4)), Me, (i)Pr, (t)Bu) to produce complexes of the general formula [Cp*(PMe(3))Rh(R)(CNSiPh(3))]BAr(4)'. With the exception of the (t)BuCN case, every reaction proceeds at room temperature (t(1/2) < 1 h for aryl cyanides, t(1/2) < 14 h for alkyl cyanides). A general mechanism is presented on the basis of (1) an X-ray crystal structure determination of an intermediate isolated from the reaction involving 4-methoxybenzonitrile and (2) kinetic studies performed on the C-C bond cleavage of para-substituted aryl cyanides. Initial formation of an eta(1)-nitrile species is observed, followed by conversion to an eta(2)-iminoacyl intermediate, which was observed to undergo migration of R (aryl or alkyl) to rhodium to form the product [Cp*(PMe(3))Rh(R)(CNSiPh(3))]BAr(4)'.
Hydrogenolysis of [Cp(PMe(3))Rh(Me)(CH(2)Cl(2))](+)BAr'(4)(-) (4, Ar' = 3,5-C(6)H(3)(CF(3))(2)) in dichloromethane afforded the nonclassical polyhydride complex [Cp*PMe(3))Rh(H)(H(2))](+)BAr'(4)(-) (1), which exhibits a single hydride resonance at all accessible temperatures in the (1)H NMR spectrum. Exposure of solutions of 1 to D(2) or T(2) gas resulted in partial isotopic substitution in the hydride sites. Formulation of 1 as a hydride/dihydrogen complex was based upon T(1) (T(1)(min) = 23 ms at 150 K, 500 MHz), J(H-D) (ca. 10 Hz), and J(H-T) (ca. 70 Hz) measurements. The barrier (Delta G(++)) to exchange of hydride with dihydrogen sites was determined to be less than ca. 5 kcal/mol. Protonation of Cp(PMe(3))Rh(H)(2) (2) using H(OEt(2))(2)BAr'(4) resulted in binuclear species [(Cp(PMe(3))Rh(H))(2)(mu-H)](+)BAr'(4)(-) (3), which is formed in a reaction involving 1 as an intermediate. Complex 3 contains two terminal hydrides and one bridging hydride ligand which exchange with a barrier of 9.1 kcal/mol as observed by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Additionally, the structures of 3 and 4, determined by X-ray diffraction, are reported.
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