High yield syntheses of ((i)Pr(3)P)(2)NiX (3a-c), (where X = Cl, Br, I) were established by comproportionation of ((i)Pr(3)P)(2)NiX(2) (1a-c) with ((i)Pr(3)P)(2)Ni(η(2)-C(2)H(4)) (2). Reaction of 1a with either NaH or LiHBEt(3) provided ((i)Pr(3)P)(2)NiHCl (4), along with 3a as a side-product. Reduction of ((i)Pr(3)P)(2)NiCl (3a-c) with Mg in presence of nitrogen saturated THF solutions provided the dinitrogen complex [((i)Pr(3)P)(2)Ni](2)(μ-η(1):η(1)-N(2)) (5). In aromatic solvents such as benzene and toluene a thermal equilibrium exists between 5 and the previously reported monophosphine solvent adducts ((i)Pr(3)P)Ni(η(6)-arene) (6a,b). Reaction of 5 with carbon dioxide provided ((i)Pr(3)P)(2)Ni(η(2)-CO(2)) (7). Thermolysis of 9 at 60 °C provided a mixture of products that included the reduction product ((i)Pr(3)P)(2)Ni(CO)(2) (8) along with (i)Pr(3)P=O, as identified by NMR spectroscopy. Complex 8 was also prepared in high yield from the reaction of 5 with CO. Reaction of 5 with CS(2) gave the dimeric carbon disulfide complex [((i)Pr(3)P)Ni(μ-η(1):η(2)-CS(2))](2) (9). Diphenylphosphine reacts with 5 to form the dinuclear Ni(I) complex [((i)Pr(3)P)Ni(μ(2)-PPh(2))](2) (10). Complex 5 reacts with PhSH to form ((i)Pr(3)P)(2)Ni(SPh)(H) (11), which slowly loses H(2) and (i)Pr(3)P to form the dimeric Ni(I) complex [((i)Pr(3)P)Ni(μ(2)-SPh)](2) (12) at room temperature. Complex 12 was also accessed by salt metathesis from the reaction of ((i)Pr(3)P)(2)NiCl (3a) with PhSLi, which demonstrates the utility of 3a as a Ni(I) precursor. With the exception of 6a,b, all compounds were structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography.

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The reaction of (P i Pr 3 ) 2 NiCl 2 with the anthracene adduct (THF) 3 Mg(η 2 -C 14 H 10 ) in THF provides the anthracene adduct (P i Pr 3 ) 2 Ni(η 2 -C 14 H 10 ). In aromatic solvents (benzene, toluene, mesitylene) a thermal equilibrium exists between the bis(phosphine)nickel(0) anthracene adduct, (P i Pr 3 ) 2 Ni(η 2 -C 14 H 10 ), and the monophosphine solvent adduct, (P i Pr 3 )Ni(η 6 -solvent). The reaction of (P i Pr 3 ) 2 Ni(η 2 -C 14 H 10 ) with 1,2,4,5-C 6 F 4 H 2 affords the C-H activation product trans-(P i Pr 3 ) 2 NiH(2,3,5,6-C 6 F 4 H). The thermodynamic C-F activation product is not obtained even after hours of heating at 100 °C. Similar reactions with 1,2,3,5-C 6 F 4 H 2 and pentafluorobenzene produce the desired C-H activation products, trans-(P i Pr 3 ) 2 NiH-(2,3,4,6-C 6 F 4 H) and trans-(P i Pr 3 ) 2 NiH(C 6 F 5 ), respectively, in >95% yield. The reaction with 1,2,3,4tetrafluorobenzene did not produce an observable C-H activation product. Unlike previously reported analogous C-H activation products with Ni(PEt 3 ) 2 synthons, the bulkier Ni(P i Pr 3 ) 2 moiety did not provide observable mononuclear or dinuclear η 2 -fluoroarene adducts. Solutions of Ni(COD) 2 with 2 equiv of triisopropylphosphine and 1,2,4,5-C 6 F 4 H 2 reacted to give the 1,5-cyclooctadiene insertion and rearrangement product, (η 3 -C 8 H 13 )Ni(P i Pr 3 )(2,3,5,6-C 6 F 4 H). The same reaction with 1,2,3,5-and 1,2,3,4-C 6 F 4 H 2 afforded analogous compounds, which demonstrates that C-H bond activation is kinetically accessible at room temperature with 1,2,3,4-tetrafluorobenzene despite the presence of a single ortho-fluorine substituent adjacent to the site of activation. The room-temperature reactions of the C-H activation products (P i Pr 3 ) 2 NiH(Ar F ) (Ar F = 2,3,5,6-C 6 F 4 H; C 6 F 5 ) with 3-hexyne provided a mixture of the alkyne adduct (P i Pr 3 ) 2 Ni(η 2 -EtCtCEt), with the liberation of Ar F H, and the insertion product (P i Pr 3 ) 2 Ni(CEtdCHEt)(Ar F ), even in the presence of excess fluorinated aromatic Ar F H. The reaction of (P i Pr 3 ) 2 Ni(η 2 -EtCtCEt) with 1,2,4,5-C 6 F 4 H 2 resulted in no reaction at room temperature, but heating at 50 °C provided the insertion product (P i Pr 3 ) 2 Ni(CEtdCHEt)(Ar F ) as the initial product, followed by the product of reductive elimination, 1,2,4,5-C 6 F 4 H-CEtdCHEt. In contrast, the reaction of (PEt 3 ) 2 Ni(η 2 -EtCtCEt) with 1,2,4,5-C 6 F 4 H 2 at 80 °C slowly produced (PEt 3 ) 2 Ni(CEtdCHEt)(2,3,5,6-C 6 F 4 H), but very little 1,2,4,5-C 6 F 4 H-CEtdCHEt.

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