The µ-η 2 :η 2 -peroxodicopper(II) (Cu 2 (µ-η 2 :η 2 -O 2 )) and bis(µoxo)dicopper(III) (Cu 2 (µ-O) 2 ) species have been investigated in the model studies of type III copper proteins, and these structures are also considered as important motifs for O 2 -activating metalloproteins in biological systems. 1,2 The interconversion between these species in solution was found to depend on organic solvents and counteranions. 2,3 Recent studies of the interconversion equilibrium in copper-aliphatic diamine complex systems strongly suggested that coordination of counteranions promotes the conversion of Cu 2 (µ-O) 2 to Cu 2 (µ-η 2 :η 2 -O 2 ) species. 2b,3b,c However, direct evidence for formation of the anion-coordinating structure is yet to be presented. Here, we report the formation and crystal structure of a new Cu 2 (µ-η 2 :η 2 -O 2 ) complex with a bridging carboxylate ligand. 4a Structural studies and density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggested factors regulating stepwise-activation of dioxygen by bridging-carboxylate ligation to the dicopper core.

Six Cu(I) complexes with cis,cis-1,3,5-triaminocyclohexane derivatives (R3CY, R = Et, iBu, and Bn), [Cu(MeCN)(Et3CY)]SbF6 (1), [Cu(MeCN)(iBu3CY)]SbF6 (2), [Cu(MeCN)(Bn3CY)]SbF6 (3), [Cu(CO)(Et3CY)]SbF6 (4), [Cu(CO)(iBu3CY)]SbF6 (5), and [Cu(CO)(Bn3CY)]SbF6 (6), were prepared to probe the ability of copper complexes to effectively catalyze oxygenation reactions. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, electrochemical and X-ray structure analyses, electronic absorption spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, 1H NMR spectroscopy, and ESI mass spectrometry. The crystal structures of 1-3 and 6 and the CO stretching vibrations (nuCO) of 4-6 demonstrate that the ability of R3CY to donate electron density to the Cu(I) atom is stronger than that of the previously reported ligands, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane (R3TACN) and 1,4,7-triazacyclodecane (R3TACD). Reactions of complexes 1-3 with dioxygen in THF or CH2Cl2 at -105 to -80 degrees C yield bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complexes 7-9 as intermediates as confirmed by electronic absorption spectroscopy and resonance Raman spectroscopy. The Cu-O stretching vibrations, nu(Cu-O) for 7 (16O2: 553, 581 cm-1and 18O2: 547 cm-1) and 8 (16O2: 571 cm-1 and 18O2: 544 cm-1), are observed in a lower energy region than previously reported for bis(micro-oxo) complexes. The decomposition rates of complexes 7-9 in THF at -90 degrees C are 2.78 x 10-4 for 7, 8.04 x 10-4 for 8, and 3.80 x 10-4 s-1 for 9. The decomposition rates of 7 and 8 in CH2Cl2 were 5.62 x 10-4 and 1.62 x 10-3 s-1, respectively, and the thermal stabilities of 7-9 in CH2Cl2 are lower than the values measured for the complexes in THF. The decomposition reactions obeyed first-order kinetics, and the H/D isotope experiments for 8 and 9 indicate that the N-dealkylation reaction is the rate-determining step in the decomposition processes. On the other hand, the decomposition reaction of 7 in THF results in the oxidation of THF (acting as an exogenous substrate) to give 2-hydroxy tetrahydrofuran and gamma-butyrolactone as oxidation products. Detailed investigation of the N-dealkylation reaction for 8 by kinetic experiments using N-H/D at -90 degrees C showed a kinetic isotope effect of 1.25, indicating that a weak electrostatic interaction between the N-H hydrogen and mu-oxo oxygen contributes to the major effect on the rate-determining step of N-dealkylation. X-ray crystal structures of the bis(micro-hydroxo)dicopper(II) complexes, [Cu2(OH)2(Et3CY)2](CF3SO3)2 (10), [Cu2(OH)2(iBu3CY)2](CF3SO3)2 (11), and [Cu2(OH)2(Bn3CY)2](ClO4)2 (12), which have independently been prepared as the final products of bis(micro-oxo)dicopper(III) intermediates, suggest that an effective interaction between N-H and mu-oxo in the Cu(III)2(micro-O)2 core may enhance the oxidation ability of the metal-oxo species.

Five dinitrogen-molybdenum complexes bearing bis(diphenylphosphino)amine derivative ligands (L(R)) that form a unique 4-membered P-N-P chelate ring, trans-[Mo(N(2))(2)(L(R))(2)] (2(R): R = Ph, Xy, p-MeOPh, 3,5-iPr(2)Ph, iPr), were prepared for the purpose of binding a dinitrogen molecule. The corresponding two dichloride-molybdenum complexes, trans-[MoCl(2)(L(R))(2)] (1(R): R = Ph, Xy), were also prepared as comparisons. FT-IR spectra of 2(R) were measured and compared the ν(N≡N) values. Moreover, X-ray crystal structure determination of 1(R) (R = Ph, Xy) and 2(R) (R = Xy, 3,5-iPr(2)Ph) is performed. These experimental results indicated that the coordinated dinitrogen molecule gets easily influenced by the N-substitutent of diphosphinoamine ligand. In addition, to investigate the effect of the properties of the diphosphinoamine ligand for the dinitrogen molybdenum complexes, we performed DFT calculations that focused on the difference of N-substituent, the dihedral angle between P-N-P plane and N-substituent aryl group, and the P-N-P bite angle. This calculation revealed that the competition between the back-donation from metal to dinitrogen and that from metal to ligand was affected by P-N-P bite angle and the dihedral angle of N-substituent of ligand. In order to examine the reactivity with respect to conversion of dinitrogen to ammonia, protonation and trimethylsilylation reactions of the coordinated dinitrogens were carried out for 2(R).

A novel dimolybdenum complex, [Mo(2)(((i)Pr)L')(2)(C(6)H(6))] (1(C(6)H(6))), has been synthesized and characterized as a benzene-ring-bridged dimolybdenum complex with a cis-mu-eta(2)(1,2):eta(2)(4,5) binding mode. Complex 1(C(6)H(6)) reacts with MeMgBr to form 2, where mu-benzene is methylated to form mu-xylene.

A new iron complex with a thioamide SNS pincer type ligand, [FeBr2(κ(3)-H2L(DPM))] (κ(3)-H2L(DPM) = 2,6-bis(N-2,6-bis(diphenylmethyl)-4-isopropylphenylthioamide)pyridine), was synthesized. This complex reacts with NaH in THF to yield a unique Fe(ii) complex with two THF molecules, [Fe(THF)2(κ(3)-L(DPM))] (κ(3)-L(DPM) = 2,6-bis(N-2,6-bis(diphenylmethyl)-4-isopropylphenyliminothiolate)pyridine). The THF molecules of [Fe(THF)2(κ(3)-L(DPM))] can be substituted with CO and CN-xylyl to give [Fe(CO)3(κ(3)-L(DPM))] and [Fe(CN-xylyl)3(κ(3)-L(DPM))], respectively. The complex [Fe(CN-xylyl)3(κ(3)-L(DPM))] reacts with HBF4 to produce [Fe(CN-xylyl)3(κ(3)-H2L(DPM))](2+) with protonated thioamide units. The differences of the IR spectra before and after protonation indicate that the major binding mode of CN-xylyl to iron(ii) changes from π-back donation from metal to isocyanide to σ-donation from isocyanide to iron(ii). This indicates that the σ-donor ability of the thioamide sulfur atom is tuned by deprotonation/protonation of thioamide.

The previously reported monochelate iron complex with κ(3) SNS thioamide pincer ligand, 2,6-bis(N-2,6-bis(diphenylmethyl)-4-isopropylphenyliminothiolate)pyridine (L(DPM)), [Fe(THF)2(κ(3)-L(DPM))], gave novel complexes, [Fe(NHC)(κ(3)-L(DPM))] and [Fe(NO)2(κ(3)-L(DPM))], by substitution reactions with N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and NO molecules, respectively. The X-ray crystal structure of the [Fe(NHC)(κ(3)-L(DPM))] complex revealed a unique square planar iron(ii) complex, which was determined to be in an intermediate spin state (S = 1) in benzene from the Evans method. The [Fe(NO)2(κ(3)-L(DPM))] complex was determined to have a trigonal bipyramidal geometry from X-ray analysis and was indicated to be diamagnetic from the (1)H NMR spectrum. The ν(NO) stretching vibration of this complex showed two peaks at 1840 cm(-1) and 1790 cm(-1), and also the Fe-N-O bond angles were 168.9(2)° and 168.03(19)°. These findings suggest that the two coordinated NO molecules have neutral radical character, and they are antiferromagnetically coupled with the high-spin iron center.

The reactions of CoX(2) (X = Cl(-), Br(-), I(-) and ClO(4)(-)) with the tripodal polypyridine N(4)O(2)-type ligand bearing pivalamide groups, bis(6-(pivalamide-2-pyridyl)methyl)(2-pyridylmethyl)amine ligand (H(2)BPPA), afforded two types of Co(II) complexes as follows. One type is purple-coloured Co(II) complexes, [CoCl(2)(H(2)BPPA)] (1(Cl)) and [CoBr(2)(H(2)BPPA)] (1(Br)) which were prepared when X = Cl(-) and Br(-), respectively. The other type is pale pink-coloured Co(II) complexes, [Co(MeOH)(H(2)BPPA)](ClO(4)(-))(2) (2·(ClO(4)(-))(2)) and [Co(MeCN)(H(2)BPPA)](I(-))(2) (2·(I(-))(2)), which were obtained when X = I(-) and ClO(4)(-), respectively. From the reaction of 1(Cl) and NaN(3), a purple-coloured complex, [Co(N(3))(2)(H(2)BPPA)] (1(azide)), was obtained. These Co(II) complexes were characterized by X-ray structural analysis, IR and reflectance spectroscopies, and magnetic susceptibility measurements. All these Co(II) complexes were shown to be in a d(7) high-spin state based on magnetic susceptibility measurements. The former Co(II) complexes revealed a six-coordinate octahedron with one amine nitrogen, three pyridyl nitrogens, and two counter anions, and one coordinated anion, Cl(-), Br(-) and N(3)(-), forming intramolecular hydrogen bonds with two pivalamide N-H groups. On the other hand, the latter Co(II) complexes showed a seven-coordinate face-capped octahedron with one amine nitrogen, three pyridyl nitrogens, two pivalamide carbonyl oxygens and MeCN or MeOH. In these structures, intramolecular hydrogen bonding interaction was not observed, and the metal ion was coordinated by the pivalamide carbonyl oxygens and solvent molecule instead of the counter anions. The difference in coordination geometries might be attributable to the coordination ability and ionic radii of the counteranions; smaller strongly binding anions such as Cl(-), Br(-) and N(3)(-) gave the former complexes, whereas bulky weakly binding anions such as I(-) and ClO(4)(-) afforded the latter ones. In order to demonstrate this hypothesis, the small stronger coordinating ligand, azide, was added to complexes 2·(ClO(4)(-))(2) to obtain the dinuclear cobalt(II) complex in which two six-coordinate octahedral cobalt(II) species were bridged with azide, 3·(ClO(4)(-)). Also, the abstraction reaction of halogen anions from complexes 1(Cl) by AgSbF(6) gave a pale pink Co(II) complex assignable to 2·(SbF(6)(-))(2).

Dinitrogen-divanadium complexes with triamidoamine ligands, 1-3, were synthesized and characterized by resonance Raman, UV-vis, and NMR spectroscopy and elemental and X-ray structure analyses. X-ray structure analyses reveal that all three of the complexes have a dimeric structure with a μ-N ligand (N-N bond length 1.200-1.221 Å). Resonance Raman and NMR spectra of 1-3 in solution show that these complexes maintain a dimeric structure in benzene and toluene solutions. N NMR spectra of 1 and 3 have peaks assignable to μ-N ligands at 33.4 and 27.6 ppm, respectively, but 2 does not have a similar peak under the same conditions. In V NMR spectra, the peaks of vanadium ions were observed at -173.3, -143.8, and -240.2 ppm, respectively, which are in a higher magnetic field region in comparison to those of dinitrogen-divanadium complexes reported previously. The structure and electronic properties of 1 are supported by DFT calculations. Additionally, all complexes react with excess amounts of M[CH] (M = Na, K) and the proton sources HOTf, HCl, and [LutH]OTf (Lut = 2,6-dimethylpyridine) to produce ammonia without hydrazine. The ammonia produced was evaluated as an ammonium salt by H andN NMR spectroscopy. The yield of NH produced in the reaction of 1 with Na[CH] and HOTf under N was 151% (per V atom).