The oxidative addition of phenylacetylene to the monohydrido diiridium complex [Ir2(μ-1,8-(NH)2naphth)H(CO)2(PiPr3)2](CF3SO3) (2) and the diiridium(II) species [Ir2(μ-1,8-(NH)2naphth)(CF3SO3)2(CO)2(PiPr3)2] (3) has been studied. The kinetic product of the addition to
2 is the dihydridoalkynyl complex [Ir2(μ-1,8-(NH)2naphth)(μ-C⋮CPh)H2(CO)2(PiPr3)2](CF3SO3) (4), in which the alkynyl ligand bridges the iridium atoms in a μ,η1:η2-coordination
mode. Compound 4 isomerizes in acetone solution to give the hydride-bridged complex [Ir2(μ-1,8-(NH)2naphth)(μ-H)H(C⋮CPh)(CO)2(PiPr3)2](CF3SO3) (5), in which both the alkynyl and
the terminal hydride ligands are in a trans position with respect to the bridging hydride.
The reaction of phenylacetylene with 3 gives different kinetic products depending on the
solvent used. In CH2Cl2, the diiridium(III) derivative [Ir2(μ-1,8-(NH)2naphth)H(C⋮CPh)(CO)2(PiPr3)2](CF3SO3)2 (6) is obtained. On heating these CH2Cl2 solutions, 6 isomerizes into
the vinylidene-bridged complex [Ir2(μ-1,8-(NH)2naphth)(μ-CCHPh)(CF3SO3)2(CO)2(PiPr3)2](7), which has been characterized by X-ray diffraction. The triflate ligands of 7 can be
substituted by acetonitrile ligands to give the dicationic compound [Ir2(μ-1,8-(NH)2naphth)(μ-CCHPh)(NCCH3)2(CO)2(PiPr3)2](CF3SO3)2 (8). With acetone as the reaction solvent, the
addition of phenylacetylene to 3 affords deprotonated compounds of formula [Ir2(μ-1,8-(NH)2naphth)(C⋮CPh)(CO)2(PiPr3)2](CF3SO3) (9 and 10). The thermally stable isomer 10 can be
protonated to give 7 but can also react with an excess of phenylacetylene to give the neutral
diiridium(II) species [Ir2(μ-1,8-(NH)2naphth)(C⋮CPh)2(CO)2(PiPr3)2] (11), which is the isolable
product of the reaction of 3 with an excess of phenylacetylene in acetone. When this latter
reaction is carried out in acetone/H2O as solvent, the acylalkynyl diiridium(II) complex [Ir2(μ-1,8-(NH)2naphth)(C⋮CPh)(C(O)CH2Ph)(CO)2(PiPr3)2] (12) is the major reaction product. The
molecular structure of 12 was determined by X-ray diffraction.