Coordination Properties of Organoborate Ligands
CHCl3 and MeCN (P2O5), MeOH [Mg(OMe)2] were treated with
appropriate drying agents, distilled, and stored under argon.[18]
Commercially available reagents were of the highest grade and were
used without further purification. All manipulations for the prepa-
ration of catalysts were performed under argon by using glove box
or standard Schlenk techniques. Starting materials for the organo-
borate ligands LR (R = Me, Bu, H), namely the chlorinated borate
compound [B(ImN–Me)2(Cl)Me]– (LCl)[4] and its precursor
[B(ImN–Me)2(OiPr)Me]– (LOiPr),[4] bis(1-methyl-2-imidazolyl)meth-
ylphenylborate [B(ImN–Me)2(Ph)Me]– (LPh),[4] [NiICl(PPh3)3],[19]
and [NiII(Cl)(TpiPr2)] (3Cl)[16] were prepared according to previously
reported procedures.
white H·LH was obtained in 22% yield (159 mg, 0.84 mmol).
C9H15BN4 (190.05; H·LH): calcd. C 56.88, H 7.96, N 29.48; found
C 57.02, H 7.78, N 29.15. IR (KBr): ν = 3133 (s), 2926 (vs, νCH),
˜
2288 (m, νBH), 1568 (s), 1467 (s), 1448 (s), 1412 (m), 1362 (m), 1279
(s, νBC), 1259 (s), 1192 (m), 1092 (s), 1025 (s), 934 (s), 803 (m), 731
(s), 646 (w), 584 (w), 503 (w), 432 (w), 415 (w). 1H NMR (CDCl3):
δ = –0.09 (br., 3 H, Me-B), 3.75 (s, 6 H, Me-N), 6.83 (d, J =
1.57 Hz, 2 H, 5-Him), 7.00 (d, J = 1.57 Hz, 2 H, 4-Him), 14.8 (br.,
1 H, H-N) ppm. 13C{1H} NMR (CDCl3): δ = 3.5 (br., Me-B), 32.9
(q, JCH = 139.1 Hz, Me-N), 120.1 (dd, JCH = 191.0, 2JCH
11.4 Hz, 4-Cim), 120.3 (br., 5-Cim), 154.0 (br., 2-Cim) ppm.
=
[Ni(LMe)2] (1Me): A CH2Cl2 solution (20 mL) of H·LMe (133 mg;
0.65 mmol) was added slowly to a methanol solution (15 mL) of
Ni(OAc)2·4H2O (81 mg; 0.33 mmol). The reaction mixture was
stirred for 1 h before the solvents were removed under vacuum. The
product was extracted into CH2Cl2 (30 mL) to remove any inor-
ganic impurities. After the CH2Cl2 was removed, yellow crystals
of 1Me, suitable for X-ray diffraction analysis, were obtained by
recrystallization from CH3CN/CH2Cl2 (68 mg; 0.15 mmol; 45%
yield). C20H32B2N8Ni (464.84; 1Me): calcd. C 51.68, H 6.94, N
Synthesis of the Compounds
H[B(ImN–Me)2Me2] (H·LMe):The chlorinated borate LCl, generated
in situ from the reaction of Li·LOiPr (4.05 mmol) with anhydrous
HCl (Et2O solution), was suspended in a Et2O/toluene mixture and
chilled to –78 °C. An Et2O solution of methyllithium (1.6 m;
10 mL) was added slowly. The mixture was gradually warmed to
ambient temperature, with continuous stirring for 10 h. The reac-
tion mixture was heated for 8 h, and the volatile solvents were re-
moved under vacuum. The product was washed with H2O and pen-
tane, and then dried under vacuum. This spectroscopically pure
H·LMe was obtained as a white powder (518 mg; 2.54 mmol; 63%
yield). C10H17BN4 (204.08; H·LMe): calcd. C 58.85, H 8.40, N
24.11; found C 51.22, H 6.92, N 24.13. IR (KBr): ν = 3145 (m,
˜
νCH), 3126 (s, νCH), 3117 (s, νCH), 2921 (vs, νCH), 2899 (vs, νCH),
2836 (s, νCH), 2808 (s, νCH), 1668 (w), 1550 (m), 1453 (vs), 1407
(vs), 1387 (s), 1291 (vs, νBC), 1265 (s), 1165 (vs), 1154 (vs), 1084
(m), 1062 (m), 1043 (s), 1024 (s), 987 (s), 960 (s), 844 (w), 835 (w),
829 (w) 816 (w), 745 (s), 731 (vs), 721 (vs), 708 (vs), 696 (vs), 613
(m), 511 (m), 476 (m), 409 (m). 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ = 0.52 (br.,
3 H, Me-B), 1.83 (br., 3 H, Me-B), 3.68 (s, 6 H, Me-N), 6.13 (br.,
2 H, 5-Him), 6.32 (br., 2 H, 4-Him) ppm.
27.45; found C 58.52, H 8.51, N 27.08. IR (KBr): ν = 3513 (vs,
˜
νNH), 3177 (s), 2927 (s, νCH), 2829 (s, νCH), 2050 (w), 1582 (vs),
1470 (vs), 1444 (vs), 1355 (vs), 1309 (m), 1293 (s, νBC), 1273 (s),
1249 (s), 1164 (m), 1110 (vs), 1033 (m), 1003 (vs), 984 (m), 932 (w),
916 (w), 865 (m), 843 (w), 800 (w), 755 (s), 738 (vs), 714 (vs), 695
(s), 682 (m), 613 (w), 496 (m), 463 (m), 427 (w), 409 (w). 1H NMR
(CDCl3): δ = 0.07 (br., 6 H, Me-B), 3.78 (s, 6 H, Me-N), 6.79 (d,
J = 1.5 Hz, 2 H, 5-Him), 6.95 (d, J = 1.5 Hz, 2 H, 4-Him), 13.34
(br., 1 H, H-N) ppm. 13C{1H} NMR (CDCl3): δ = 6.7 (br., Me-B),
[Ni(LBu)2] (1Bu): A CH2Cl2 solution (20 mL) of H·LBu (289 mg;
1.18 mmol) was added dropwise to a methanol solution (15 mL)
of Ni(OAc)2·4H2O (146 mg; 0.59 mmol). The reaction mixture was
stirred overnight, and then the solvents were removed under vac-
uum. The product was extracted into CH2Cl2 (20 mL) to remove
any inorganic impurities. After the removal of CH2Cl2, crystalli-
zation from CH2Cl2/hexane afforded yellow crystals of 1Bu (82 mg;
0.15 mmol; 25% yield). C26H44B2N8Ni (549.00; 1Bu): calcd. C
56.88, H 8.08, N 20.41; found C 56.55, H 8.22, N 20.29. IR (KBr):
35.0 (q, JCH = 139.1 Hz, Me-N), 119.4 (dd, JCH = 190.0, 2JCH
10.4 Hz, 4-Cim), 121.1 (ddq, JCH = 188.9, 2JCH = 13.5, 3JCH
3.1 Hz, 5-Cim), 171.3 (br., 2-Cim) ppm.
=
=
H[B(ImN–Me)2(nBu)Me] (H·LBu): H·LBu was prepared according to
the procedure for H·LMe. Instead of MeLi, a hexane solution of n-
butyllithium (1.5 m; 8 mL) was added to LCl (3.58 mmol). Spectro-
scopically pure H·LBu was obtained as a white powder (670 mg;
2.72 mmol; 76% yield). C13H23BN4 (246.16; H·LBu): calcd. C 63.43,
ν = 3149 (m, νCH), 3121 (s, νCH), 2946 (vs, νCH), 2925 (vs, νCH),
˜
2877 (vs, νCH), 2863 (vs, νCH), 2835 (vs, νCH), 2785 (s, νCH), 1657
(w), 1546 (m), 1452 (vs), 1411 (s), 1388 (m), 1368 (w), 1287 (vs,
νBC), 1203 (m), 1166 (s), 1153 (s), 1085 (m), 1062 (s), 1012 (m), 990
(s), 955 (m), 932 (m), 879 (w), 862 (w) 846 (w), 830 (w), 792 (w),
741 (m), 733 (s), 717 (vs), 699 (s), 643 (w), 626 (w), 512 (w), 425
H 9.42, N 22.76; found C 63.77, H 9.05, N 22.40. IR (KBr): ν =
˜
3413 (vs, νNH), 3140 (s), 3102 (s, νCH), 2909 (vs, νH), 2687 (s), 2007
(m), 1585 (s), 1483 (s), 1444 (s), 1409 (s), 1357 (s), 1292 (s, νBC),
1278 (vs), 1203 (w), 1157 (m), 1115 (vs), 1090 (w), 1053 (m), 1021
(m), 988 (m), 954 (m), 925 (m), 881 (m), 841 (w), 734 (vs), 685 (m),
1
(w), 413 (w), 407 (w). H NMR (CDCl3): δ = 0.43 (s, 3 H, Me-B),
0.96, (J = 7.28 Hz, 3 H, CH3CH2CH2CH2-B), 1.45–1.58 (br., 4 H,
CH3CH2CH2CH2-B), 3.06 (br., 2 H, CH3CH2CH2CH2-B), 3.68 (s,
6 H, Me-N), 5.96 (br., 2 H, 5-Him), 6.29 (br., 2 H, 4-Him) ppm.
1
644 (w), 532 (w), 471 (w), 420 (w), 404 (w). H NMR (CDCl3): δ
= 0.05 (br., 3 H, Me-B), 0.56 (vdq, J = 6.62, 2.58 Hz, 2 H,
CH3CH2CH2CH2-B), 0.70 (t, J = 7.26 Hz, 3 H, CH3CH2CH2CH2-
[Ni(LH)2] (1H): A CH2Cl2 solution (20 mL) of H·LH (54 mg;
0.28 mmol) was added dropwise to a methanol solution (10 mL)
of Ni(OAc)2·4H2O (36 mg; 0.14 mmol). The reaction mixture was
stirred for 1 h, the solvents were removed under vacuum, and the
product was extracted into toluene (20 mL). After removal of the
solvent, crystallization from CH2Cl2/MeCN afforded yellow crys-
tals of 1H (50 mg; 0.11 mmol; 81% yield). C18.5H29B2ClN8Ni
(479.25; 1H·0.5CH2Cl2): calcd. C 46.36, H 6.10, N 23.38; found C
B), ≈ 0.76 (br.,
2 H, CH3CH2CH2CH2-B), 1.07 (dt, 2 H,
CH3CH2CH2CH2-B), 3.78 (s, 6 H, Me-N), 6.78 (d, J = 1.46 Hz, 2
H, 5-Him), 6.95 (d, J = 1.46 Hz, 2 H, 4-Him), 14.5 (br., 1 H, H-N)
ppm. 13C{1H} NMR (CDCl3): δ = 6.0 (br., Me-B), 14.1 [qt, JCH
=
119.5, 2JCH = 3.7 Hz, CH3(CH2)3-B], 24.0 (br., C3H7CH2-B), 26.3
[t, JCH = 125.0 Hz, CH3(CH2)2CH2-B], 31.1 [t, JCH = 117.7 Hz,
CH3(CH2)2CH2-B], 34.9 (q, JCH = 139.7 Hz, Me-N), 119.3 (dd,
JCH = 189.4, 2JCH = 11.0 Hz, 4-Cim), 121.0 (ddq, JCH = 189.4,
2JCH = 14.7, 3JCH = 3.7 Hz, 5-Cim), 171.0 (br., 2-Cim) ppm.
46.86, H 6.44, N 23.90. IR (KBr): ν = 3153 (m, νCH), 3130 (s, νCH),
˜
2927 (vs, νCH), 2910 (vs, νCH), 2818 (s, νCH), 2316 (vs, νBH), 2251
(m), 2120 (m), 1685 (w), 1643 (w), 1545 (m), 1456 (vs), 1398 (s),
1321 (w), 1290 (s, νBC), 1264 (s), 1200 (m), 1156 (vs), 1147 (vs),
1095 (s), 1065 (vs), 1018 (s), 971 (m), 928 (m), 842 (m), 833 (m),
822 (m) 801 (m), 745 (s), 731 (vs), 720 (vs), 703 (vs), 624 (w), 469
H[B(ImN–Me)2(H)Me] (H·LH): H·LH was prepared according to the
procedure for H·LMe. Instead of MeLi, a pentane solution of tert-
butyllithium (1.54 m; 8 mL) was added to LCl (3.86 mmol). Solid
Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2010, 5529–5537
© 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
www.eurjic.org
5535