Angewandte
Chemie
of the traditionally non-coordinating [PPN]+ cation is critical
to the kinetic stabilization of the coordinatively unsaturated,
electron-rich [Co(CNArMes2)3]ꢀ anion. Accordingly, attempts
to prepare alkali metal, alkaline-earth metal, tetra-alkylam-
monium or tetra-alkylphosphonium derivatives of [Co-
(CNArMes2)3]ꢀ by chemical reduction, cation-exchange or
cation-sequestration reactions have been unsuccessful to
date, leading instead to intractable mixtures.[14] Furthermore,
given the lability of the h2-arene/Co interaction within (h2-
PPN)Co(CNArMes2)3 (1), it is important to note that neutral
arenes do not displace the [h2-PPN]+ cation from the
coordination sphere of cobalt. Thus, dissolution of (h2-
PPN)Co(CNArMes2)3 (1) in benzene, toluene, or fluoroben-
zene (C6H5F) does not result in intermolecular arene
displacement (1H NMR spectroscopy), irrespective of the
electronic properties of the arene solvents. However, treat-
ment of (h2-PPN)Co(CNArMes2)3 (1) with 2.0 equivalents of
tris-isocyanide complex Ni(CNArDipp2)3.[17] Notably, Ni(C-
NArDipp2 and [Co(CNArMes2)3]ꢀ are isoelectronic with
respect to their [M(CNAr)3] cores, which highlights the
ability of electron-rich 3d-metal tris-isocyanides to activate
strong carbon–element bonds.
)
3
Consistent with the presence of a labile [h2-PPN]+ cation,
(h2-PPN)Co(CNArMes2)3 (1) functions readily as a source of
three-coordinate [Co(CNArMes2)3]ꢀ upon reaction with elec-
trophilic substrates. For example, treatment of (h2-PPN)Co-
(CNArMes2)3 (1) with bis(diethylamino)chlorophosphine (ClP-
(NEt2)2) affords the pseudo-tetrahedral phosphide/phosphe-
nium[18] complex (Et2N)2PCo(CNArMes2
) (3) concomitant
3
with the release of [PPN]Cl (Figure 2). Complex 3 is an
isocyanide variant of Lappertꢀs tricarbonyl complex
(RR’P)Co(CO)3 (R = N(iPr)2; R’ = N(SiMe3)2),[19] and simi-
larly possesses significant Co–P p-bonding as determined by
X-ray
31P{1H} NMR spectroscopy (d =+ 277 ppm) and DFT calcu-
lations. Zwitterionic (h2-PPN)Co(CNArMes2
also reacts
diffraction
(Co–P
distance = 2.0198(10) ꢁ),
the soluble salt [PPN][BArF ] (ArF = 3,5-(CF3)2C6H3) in C6D6
4
solution does result in exchange of free and h2-bound [PPN]+
as assayed by 31P EXSY NMR spectroscopy. We contend that
this intermolecular cation-exchange reaction emphasizes the
unique and favorable combination of electrostatic stabiliza-
tion and coordinative protection afforded by the phenyl-
containing [PPN]+ cation to the coordinatively unsaturated
[Co(CNArMes2)3]ꢀ anion.
)
3
smoothly with trimethylsilyl chloride (ClSiMe3) in the pres-
ence of N2 to form the trimethylsilyl-dinitrogen complex,
(N2)Co(SiMe3)(CNArMes2
) (4, Figure 2). In this reaction,
3
electrophilic silylation of the Co center presumably generates
the coordinatively unsaturated complex [Co(SiMe3)-
(CNArMes2)3], which then binds dinitrogen in an end-on
fashion.[20] Importantly, the formation of complex 4 demon-
Despite its kinetic persistence at room temperature,
zwitterionic (h2-PPN)Co(CNArMes2
)
(1) is observed to
strates that (h2-PPN)Co(CNArMes2
)
3
(1) can function as
3
decompose slowly in C6H6 solution over 30 h to the h6-
a nucleophilic metallate, but remain active for small-molecule
binding after electrophilic functionalization of the Co center.
The ability to deliver a coordinatively unsaturated, metal-
based nucleophile also enables (h2-PPN)Co(CNArMes2)3 (1) to
induce multi-step transformations of electrophilic organic
carbonyl compounds. As shown in Figure 3, treatment of (h2-
PPN)Co(CNArMes2)3 (1) with maleic anhydride affords the
arene,
phenyl-substituted
iminoacyl
complex,
(h6-
MesArMesN C(Ph))Co(CNArMes2) (2, Figure 2). Decomposi-
=
tion of deuterium-labeled (h2-[D30]-PPN)Co(CNArMes2
)
3
([D30]-1) under identical conditions results exclusively in
(h6-MesArMesN C(C6D5))Co(CNArMes2) ([D5]-2), thereby sig-
=
nifying that the iminoacyl Ph group originates from the
[PPN]+ cation. Analysis of the reaction mixture by mass
spectrometry, 1H NMR, 31P{1H} NMR and FTIR spectroscopy
revealed that the byproducts of this decomposition are free
isomaleimide-containing
salt,
[PPN][(h2-
C,C-(IMArMes2)Co(CO)(CNArMes2)2]
(5;
IMArMes2 = 5-
CNArMes2 and the known phosphinophos-
[15]
=
phazene, Ph2P-N PPh3. The formation
=
ꢀ
of Ph2P-N PPh3 is indicative of P C bond
cleavage of [PPN]+ and formal transfer of
a [C6H5]+ cation unit to the Co-containing
fragment. This process requires a two-
unit, formal oxidation state increase at the
Co center and is therefore distinct from
the well-established and non-oxidative
phenyl-anion transfer from [BPh4]ꢀ to
electrophilic transition-metal cations.[16]
Most plausibly, the CoI-phenyl tris-isocy-
anide complex, [PhCo(CNArMes2)3], is an
intermediate in the decomposition of (h2-
PPN)Co(CNArMes2
) (1) and transforms
3
further through a-phenyl migration,
CNArMes2 ejection and h6-mesityl ring
(h6-MesArMes
N
=
ligation
to
form
C(Ph))Co(CNArMes2) (2). A similar a-
aryl migration/CNAr-ejection sequence
has been observed upon oxidative addi-
tion of aryl chlorides to the neutral Ni0
Figure 3. Proposed mechanism of formation for [PPN][(h2-C,C-(IMArMes2)Co(CO)(CNArMes2)2]
(5); a) MA, ꢀTHF, ꢀ100 to 25 8C.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2012, 51, 1 – 6
ꢀ 2012 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
3
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