Stoichiometric and catalytic arene activations by platinum complexes containing bidentate monoanionic nitrogen-based ligands

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/om0600902

New platinum complexes based on incorporation of the bidentate, monoanionic 2-(2′-pyridyl)indolide (PyInd) ligand, or two closely related ligands, have been prepared. Reaction of the dimethyl complex K[(PyInd)PtMe₂] (K[2a]) in benzene at 150°C produces the diphenyl species K[(PyInd)PtPh ₂] (K[3a]), a transformation that appears to proceed via direct oxidative addition of benzene to the 16-electon Pt(II) center. Complex K[2a] also undergoes oxidative addition of Me₃SiOTf (OTf = triflate) to give (PyInd)Pt(SiMe₃)Me₂ (4), a rare five-coordinate Pt(IV)-silyl species. Additionally, reactions that involve stereoselective formation of products of the type (PyInd)Pt(X)(L), including the structurally characterized complexes (PyInd)Pt(Ph)(MeCN) (6) and (PyInd)Pt(Cl)(C ₂H₄) (7), have been observed. These results indicate that the sites trans to the pyridinyl and indolyl fragments of the PyInd ligand are electronically differentiated. Studies of catalytic reactions that presumably proceed via the 14-electron fragment (Pylnd)PtR reveal moderate activities for the hydroarylation of norbornene by benzene and other arenes at 140°C.

Full text of DOI:10.1021/om0600902

Organometallics 2006, 25, 1801-1811
1801
Stoichiometric and Catalytic Arene Activations by Platinum
Complexes Containing Bidentate Monoanionic Nitrogen-Based
Ligands
Dmitry Karshtedt,†,‡ Jennifer L. McBee,†,‡ Alexis T. Bell,*,§,‡ and T. Don Tilley*,†,‡
Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, UniVersity of California, Berkeley,
Berkeley, California 94720, and Chemical Sciences DiVision, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720
ReceiVed January 28, 2006
New platinum complexes based on incorporation of the bidentate, monoanionic 2-(2′-pyridyl)indolide
(PyInd) ligand, or two closely related ligands, have been prepared. Reaction of the dimethyl complex
K[(PyInd)PtMe2] (K[2a]) in benzene at 150 °C produces the diphenyl species K[(PyInd)PtPh2] (K[3a]),
a transformation that appears to proceed via direct oxidative addition of benzene to the 16-electon Pt(II)
center. Complex K[2a] also undergoes oxidative addition of Me3SiOTf (OTf ) triflate) to give (PyInd)-
Pt(SiMe3)Me2 (4), a rare five-coordinate Pt(IV)-silyl species. Additionally, reactions that involve
stereoselective formation of products of the type (PyInd)Pt(X)(L), including the structurally characterized
complexes (PyInd)Pt(Ph)(MeCN) (6) and (PyInd)Pt(Cl)(C2H4) (7), have been observed. These results
indicate that the sites trans to the pyridinyl and indolyl fragments of the PyInd ligand are electronically
differentiated. Studies of catalytic reactions that presumably proceed via the 14-electron fragment
(PyInd)PtR reveal moderate activities for the hydroarylation of norbornene by benzene and other arenes
at 140 °C.
and the hard nitrogen-donor ligand set, which is thought to
enable facile bond activation reactions that produce the harder
Pt(IV) center.1a,6 More recently, several research groups have
found that Pt complexes of chelating, nitrogen-based ligands
participate in oxidative additions of hydrocarbon C-H bonds.7
This work, inspired by Shilov’s report of catalytic methane
oxidation,8 has generated a great deal of interest given its
potential to provide practical hydrocarbon activation systems.9
Along these lines, (2,2′-bipyrimidine)PtCl2 was reported to
catalyze the conversion of methane to methyl bisulfate, although
commercial application of this reaction is impeded by the harsh
reaction conditions that include fuming sulfuric acid as the
solvent.10 Furthermore, Hartwig and co-workers have utilized
Pt(IV) tris-pyrazolyl borate complexes as catalysts for the
dehydrogenative coupling of benzene and triethylsilane, a
reaction that may proceed via a Pt(II) intermediate capable of
activating both C-H and Si-H bonds.11 These results provide
an impetus for the development and study of novel nitrogen-
based ligands for Pt.
Introduction
Platinum complexes that contain nitrogen-based ligands have
long been known to participate in a variety of stoichiometric
and catalytic transformations of organic substrates.1 Previous
results from several research groups indicate that such nitrogen-
ligated Pt species exhibit reactivity patterns not commonly
observed for softer ancillary ligands such as phosphines2 or
thioethers.3 In studies of Pt(II) complexes with bipyridine-based
ligands, for example, it was demonstrated that oxidative
additions of group 14 halides occur quite readily,4 while
analogous bisphosphine-Pt(II) complexes are generally less
reactive in this context.5 These and related results have been
attributed to the energetic disparity between the soft Pt(II) center
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: tdtilley@
berkeley.edu.
† Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley.
§ Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Ber-
keley.
‡ Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Studies of stoichiometric hydrocarbon activations by Pt(II)
have established that 14-electron species of the type (NN)PtR,
which can be neutral or cationic depending on the charge on
the nitrogen-based ligand, often serve as key intermediates that
(1) (a) Rendina, L. M.; Puddephatt, R. J. Chem. ReV. 1997, 97, 1735.
(b) Togni, A.; Venanzi, L. M. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. Engl. 1994, 33, 497.
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10.1021/om0600902 CCC: $33.50 © 2006 American Chemical Society
Publication on Web 03/04/2006

1802 Organometallics, Vol. 25, No. 7, 2006
Karshtedt et al.
complex. In addition, the stabilization of high oxidation state
Pt centers by the PyInd ligand is reflected in the formation of
a five-coordinate Pt(IV)-silyl complex from a Pt(II) precursor.
Studies of the fundamental coordination chemistry of (NN*)Pt
complexes (NN* ) PyInd or a related ligand) reveal that sites
trans to the pyridinyl and indolyl ligand fragments are electroni-
cally differentiated and that single isomers of (NN*)Pt(X)(L)
form stereoselectively in most cases. Additionally, activities of
various (NN*)Pt derivatives for the catalytic hydroarylation of
norbornene are evaluated and compared.
Figure 1. Precursors to unsymmetrical monoanionic nitrogen-based
ligands.
oxidatively add C-H bonds.12 For example, Goldberg and co-
workers observed stoichiometric dehydrogenation of alkanes by
the (nacnac)PtMe (nacnac- ) [{2,6-iPr2C6H3)NC(CH3)}2CH]-)
fragment, generated from a five-coordinate Pt(IV) complex
(nacnac)PtMe3 via the reductive elimination of ethane.13 Similar
chemistry was reported by Caulton and co-workers, who utilized
a hemilabile, tridentate pyridinophane ligand to support reactive
[(NN)PtR]+ intermediates.14 In search of a catalytic C-H
activation system based on a neutral (NN)PtR fragment, we
initiated a study of bidentate nitrogen-based ligands that contain
localized neutral and anionic donors, exemplified by the
deprotonated 2-(2′-pyridyl)indole (PyInd, Figure 1).15 Two
recent reports demonstrate that Pt complexes of bipyridine-
derived ligands readily activate arene C-H bonds, and the
similarity of the PyInd framework to that of 2,2′-bipyridine
suggests that its Pt complexes will also engage in the oxidative
addition of hydrocarbons.16 It was envisioned that this activation
step could be coupled with subsequent olefin insertion and
reductive elimination steps to result in catalytic olefin func-
tionalization.17,18 Indeed, Pt complexes containing 2-(2′-pyridyl)-
indole19 and related iminopyrrole20 ligands have already been
shown to promote catalytic and stoichiometric transformations
involving arenes.
Results and Discussion
Synthesis and Characterization of (NN*)Pt Complexes.
A recent report described a four-step synthesis of PyInd using
protecting groups and Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling chemistry.22
However, this ligand precursor was prepared more conveniently
by the classic Fischer indole method previously utilized by
Thummel and co-workers.15 Thus, starting from readily available
2-acetylpyridine and phenylhydrazine, the corresponding phe-
nylhydrazone derivative was formed in quantitative yield
(Scheme 1). Subsequent treatment of this compound with
polyphosphoric acid (PPA) at 100 °C, followed by basic workup
and sublimation, provided PyInd on a 10 g scale in an overall
yield of 82%. Following an analogous procedure, 2-(2′-pyridyl)-
5-fluoroindole (PyInd-F) was prepared in 55% yield from
2-acetylpyridine and 4-fluorophenylhydrazine (Scheme 1).23 In
addition, pyrrolo[3,2-h]quinoline (PyQuin), an analogue of
PyInd containing a fused ligand backbone, was synthesized via
a two-step reductive cyclization route developed by Thummel
and co-workers (Figure 1).24 Deprotonation of the pyrrole with
potassium hexamethyldisilazide in toluene at room temperature,
followed by a pentane wash, provided the corresponding
potassium salt, K[PyQuin]. In contrast, K[PyInd] and K[PyInd-
F] were more conveniently obtained from the neutral indoles
using potassium hydride in THF. The latter two potassium
derivatives were heated to 70 °C under vacuum to remove
coordinated THF.
Herein we report the synthesis of neutral and anionic Pt(II)
complexes containing PyInd and related ligands and describe
their stoichiometric and catalytic reactivity toward arenes.21 The
ability of the Pt center to react with C-H bonds is demonstrated
by the activation of 2 equiv of benzene by a Pt-dimethyl
(12) (a) Romeo, R.; Minitti, D.; Lanza, S. Inorg. Chem. 1979, 18, 2362.
(b) Romeo, R.; Alibrandi, G. Inorg. Chem. 1997, 36, 4822. (c) Romeo, R.
Comments Inorg. Chem. 2002, 23, 79.
(13) (a) Fekl, U.; Goldberg, K. I. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 6804.
(b) Fekl, U.; Kaminsky, W.; Goldberg, K. I. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125,
15286.
(14) Vedernikov, A. N.; Huffman, J. C.; Caulton, K. G. New J. Chem.
2003, 27, 665.
(15) Thummel, R. P.; Hedge, V. J. Org. Chem. 1989, 54, 1720.
(16) (a) Thomas, C. M.; Peters, J. C. Organometallics 2005, 24, 5858.
(b) Zhang, F.; Kirby, C. W.; Hairsine, D. W.; Jennings, M. C.; Puddephatt,
R. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 14196.
Initial synthetic investigations targeted complexes containing
an η3-allyl ligand, which could serve as a source of the desired
(NN*)PtR fragment via an η3-η1 interconversion.25 Thus,
reaction of K[PyInd] with [(η3-CH2CMeCH2)PtCl]2 in benzene
at room temperature, followed by filtration and crystallization
via layering of the benzene solution with pentane, gave (PyInd)-
Pt(η3-CH2CMeCH2) (1a) in 92% yield (eq 1). The unsym-
metrical environment of the methallyl ligand in 1a is evidenced
1
by four distinct allyl methylene resonances in the H NMR
(17) For recent examples of transition metal-catalyzed olefin function-
alizations with unactivated hydrocarbons, see: (a) Matsumoto, T.; Taube,
D. J.; Periana, R. A.; Taube, H.; Yoshida, H. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122,
7414. (b) Matsumoto, T.; Periana, R. A.; Taube, D. J.; Yoshida, H. J. Mol.
Catal. A: Chem. 2002, 180, 1. (c) Periana, R. A.; Liu, X. Y.; Bhalla, G.
Chem. Commun. 2002, 3000. (d) Wong-Foy, A. G.; Bhalla, G.; Liu, X. Y.;
Periana, R. A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 14292. (e) Oxgaard, J.; Muller,
R. P.; Goddardt, W. A., III; Periana, R. A. (f) Bhalla, G.; Liu, X. Y.;
Oxgaard, J.; Goddard, W. A., III; Periana, R. A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005,
127, 11372. (g) Bhalla, G.; Oxgaard, J.; Goddard, W. A., III; Periana, R.
A. Organometallics 2005, 24, 3229. (h) Bhalla, G.; Periana, R. A. Angew.
Chem., Int. Ed. 2005, 44, 1540. (i) Lail, M.; Arrowood, B. N.; Gunnoe, T.
B. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 7506. (j) Pittard, K. A.; Lee, J. P.; Cundari,
T. R.; Gunnoe, T. B.; Petersen, J. L. Organometallics 2004, 23, 5514. (k)
Lail, M.; Bell, C. M.; Conner, D.; Cundari, T. R.; Gunnoe, T. B.; Petersen,
J. L. Organometallics 2004, 23, 5007.
spectrum (Table 1). Characteristically, the JPt-H values for the
syn protons of the methallyl ligand are significantly smaller than
those of the anti protons.26 Similarly, K[PyInd-F] reacted with
[(η3-CH2CMeCH2)PtCl]2 (eq 1) to yield the fluorine-containing
analogue (PyInd-F)Pt(η3-CH2CMeCH2) (1b). The chemical
shifts for the allyl methylene protons in this complex are very
(21) After our initial report (see ref 19), the preparation of Pt complexes
containing 2-(2′-pyridyl)indole was described by another research group:
Cravotto, G.; Demartin, F.; Palmisano, G.; Penoni, A.; Radice, T.; Tollari,
S. J. Organomet. Chem. 2005, 690, 2017.
(22) Liu, S.-F.; Wu, Q.; Schmider, H. L.; Aziz, H.; Hu, N.-X.; Popovic,
Z.; Wang, S. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 3671.
(23) Liu, Q.; Mudadu, M. S.; Schmider, H.; Thummel, R. P.; Tao, Y.;
Wang, S. Organometallics 2002, 21, 4743.
(24) Wu, F.; Chamchoumis, C. M.; Thummel, R. P. Inorg. Chem. 2000,
39, 584.
(18) For reviews of early examples of olefin hydroarylations, see: (a)
Jia, C.; Kitamura, T.; Fujiwara, Y. Acc. Chem. Res. 2001, 34, 633. (b)
Kakiuchi, F.; Murai, S. Acc. Chem. Res. 2002, 35, 826. (c) Ritleng, V.;
Sirlin, C.; Pfeffer, M. Chem. ReV. 2002, 102, 1731.
(19) Karshtedt, D.; Bell, A. T.; Tilley, T. D. Organometallics 2004, 23,
4169.
(25) Collman, J. P.; Hegedus, L. S.; Norton, J. R.; Finke, R. A. Principles
and Applications of Organotransition Metal Chemistry, 2nd ed.; University
Science Books: Mill Valley, CA, 1987; pp 175-180.
(20) Iverson, C. N.; Carter, C. A. G.; Baker, R. T.; Scollard, J. D.;
Labinger, J. A.; Bercaw, J. E. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 12674.
(26) Mann, B. E.; Shaw, B. L.; Shaw, G. J. Chem. Soc. A 1971, 3536.

Arene ActiVations by Pt Complexes with N-Based Ligands
Organometallics, Vol. 25, No. 7, 2006 1803
Scheme 1
Table 1. 1H NMR Chemical Shifts for the Allyl Methylene
Resonances of 1a and 1ba
from Pt to the carbon trans to the indolyl, 2.124(6) Å. This
difference suggests that the indolyl fragment has a greater trans
influence than the pyridinyl, a result consistent with the fact
that it is the stronger σ-donor.7 Similar variations in Pt-C bond
distances have been observed in other Pt-allyl complexes where
distinct trans ligands are present.28
1H (ppm)
2JPt-H (Hz)
type of hydrogen
1a
1b
2.23
2.26
2.98
3.80
2.18
2.20
2.97
3.67
71.4
79.8
26.0
24.5
80.0
71.0
26.5
23.5
anti
anti
syn
syn
anti
anti
syn
syn
Additional synthetic targets were anionic, dialkyl complexes
of the type [(NN*)PtR2]-, which would serve as precursors to
reactive (NN*)PtR intermediates generated by alkyl group
abstraction.29 Initial attempts to form the simplest species of
this type, the [(NN*)PtMe2]- anion, were based on reaction of
K[PyInd] with (COD)PtMe2 (COD ) 1,5-cyclooctadiene). Even
upon heating to 80 °C in THF-d8, however, this reaction
a Spectra recorded in benzene-d6.
similar to those in 1a (Table 1), suggesting that the fluorine
substituent on the indolyl fragment does not have a strong
influence on the electron density at the Pt center. This result is
consistent with Hammett correlation studies suggesting that, in
aromatic systems, the electronic effect of a fluorine substituent
in the para position is approximately equal to that of a proton.27
1
proceeded to only ∼50% conversion, as judged by H NMR
spectroscopy. In contrast, the highly reactive precursor [(Me2S)-
PtMe2]2 reacted with K[PyInd] in THF at room temperature to
quantitatively form the adduct THF‚K[(PyInd)PtMe2] (THF‚
K[2a]) over the course of 4 h. Attempts to use this method to
prepare K[2a] free of THF, which presumably remained
coordinated to the potassium cation, proved unsuccessful, as
heating under vacuum led to decomposition of the Pt complex.
The THF-free complex K[2a] was obtained by stirring a
suspension of K[PyInd] with 0.6 equiv of [(Me2S)PtMe2]2 in
benzene over the course of 10 days. Subsequent addition of
pentane and decantation of the supernatant allowed the isolation
1
The solid-state structure of 1b was determined by X-ray
crystallography and is shown in Figure 2. The N-Pt-N angle
is approximately 78°, indicating that PyInd-F enforces a smaller
bite angle than that typically observed in Pt complexes of the
â-diiminate ligands (usually close to 90°), which form six-
membered chelate rings.13a By comparison, the N-Pt-N angle
in a recently reported Pt(II) complex of an anionic 2,2′-
bipyridine derivative, which features a five-membered chelate
ring, is also nearly 78°.16a As expected, the bond between Pt
and the indolyl nitrogen is shorter than that between Pt and the
pyridinyl nitrogen (2.048(4) vs 2.087(5) Å), reflecting the fact
that Pt forms a stronger bond with the anionic donor. Further-
more, the distance from Pt to the terminal methallyl carbon atom
trans to the pyridinyl fragment, 2.104(6) Å, is shorter than that
of analytically pure K[2a] in 71% yield (eq 2). The H NMR
spectrum of K[2a] contains two inequivalent methyl ligand
resonances at 0.51 ppm (2JPt-H ) 81.9 Hz) and 1.16 ppm (2JPt-H
) 88.4 Hz). The rather large difference in chemical shift
(approximately 0.5 ppm) suggests that the electronic environ-
ments of the two Pt-methyls are quite distinct.
Electronic properties of the indolyl and pyridinyl fragments
of the PyInd ligand in this complex were also probed with a
geometry optimization of the structure of 2a using DFT methods
(see Computational Details). This calculation showed that the
Pt-C bond trans to the indolyl (2.063 Å) is slightly longer than
that trans to the pyridinyl group (2.056 Å). This result is
consistent with the fact that, of the two nitrogen donors in PyInd,
the indolyl fragment has the greater trans influence (vide supra).
(27) Brown, H. C.; Okamoto, Y. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1957, 79, 1913.
(28) See, for example: Pandolfo, L.; Paiaro, G.; Dragani, L. K.; Maccato,
C.; Bertani, R.; Facchin, G.; Zanotto, L.; Ganis, P.; Valle, G. Organome-
tallics 1996, 15, 3250.
(29) (a) Hill, G. S.; Manojlovic-Muir, L.; Muir, K. W.; Puddephatt, R.
J. Organometallics 1997, 16, 525. (b) Hill, G. S.; Rendina, L. M.;
Puddephatt, R. J. J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans. 1996, 1809.
Figure 2. ORTEP diagram of the X-ray crystal structure of (PyInd-
F)Pt(η3-CH2CMeCH2) (1b). Selected bond lengths (Å): Pt-N1 )
2.087(5), Pt-N2 ) 2.048(4), Pt-C14 ) 2.104(6), Pt-C15 )
2.103(6), Pt-C17 ) 2.124(6), C14-C15 ) 1.442(10), C15-C17
) 1.431(10). Selected bond angles (deg): N1-Pt-N2 ) 77.98(18),
C14-C15-C17 ) 115.4(6).

1804 Organometallics, Vol. 25, No. 7, 2006
Karshtedt et al.
Scheme 2
The analogous PyQuin adduct K[(PyQuin)PtMe2] (K[2b])
was obtained in 61% yield, following a procedure similar to
that used to prepare K[2a]. The two inequivalent methyl
resonances of K[2a] appear at 0.64 ppm (2JPt-H ) 85.2 Hz)
1
and 0.93 ppm (2JPt-H ) 90.5 Hz) in the H NMR spectrum.
C-H Bond Activation Reactions of (NN*)Pt Complexes.
To realize stoichiometric activations of C-H bonds by Pt(II)
complexes, it is typically necessary to access a transient three-
coordinate intermediate via ligand loss from a 16-electron
precursor or to utilize a ligand that can be easily substituted by
the hydrocarbon substrate via an associative mechanism.30 For
example, Goldberg and co-workers observed oxidative addition
of benzene, cyclohexane, and pentane upon borane abstraction
of a methyl group from K[(κ2-TpMe2)PtMe2] (TpMe2 ) 3,5-
dimethyl-tris(pyrazolyl)borate).31 Similarly, activation of 13C-
labeled methane by [(tmeda)Pt(Me)(F5py)]X (F5py ) pentaflu-
oropyridine) is thought to require the displacement of the weakly
bound F5py ligand by 13CH4.32 Complex K[2a], which contains
no readily dissociated ligands, was not expected to react with
hydrocarbons in the absence of an activator. Thus, methyl group
abstraction by a Lewis acid was thought to be required to
achieve the desired reactivity. Surprisingly, however, K[2a] was
converted in benzene at 150 °C over the course of 3 days to
the diphenyl complex K[3a] in 68% yield (eq 3). Intractable
material and unreacted K[2a] (<10%) accounted for the
remaining components of the mixture. The identity of K[3a]
was confirmed by its independent synthesis from K[PyInd] and
[(Me2S)PtPh2]2 (see Experimental Section). Further studies of
this reaction were complicated by the poor solubility of K[2a]
in benzene, but identification of methane as the only byproduct
observed by 1H NMR spectroscopy confirms that the active Pt
species is divalent. Activation of benzene by Pt(0) would require
that K[2a] undergo a reductive elimination of ethane, which
was not observed. Furthermore, thermolysis of K[2a] in
benzene-d6 led to the formation of CH3D, confirming that the
methane product originated from a reaction with the arene and
not from an adventitious proton source.
at 180 °C, resulting in a mixture containing unreacted starting
material (15%), (dmpe)PtMePh (51%), and (dmpe)PtPh2 (34%).34a
With regard to the mechanism of this transformation, Roddick
and co-workers contend that it is not possible to show
definitively whether it proceeds via direct oxidative addition
of benzene to (dmpe)PtMe2 or via the 14-electron intermediate
formed by an initial dissociation of a phosphine arm. In the
present study, the rigidity of the PyInd ligand appears to argue
strongly against partial ligand dissociation. Even more compel-
ling is the observation that the PyQuin complex K[2b], upon
heating in benzene at 150 °C for 3 days, was converted in 54%
yield to the diphenyl product K[3b] (eq 4). Since PyQuin is
highly unlikely to behave as a hemilabile ligand, a direct
oxidative addition pathway for C-H bond activation by K[2b]
may be operative (Scheme 2). However, oxidative hydrogen
migration17e-g or σ-bond metathesis36 pathways, which do not
require a fully formed Pt(IV) intermediate, cannot be completely
ruled out.
A related, recent report describes the acid-catalyzed activation
of benzene by a PtMe2 derivative, supported by an anionic bis-
(pyrazolyl)borate-derived ligand, to give the corresponding Pt-
diphenyl complex.16a In this transformation, the acid presumably
converts the starting platinum complex to a highly reactive 14-
electron (NN)PtMe species.30b The possibility of catalytic
benzene activation by an adventitious proton source was
examined for the system reported herein. It was found that an
acid additive, [iPr2EtNH][BPh4], had a slight accelerating effect
on the rate of conversion of K[2a] to K[3a].37 When K[2a] was
heated in benzene at 110 °C for 20 h in the presence of 10 mol
% of [iPr2EtNH][BPh4], K[3a] was formed in 83% yield, while
the starting complex accounted for the remaining component
of the reaction mixture. In the absence of acid, however, K[3a]
was formed in only 58% yield under these conditions. Thus,
added acid appeared to accelerate the rate of benzene activation,
perhaps in the manner described above.16a To rule out the
potential role of an adventitious acid catalyst in a conclusive
manner, thermolysis of K[2a] was conducted in the presence
Although various Pt(II) complexes have been shown to react
with 1 equiv of benzene to produce a Pt-phenyl product,20,30-32
the activation of two benzene molecules at a single Pt center is
rare.34,35 One related system involves the thermolysis of (dmpe)-
PtMe2 (dmpe ) 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphino)ethane) in benzene
(30) (a) Johannson, L.; Tilset, M.; Labinger, J. A.; Bercaw, J. E. J. Am.
Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 10846. (b) Zhong, H. A.; Labinger, J. A.; Bercaw,
J. E. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 1378. (c) Procelewska, J.; Zahl, A.; van
Eldik, R.; Zhong, H. A.; Labinger, J. A.; Bercaw, J. E. Inorg. Chem. 2002,
41, 2808.
(31) Wick, D. D.; Goldberg, K. I. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1997, 119, 10235.
(32) Holtcamp, M. W.; Henling, L. M.; Day, M. W.; Labinger, J. A.;
Bercaw, J. E. Inorg. Chim. Acta 1998, 270, 467.
(33) (a) Brainard, R. L.; Nutt, W. R.; Lee, T. R.; Whitesides, G. M.
Organometallics 1988, 7, 2379. (b) Holtcamp, M. W.; Labinger, J. A.;
Bercaw, J. E. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1997, 119, 848. (c) Johansson, L.; Ryan,
O. B.; Tilset, M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 1974. (d) Thomas, J. C.;
Peters, J. C. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 5100. (e) Thomas, J. C.; Peters,
J. C. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 8870. (f) Konze, W. V.; Scott, B. L.;
Kubas, G. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 12550. (g) Harkins, S. B.; Peters,
J. C. Organometallics 2002, 21, 1753. (h) Song, D.; Wang, S. Organome-
tallics 2003, 22, 2187.
(35) Pt(IV) complexes (proceeding through Pt(II) intermediates): (a)
Reinartz, S.; White, P. S.; Brookhart, M.; Templeton, J. L. Organometallics
2001, 20, 1709. (b) Jensen, M. P.; Wick, D. D.; Reinartz, S.; White, P. S.;
Templeton, J. L.; Goldberg, K. I. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 8614. (c)
Vedernikov, A. N.; Caulton, K. G. Chem. Commun. 2003, 358.
(36) Thompson, M. E.; Baxter, S. M.; Bulls, A. R.; Burger, B. J.; Nolan,
M. C.; Santasiero, B. D.; Schaefer, W. P.; Bercaw, J. E. J. Am. Chem. Soc.
1987, 109, 203.
(37) In response to a reviewer’s suggestion to test for the effects of
adventitious water on this reaction, a small amount of water was added to
the reaction system indicated in eq 3, and complete decomposition of
complex K[2a] was observed after 3 days of heating at 150 °C.
(34) Pt(II) complexes: Peters, R. G.; White, S.; Roddick, D. M.
Organometallics 1998, 17, 4493, and ref 16a.

Arene ActiVations by Pt Complexes with N-Based Ligands
Organometallics, Vol. 25, No. 7, 2006 1805
of 10 mol % N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-1,8-naphthalenediamine
(Proton Sponge), and it was found that this additive had no effect
on the reaction yield (conditions as in eq 3 above).
One potentially problematic aspect of the mechanism requir-
ing Pt(IV) is that, given the rigidity of PyInd and PyQuin, the
reductive elimination of methane must occur without prior ligand
dissociation. This step, which generates an electron-deficient
five-coordinate Pt(IV) intermediate, is generally thought to
precede reductive eliminations from high-valent metal centers.38
Nevertheless, using entropy of activation data and reactivity
comparisons between different ligand frameworks, Goldberg and
co-workers demonstrated that thermal loss of methane from
(dppe)PtMe3H (dppe ) 1,2-bis(diphenyphosphino)ethane) and
(dppbz)PtMe3H (dppbz ) 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene)
occurs without prior dissociation of a phosphine ligand arm.38d
Thus, it is reasonable to assume that methane reductively
eliminates from a six-coordinate Pt(IV) intermediate in the
(NN*)Pt system (Scheme 2). Further, by the principle of
microscopic reversibility, Goldberg’s study suggests that direct
oxidative addition of a C-H bond to a 16-electron Pt(II)
complex should be feasible. In addition, a related study provides
evidence of a direct intramolecular C-H activation mechanism
at square planar Pt(II).39 Theoretical calculations by Saillard
and Hoffman also support the possibility of hydrocarbon
activation of by square planar d8 complexes without prior ligand
dissociation.40
Figure 3. Examples of known five-coordinate Pt(IV) complexes.
be definitively assigned as square pyramidal (as drawn in eq 5)
or trigonal bipyramidal on the basis of available data. Moreover,
although there is no spectroscopic evidence to suggest that 4
has a dimeric structure or exists as a solvento complex, its
description as a five-coordinate species must be considered
tentative in the absence of an X-ray crystal structure.
Preparation of a Five-Coordinate Pt(IV)-Silyl Complex.
To provide indirect support for the oxidative addition mechanism
for benzene activation, and to further probe the reactivity of
(NN*)Pt(II) complexes, transformations that were expected to
give isolable Pt(IV) products were targeted. Since it is well
known that silyl ligands tend to support high-oxidation-state
late transition metal complexes,41,42 silicon-containing substrates
were initially examined. While trimethylsilyl chloride was found
to be inert toward K[2a], highly electrophilic trimethylsilyl
triflate immediately reacted with K[2a] in benzene at room
temperature to yield 4, a five-coordinate Pt(IV) complex, in 82%
yield (eq 5). The methyl resonance of the trimethylsilyl ligand,
It was found that 4 is thermally unstable in benzene solution
and completely decomposes to tetramethylsilane and unidenti-
fied Pt-containing products over the course of 6 h at room
temperature. This behavior is consistent with general reactivity
patterns described for five-coordinate Pt(IV) species, which have
been identified as reactive intermediates in reductive elimina-
tions from octahedral Pt centers.38,45 Indeed, the relative stability
of 4 seems somewhat unusual, given that only two other types
of five-coordinate Pt(IV) complexes have been isolated to date.
Goldberg and co-workers described the preparations of (nacnac)-
PtMe346 and similar nacnac derivatives,13b while Templeton and
co-workers reported the synthesis of cationic [(κ2-TpMe2)Pt(SiR3)-
(H)2]+ (R3 ) Et3, Ph3, Ph2H) complexes via protonation of one
of the pyrazolyl arms of the octahedral κ3-tris(pyrazolyl)borate
precursors (Figure 3).47 It is noteworthy that both of these classes
of complexes were prepared directly from Pt(IV) starting
materials, while 4 is a product of an oxidative addition to Pt(II).
The transformation from a relatively stable square planar Pt(II)
to a relatively unstable five-coordinate Pt(IV), which at first
appears to be thermodynamically unfavorable, is of course
driven in part by the formation of insoluble potassium triflate.
Nevertheless, the facile generation of 4 attests to the ability of
the PyInd ligand to stabilize high-oxidation-state Pt complexes.
The rapid elimination of tetramethylsilane from 4 limits
reactivity studies that might be undertaken, but a clean route
for converting this complex back to its precursor was found.
When 1 equiv of tetrabutylammonium fluoride was added to
an acetonitrile-d3 solution of 4, the anion 2a and trimethylsilyl
fluoride were immediately generated (eq 5). Other than the
1
which appears at 0.06 ppm in the H NMR spectrum, exhibits
coupling to the 195Pt nucleus (3JPt-H ) 21.6 Hz). This value is
similar to those in other Pt-silyl complexes that feature a three-
bond Pt-H separation.43 In addition, the 29Si NMR resonance
of 4, appearing at 38 ppm, exhibits a large one-bond coupling
1
to 195Pt (1JPt-Si ) 94 Hz). The room-temperature H NMR
spectrum of 4 contains sharp ligand resonances, suggesting that
the complex does not exhibit fluxional behavior on the NMR
time scale.44 However, the stable solution structure of 4 cannot
(38) (a) Brown, M. P.; Puddephatt, R. J.; Upton, C. E. E. J. Chem. Soc.,
Dalton Trans. 1974, 2457. (b) Stahl, S. S.; Labinger, J. A.; Bercaw, J. E.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1996, 118, 5961. (c) Hinman, J. G.; Baar, C. R.; Jennings,
M. C.; Puddephatt, R. J. Organometallics, 2000, 19, 563. (d) Crumpton-
Bregel, D. M.; Goldberg, K. I. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 9442, and
references therein.
(39) Griffiths, D. C.; Young, G. B. Organometallics 1989, 8, 875.
(40) Saillard, J. Y.; Hoffmann, R. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1984, 106, 2006.
(41) Corey, J. Y.; Braddock-Wilking, J. Chem. ReV. 1999, 99, 175.
(42) For recent examples, see: (a) Gutierrez-Puebla, E.; Monge, A.;
Paneque, M.; Poveda, M. L.; Taboada, S.; Trujillo, M.; Carmona, E. J.
Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 346. (b) Reinartz, S.; White, P. S.; Brookhart,
M.; Templeton, J. L. Organometallics 2000, 19, 3854. (c) Brookhart, M.;
Grant, B. E.; Lenges, C. P.; Prosenc, M. H.; White, P. S. Angew. Chem.,
Int. Ed. 2000, 39, 1676. (d) Klei, S. R.; Tilley, T. D.; Bergman, R. G. J.
Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 1816.
1
resonances corresponding to the n-butyl groups, the H NMR
spectrum of NBu4[2a] is identical to that of K[2a], indicating
that the cation does not strongly interact with the anionic Pt
(43) See, for example: Ong, C. M.; Burchell, T. J.; Puddephatt, R. J.
Organometallics 2004, 23, 1493.
(44) Attempts to observe fluxional behavior by heating 4 in benzene-d6
solution to temperatures above 25 °C led to rapid decomposition of the
complex.
(45) Puddephatt, R. J. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2002, 41, 261.
(46) Fekl, U.; Kaminsky, W.; Goldberg, K. I. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001,
123, 6423.
(47) Reinartz, S.; White, P. S.; Brookhart, M.; Templeton, J. L. J. Am.
Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 6425.

1806 Organometallics, Vol. 25, No. 7, 2006
Karshtedt et al.
complex in either case. Attack of an X- reagent onto a Pt(IV)-
silyl fragment represents a silicon variant of the extensively
researched product-forming step of the Shilov methane func-
tionalization, where OH- or Cl- acts as a nucleophile toward a
Pt(IV)-methyl intermediate.8 In an effort to develop a more
accurate model for the Shilov system, preparation of a Pt(IV)-
trimethyl complex was attempted using K[2a] and reagents such
as methyl iodide or methyl triflate. Unfortunately, these reactions
resulted only in intractable mixtures, reflecting a probable lack
of stability of low-coordinate alkyl complexes relative to their
silyl analogues.
Chemical Differentiation of Trans Sites in (PyInd)Pt
1
Complexes. As discussed above, H NMR characterization of
Figure 4. ORTEP diagram of the X-ray crystal structure of
(PyInd)Pt(Ph)(MeCN) (6). Selected bond lengths (Å): Pt-N1 )
2.103(7), Pt-N2 ) 1.986(7), Pt-N3 ) 1.961(8), Pt-C16 )
2.000(9). Selected bond angles (deg): N1-Pt-N2 ) 79.8(3), N1-
Pt-N3 ) 96.2(3), N2-Pt-N3 ) 175.8(3), N1-Pt-C16 )
172.9(3), N2-Pt-C16 ) 95.7(3), N3-Pt-C16 ) 88.4(3).
complexes 1a and K[2a], DFT calculations performed on 2a,
and the structural characterization of 1b all provide evidence
that the sites trans to the pyridinyl and indolyl donors of PyInd
are electronically distinct. To further probe the effects of the
two ligand fragments on the chemistry of (PyInd)Pt complexes,
we examined reactions leading to the formation of (NN*)-
Pt(X)(L) species that can hypothetically exist as mixtures of
two stereoisomers. However, protonolysis of K[2a] with 1 equiv
of [iPr2EtNH][BPh4] in acetonitrile generated the neutral
complex (PyInd)Pt(Me)(MeCN) (5) as a single isomer, as
evidenced by the presence of only one Pt-CH3 resonance (1.45
ppm, 2JPt-H ) 81.0 Hz) in the 1H NMR spectrum of the product
(eq 6). The complex was isolated in 66% yield by extraction of
the crude product into dichloromethane and crystallization from
a dichloromethane/pentane mixture. The arrangement of ligands
about the Pt center in 5 was determined by a 1H NOE
experiment, which indicates that the methyl ligand is cis to the
indolyl fragment of PyInd. Consistent with this, Bercaw and
co-workers observed that an analogous geometrical isomer was
exclusively formed in the reaction of (Me2S)2Pt(Me)(Cl) with
a related 2-(N-arylimino)pyrrole ligand in the presence of
acetonitrile.20
Figure 5. ORTEP diagram of the X-ray crystal structure of
(PyInd)Pt(Cl)(C2H4) (7). Selected bond lengths (Å): Pt-Cl )
2.292(2), Pt-N1 ) 2.028(6), Pt-N2 ) 1.995(6), Pt-C1 )
2.156(9), Pt-C2 ) 2.146(9), C1-C2 ) 1.39(1). Selected bond
angles (deg): Cl-Pt-N1 ) 177.4(2), Cl-Pt-N2 ) 96.6(2), N1-
Pt-N2 ) 80.9(2).
Another potential route to complexes of the type (NN*)Pt(X)(L)
involves their direct synthesis from L2PtX2 precursors. To this
end, a variety of conditions were screened for reactions of
K[PyInd] with (MeCN)2PtCl2 or (Me2S)2PtCl2, but all of these
attempts produced intractable mixtures of products. In contrast,
K[PyInd] reacted cleanly with 0.5 equiv of [(C2H4)PtCl2]2
(Zeise’s dimer) to form (PyInd)Pt(Cl)(C2H4) (7) in 81% yield
(eq 7).19 The orientation of ligands in 7 was determined by 1H
NOE experiments and X-ray crystallography, which also
revealed that the bound ethylene is perpendicular to the plane
of the molecule (Figure 5). The 1H NMR spectrum of 7 confirms
that this orientation is maintained in solution, since the vinylic
resonances appear as two sharp second-order multiplets (4.20
ppm, JPt-H ) 52.8 Hz and 4.51 ppm, JPt-H ) 54.0 Hz). It is
surprising that the ethylene ligand, which is generally considered
to have a greater trans influence than chloride,48 adopts the
position trans to the indolyl fragment. This structure may be
kinetically preferred because the bridging chloride trans to the
ethylene in Zeise’s dimer is bound less tightly than that trans
to the terminal chloride and is therefore displaced more readily
by the indolyl, the more nucleophilic of the two nitrogen donors
of PyInd. This explanation is supported by observations that
Zeise’s dimer reacts with donor ligands to form trans-dichloro
products, a result that implies that the bridging chloride trans
to the ethylene is indeed more labile.49 However, attempts to
convert 7 into the isomer with trans-positioned ethylene and
Furthermore, a similar protonolysis reaction with K[3a],
which was conducted at 80 °C, yielded (PyInd)Pt(Ph)(MeCN)
(6) as a single isomer with the same stereochemistry as 5 (eq
6). Relative positions of the ligands in 6 were established by
the determination of its solid-state structure with X-ray crystal-
lography, which demonstrated that the phenyl ligand is cis to
the indolyl group (Figure 4). Along with the structural informa-
tion obtained for 1b, these results confirm that the indolyl
fragment has the greater trans influence of the two nitrogen
donors of PyInd. Presumably, protonolysis of the Pt-C bond
of the methyl (or phenyl) ligand trans to the indolyl fragment
occurs selectively because this produces the more thermody-
namically stable of the two possible geometrical isomers of
(PyInd)Pt(R)(MeCN). Thus, the acetonitrile ligand, which is less
trans-influencing than either Me or Ph,48 preferentially adopts
the position trans to the indolyl donor in complexes 5 and 6. A
similar example of selective Pt-C bond cleavage by acid was
observed with a Pt-dimethyl complex of a neutral unsymmetrical
bidentate nitrogen-based ligand.33h
2
2
(48) Appleton, T. G.; Clark, H. C.; Manzer, L. E. Coord. Chem. ReV.
1973, 10, 335.

Arene ActiVations by Pt Complexes with N-Based Ligands
Organometallics, Vol. 25, No. 7, 2006 1807
Table 2. (NN*)Pt Catalysts for the Hydrophenylation of
Norbornenea
pyridinyl ligands, presumably the thermodynamically favored
isomer, were unsuccessful. Thus, no reaction occurred when a
1,2-dichloroethane-d4 solution of 7 was heated at 100 °C for
12 h, and the complex underwent decomposition after the
temperature was increased to 120 °C. It was thought that added
ethylene might facilitate this isomerization, but, when this
experiment was conducted under 1 atm of ethylene, the same
result was obtained.
catalyst
yield (%)
1a
1b
38
41
27
26
K[2a] + B(C6F5)3
5
a Conditions as in eq 9.
Table 3. Hydroarylation of Norbornene with Substituted
Arenesa
arene
yield (%)
benzene
toluene
chlorobenzene
fluorobenzene
p-xylene
38
28b
58b
0
In a preliminary communication, we reported that equimolar
combinations of 7 and other Pt(II) complexes with Ag(I)
activators catalyze the hydroarylaton of unfunctionalized olefins
by benzene and other arenes.19 To understand the nature of the
active Pt species in this catalysis, attempts were made to isolate
and characterize the products of chloride abstraction from 7.
While the reaction of 7 with AgOTf did not produce a stable
complex, the combination of 7 with Li[B(C6F5)4] in the presence
of 1 equiv of cyclooctadiene led to formation of the diolefin
complex 8 (eq 8). The unsymmetrical environment of the COD
ligand is reflected by the distinct chemical shifts of the two
0
a Catalyst: 1a, conditions as in eq 9. b Mixture of para-, meta-, and ortho-
substituted products.
of norbornene dimerization, which were possibly formed via a
vinylic activation pathway, were the major contaminants
(combined yields of 30-45%). The fact that comparable yields
were obtained with all of the catalyst formulations suggests that,
under the reactions conditions, these Pt precursors are converted
to similar kinds of reactive intermediates (vide infra).
types of vinylic protons, which resonate at 5.53 ppm (2JPt-H
)
71.0 Hz) and 6.84 ppm (2JPt-H ) 83.0 Hz). This complex did
not catalyze the hydrophenylation of olefins such as norbornene,
a result that can be attributed to the inability of monoolefin
substrates to displace the chelating diene from Pt. Nevertheless,
the successful synthesis of 8 demonstrates that a Pt-diolefin
complex is a reasonable intermediate in the catalytic hydroary-
lation of olefins by 7 and other Pt(II) complexes. Further
evidence for the formation of such a complex is provided in a
report that describes a related Pt-based system for catalytic olefin
hydroamination.50
To assess the substrate scope of norbornene hydroarylations
catalyzed by 1a, the reactivity of other arenes in this system
was investigated. While toluene was reactive, as expected, it
was surprising to find that chlorobenzene also hydroarylated
norbornene to form exo-chlorophenylnorobornane as a mixture
of para, meta, and ortho isomers (Table 3). Thus, the potentially
reactive C-Cl bond in this substrate was unaffected. For toluene,
the o:m:p ratio of norbornene hydorarylation products was
measured to be 0.4:1:0.6.51
In contrast, fluorobenzene and p-xylene did not participate
in the hydroarylation of norbornene, and only products of
norbornene dimerization were observed in these reactions.
Olefins other than norbornene, including cyclohexene, cyclo-
pentene, 1-octene, and vinyltrimethylsilane, were also screened
as candidates for hydrophenylation, and all were found to be
unreactive. This lack of reactivity can be contrasted with the
broad substrate scope achieved with the previously reported
cationic fragment [(NN*)PtL]+ (derived from 7 and AgBF4)
and related cationic Pt complexes, which catalyzed the hy-
droarylation of olefins that are inherently less reactive than
norbornene, including cyclohexene and propylene.19
Given the data available for related catalytic systems, two
mechanistic possibilities seem reasonable for this transformation.
On one hand, the Pt center may activate norbornene toward
attack by an arene nucleophile, a step that can be followed by
the liberation of exo-phenylnorbornane after a proton transfer
(Scheme 3). Such a mechanism was proposed for electrophilic
Pt-based hydroarylation,19,52 hydroamination,50,53 and hydrovi-
nylation54 catalysts. On the other hand, the fragment (NN*)-
PtR (R ) 2-butenyl for 1a or 1b; R ) Me for K[2a] or 5) may
initiate a catalytic cycle via reaction with benzene to give (NN*)-
PtPh. After olefin insertion into the Pt-aryl bond, the resulting
Catalytic Hydroarylation of Norbornene by (NN*)Pt
Complexes. Observations of stoichiometric activation of ben-
zene by complexes of the type K[(NN*)PtMe2] (vide supra)
prompted an investigation of the activities of (NN*)Pt species
in catalytic arene functionalizations. These efforts focused on
access to reactive 14-electron intermediates formulated as
(NN*)PtR, which were expected to undergo subsequent activa-
tions of arene and olefin substrates. Such a fragment can be
generated via an η3-η1 interconversion of the methallyl ligand
in 1a or 1b, borane abstraction of a methyl ligand from K[2a],
or loss of acetonitrile from 5. All of these potential catalyst
systems were screened to determine their activities for the
hydrophenylation of norbornene, and the results of this study
are given in Table 2. It was found that, at 10 mol % catalyst
loading relative to norbornene, low to moderate yields of exo-
phenylnorbornane were obtained upon heating in neat benzene
at 140 °C for 16 h (eq 9). In all of these reactions, two products
(49) (a) van Baar, J. F.; Vrieze, K.; Stufkens, D. J. J. Organomet. Chem.
1974, 81, 247. (b) Maresca, L.; Natile, G.; Cattalini, L.; Gasparrini, F. J.
Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans. 1976, 12, 1090. (c) Albinati, A.; Isaia, F.;
Kaufmann, W.; Sorato, C.; Venanzi, L. M. Inorg. Chem. 1989, 28, 1112.
(50) Karshtedt, D.; Bell, A. T.; Tilley, T. D. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005,
127, 12640.
(51) These products were identified using the GC data available in:
Malinowska, A.; Czelusniak, I.; Go´rski, M.; Szymanska-Buzar, T. Tetra-
hedron Lett. 2005, 46, 1427, and 1H NMR data from references therein.

1808 Organometallics, Vol. 25, No. 7, 2006
Karshtedt et al.
platinum center.54b Thus, even relatively weak nucleophiles such
as olefins54a and arenes19,52 may attack a carbon atom of the
Pt-olefin complex, forming a C-C bond (Scheme 3). In the
case of neutral (NN*)PtR catalysts, a coordinated olefin would
be significantly less electrophilic, requiring more forcing reaction
conditions that could result in lower selectivities.
Scheme 3
Concluding Remarks
Deprotonated 2-(2′-pyridyl)indole and related species contain-
ing localized neutral and anionic nitrogen donor sites represent
a promising class of ancillary ligands in Pt chemistry. These
frameworks support unusually reactive Pt complexes, enabling
the activation of benzene that apparently proceeds via direct
oxidative addition of a C-H bond to a 16-electron Pt(II) center.
While hydrocarbon activations by (NN)Pt complexes are known,
these reactions typically require the generation of a 14-electron
intermediate, such as the (κ2-TpMe2)PtMe fragment reported by
Goldberg and co-workers.31 Additionally, the PyInd ligand
supports a stable five-coordinate Pt(IV)-silyl complex, which
is only the third type of an isolated five-coordinate Pt(IV)
species46,47 and the first in which the Pt(IV) complex was
prepared from a Pt(II) precursor.
The bidentate monoanionic ligands reported herein also allow
for the generation of highly reactive, neutral, 14-electron species
of the type (NN*)PtR, which are implicated as active intermedi-
ates in the catalytic hydroarylation of norbornene by (NN*)Pt
complexes. Further synthetic investigations demonstrate that the
sites trans to the pyridinyl and indolyl fragments of PyInd are
electronically differentiated, and this facilitates stereoselective
preparation of complexes of the type (PyInd)Pt(X)(L). These
attractive features of PyInd and similar ligands offer promise
for future efforts to develop novel catalytic and stoichiometric
substrate transformations.
Pt-alkyl intermediate can release the hydroarylation product after
undergoing benzene activation and C-H bond reductive elimi-
nation (Scheme 3). This latter scenario, or some variant thereof,
appears to account for hydroarylations catalyzed by Ir17a-h and
Ru17i-k complexes, which contain hard oxygen- and nitrogen-
based ligands, respectively.
Although it is not clear which of the mechanistic pathways
delineated in Scheme 3 is operative in this system, the propensity
of (NN*)Pt complexes to participate in stoichiometric benzene
activations (vide infra) points to an olefin insertion/C-H bond
oxidative addition pathway. In addition, the observation of
m-tolylnorbornane as the major product of norbornene hy-
droarylation by toluene argues strongly against the olefin
activation mechanism, which is expected to result in preferential
formation of the para product.19 The C-H bond activation
mechanism is further supported by the stoichiometric reaction
of the phenyl complex 6 with 2 equiv of norbornene. When
heated for 12 h at 140 °C in fluorobenzene-d5, an unreactive
arene, these reactants are converted to exo-phenylnorbornane
(in 64% yield based on Pt) and unidentified Pt-containing
species. It is likely that the organic product results from the
insertion of norbornene into the Pt-C bond of 6, followed by
vinylic C-H bond activation of the second equivalent of
norbornene and reductive C-H bond elimination. This experi-
ment also explains the observation of norbornene dimerization
products in the catalytic system described above. These products
presumably result from the insertion of norbornene into the
Pt-C bond of a Pt-vinyl intermediate. Further efforts to study
the mechanism of this catalysis by identifying possible inter-
mediates in nobornene hydroarylations promoted by in situ-
generated (NN*)PtR species were complicated by the presence
Experimental Section
Synthetic Methods. All experiments were conducted under a
nitrogen atmosphere using standard Schlenk techniques or in a
Vacuum Atmospheres drybox, unless otherwise noted. Dry, oxygen-
free solvents were used throughout. Olefin impurities were removed
from pentane by treatment with concentrated H2SO4, 0.5 N KMnO4
in 3 M H2SO4, and saturated NaHCO3. Pentane was then dried over
MgSO4, stored over activated 4 Å molecular sieves, and distilled
over potassium benzophenone ketyl under a nitrogen atmosphere.
Thiophene impurities were removed from benzene (or toluene) by
treatment with H2SO4 and saturated NaHCO3. Benzene (or toluene)
was then dried over MgSO4 and distilled from potassium metal
under a nitrogen atmosphere. Tehtrahydrofuran was distilled from
sodium benzophenone ketyl, and acetonitrile was distilled from
CaH2. Chlorobenzene and fluorobenzene were vacuum-transferred
from CaH2.
1
of multiple Pt complexes observed by H NMR spectroscopy
under the reaction conditions (140 °C, benzene-d6). This may
not be surprising, considering the possibility that both aryl and
vinyl C-H activation pathways, potentially involving distinct
catalytically active species, may account for the observed
organic products.
Deuterated solvents were purchased from Cambridge Isotopes
and dried with appropriate drying agents. Unless otherwise noted,
all reagents were purchased from Aldrich or Strem Chemicals and
used without further purification. Base-free Li[B(C6F5)4] was
obtained from Boulder Scientific. Norbornene was purified by
sublimation. Other olefin substrates were dried over sodium metal
and vacuum-transferred onto activated molecular sieves before use,
and B(C6F5)3 was recrystallized from pentane at -35 °C. The
compounds (COD)PtMe2,55 [(C2H4)PtCl2]2,56 [(Me2S)PtMe2]2,57
[(Me2S)PtPh2]2,58 [(η3-CH2CMeCH2)PtCl]2,26 PyInd,16 K[PyInd],19
Nevertheless, the operation of an electrophilic mechanism in
(NN*)PtR-catalyzed hydroarylations cannot be ruled out on the
basis of available data. Indeed, a possible explanation for the
milder reaction conditions achieved in the [(NN*)PtL]+, relative
to the (NN*)PtR, system may hinge on the highly carbocationic
character of an olefin coordinated to a positively charged
(52) Youn, S. W.; Pastine, S. J.; Sames, D. Org. Lett. 2004, 6, 581.
(53) (a) Wang, X.; Widenhoefer, R. A. Organometallics 2004, 23, 1649.
(b) Qian, H.; Widenhoefer, R. A. Org. Lett. 2005, 7, 2635. (c) Brunet, J.-
J.; Cadena, M.; Chu, N. C.; Diallo, O.; Jacob, K.; Mothes, E. Organome-
tallics 2004, 23, 1264. (d) Brunet, J.-J.; Chu, N. C.; Diallo, O. Organo-
metallics 2005, 24, 3104.
(55) Clark, H. C.; Manzer, L. E. J. Organomet. Chem. 1973, 59, 411.
(56) Chatt, J.; Searle, M. L. Inorg. Synth. 1957, 5, 210.
(57) Hill, G. S.; Irwin, M. J.; Levy, C. J.; Rendina, L. M.; Puddephatt,
R. J. Inorg. Synth. 1998, 32, 149.
(54) (a) Hahn, C.; Cucciolito, M. E.; Vitagliano, A. J. Am. Chem. Soc.
2002, 124, 9038. (b) Hahn, C. Chem.-Eur. J. 2004, 10, 5888.

Arene ActiVations by Pt Complexes with N-Based Ligands
Organometallics, Vol. 25, No. 7, 2006 1809
PyInd-F,23 PyQuin,24 [iPr2EtNH][BPh4],33d and (PyInd)Pt(Cl)(C2H4)
(7)19 were prepared according to literature procedures.
Hz, 1H). 13C{1H} NMR: δ 23.1, 31.4, 46.6, 105.7, 111.8, 116.9,
118.7, 119.2, 120.2, 121.5, 122.8, 131.2, 137.2, 146.9, 148.1, 152.1,
157.9. Anal. Calcd for C17H16N2Pt: C, 46.05; H, 3.64; N, 6.32.
Found: C, 46.09; H, 3.69; N, 6.02.
Analytical Methods. All NMR spectra were recorded at room
temperature, using a Bruker DRX-500 spectrometer equipped with
a 5 mm BBI probe, a Bruker AVB-400 spectrometer equipped with
a 5 mm BB probe, or a Bruker AVQ-400 spectrometer equipped
(PyInd-F)Pt(η3-CH2CMeCH2) (1b). Following the procedure
analogous to that used to prepare 1a, with [(η3-CH2CMeCH2)PtCl]2
(0.158 g, 0.279 mmol) and K[PyInd-F] (0.119 g, 0.558 mmol) as
the reactants, 1b was obtained as a powdery yellow-orange solid
(0.224 g, 87%). 1H NMR (benzene-d6): δ 1.84 (3JPt-H ) 66.5 Hz,
3H, CH3), 2.18 (2JPt-H ) 80.0 Hz, 1H, CH), 2.20 (2JPt-H ) 71.0
1
with a 5 mm QNP probe. H (500.1 MHz) and 13C{1H} (124.7
MHz) NMR spectra were referenced internally by the solvent signal
relative to tetramethylsilane, while 19F{1H} (376.5 MHz) NMR
spectra were referenced to an internal hexafluorobenzene standard
and 29Si (79.5 MHz) NMR spectra were referenced to an internal
tetramethylsilane standard. Unless otherwise noted, spectra for all
NMR-active nuclei of a given compound were obtained in the same
solvent. Multiplets that are predicted to be doublets of doublets
but appear as pseudotriplets are denoted as “pt”.
Elemental analyses were performed by the College of Chemistry
Microanalytical Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley.
Identities of organic products were confirmed by 1H NMR
spectroscopy and by GC-MS, using an Agilent Technologies 6890N
GC system with an HP-5MS column. FAB-MS spectra were
recorded on a ZAB2-EQ spectrometer from Micromass.
Hz, 1H, CH), 2.97 (2JPt-H ) 26.5 Hz, 1H, CH), 3.67 (2JPt-H
)
3
3
23.5 Hz, 1H, CH), 6.03 (pt, J ) 6.0 Hz, 1H), 6.77 (pt, J ) 8.0
Hz, 1H), 6.82 (s, 1H), 7.07 (d, 3J ) 8.0 Hz, 1H), 7.20 (pt, 3J ) 8.5
Hz, 1H), 7.58 (m, 2H), 8.08 (d, 3J ) 5.0 Hz, 1H). 13C{1H} NMR:
δ 23.0, 31.6, 46.6, 102.4 (3JC-F ) 6.7 Hz), 105.1 (2JC-F ) 22.5
Hz), 111.4 (2JC-F ) 25.0 Hz), 112.1, 117.8 (3JC-F ) 9.2 Hz), 119.9
(1JC-F ) 158.8 Hz), 120.6, 137.3, 144.8, 148.0, 152.1, 156.9, 157.6,
159.2. 19F{1H} NMR: δ -125.3. Anal. Calcd for C17H15N2FPt:
C, 44.25; H, 3.28; N, 6.07. Found: C, 43.93; H, 3.10; N, 6.11.
K[(PyInd)PtMe2] (K[2a]). To a stirred suspension of K[PyInd]
(0.230 g, 0.990 mmol) in 6 mL of benzene was added a solution
of [(Me2S)PtMe2]2 (0.341 g, 0.594 mmol) in 2 mL of benzene. After
this mixture was allowed to stir vigorously for 10 days, the solvent
volume was reduced to ca. 2 mL, and 10 mL of pentane was added.
After the precipitate was allowed to settle, the supernatant was
decanted, and the resulting yellow-green solid was washed twice
with pentane and dried in vacuo, yielding K[2a] (0.322 g, 71%).
1H NMR (acetonitrile-d3): δ 0.52 (2JPt-H ) 81.9 Hz, 3H, CH3),
1.16 ppm (2JPt-H ) 88.4 Hz, 3H, CH3), 6.72 (pt, 3J ) 6.6 Hz, 1H),
Potassium 2-(2′-Pyridyl)-5-fluoroindolide, K[PyInd-F]. This
compound was synthesized from PyInd-F (3.00 g, 13.0 mmol) and
KH (0.52 g, 13.0 mmol) by a procedure analogous to that used to
prepare K[PyInd],19 yielding K[PyInd]-F as a yellow-green solid
(2.92 g, 83%). 1H NMR (acetonitrile-d3): δ 6.54 (pt, 3J ) 8.5 Hz,
3
3
1H), 6.84 (s, 1H), 6.99 (pt, J ) 5.5 Hz, 1H), 7.05 (d, J ) 11.0
3
3
Hz, 1H), 7.32 (t, J ) 7.5 Hz, 1H), 7.62 (pt, J ) 7.5 Hz, 1H),
7.88 (d, J ) 8.5 Hz, 1H), 8.41 (s, 1H). 13C{1H} NMR: δ 98.6,
3
102.6 (2JC-F ) 21.3 Hz), 105.7 (2JC-F ) 26.3 Hz), 118.6 (3JC-F
)
3
3
6.81 (pt, J ) 8.4 Hz, 1H), 6.88 (s, 1H), 6.97 (pt, J ) 5.7 Hz,
1H), 7.67 (d, 3J ) 7.5 Hz, 1H), 7.78 (m, 3H), 8.78 (d, 3J ) 5.7 Hz,
1H). 13C{1H} NMR: δ -24.1, -15.1, 99.8, 116.8, 117.0, 120.4,
120.6, 121.1, 121.8, 132.5, 135.6, 145.9, 149.3, 149.4, 160.1. Anal.
Calcd for C15H15KN2Pt: C, 39.38; H, 3.30; N, 6.12. Found: C,
38.99; H, 3.32; N, 5.73.
10.0 Hz), 120.7 (1JC-F ) 128.8 Hz), 132.0 (3JC-F ) 10.0 Hz), 136.8,
146.9, 149.8, 150.8, 156.2, 158.0, 159.3. 19F{1H} NMR: δ -131.1.
Anal. Calcd for C13H8FKN2: C, 62.37; H, 3.22; N, 11.19. Found:
C, 62.00; H, 3.35; N, 11.14.
Potassium Pyrrolido[3,2-h]quinoline, K[PyQuin]. The solids
pyrrolo[3,2-h]quinoline (2.20 g, 13.1 mmol) and potassium hex-
amethyldisilazide (2.61 g, 13.1 mmol) were combined in a Schlenk
flask and suspended in 15 mL of cooled (0 °C) toluene. This mixture
was stirred vigorously and allowed to reach room temperature over
the course of 1 h. Stirring then continued for an additional 5 h,
and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure. The resulting
residue was washed with pentane (3 × 10 mL) and dried in vacuo
for 16 h, providing K[PyQuin] as a powdery dark green solid (2.10
K[(PyQuin)PtMe2] (K[2b]). Following the procedure analogous
to that used to prepare K[2a], with [(Me2S)PtMe2]2 (0.262 g, 0.436
mmol) and K[PyQuin] (0.150 g, 0.727 mmol) as the reactants,
K[2b] was obtained as a powdery yellow solid, which was
recrystallized from a THF/pentane mixture (1:2 by volume) and
dried in vacuo to yield an analytically pure product (0.190 g, 61%).
1H NMR (acetonitrile-d3): δ 0.64 (2JPt-H ) 85.2 Hz, 3H, CH3),
0.93 ppm (2JPt-H ) 90.5 Hz, 3H, CH3), 6.50 (d, 3J ) 1.9 Hz, 1H),
1
3
g, 78%). H NMR (acetonitrile-d3): δ 6.49 (d, J ) 1.5 Hz, 1H),
3
3
3
7.09 (d, J ) 8.7 Hz, 1H), 7.18 (dd, J ) 8.1 Hz, J ) 5.1 Hz,
1H), 7.47 (d, 3J ) 1.9 Hz, 1H), 7.65 (d, 3J ) 8.7 Hz, 1H), 8.24 (d,
3
3
3
7.03 (d, J ) 8.5 Hz, 1H), 7.11 (dd, J ) 8.0 Hz, J ) 4.5 Hz,
3
3
1H), 7.51 (d, J ) 1.5 Hz, 1H), 7.71 (d, J ) 8.5 Hz, 1H), 8.10
3J ) 8.1 Hz, 1H), 8.76 (d, J ) 5.1 Hz, 1H). 13C{1H} NMR: δ
3
3
4
3
4
(dd, J ) 8.0 Hz, J ) 1.5 Hz, 1H), 8.56 (dd, J ) 4.5 Hz, J )
1.5 Hz, 1H). 13C NMR: δ 100.9, 113.9, 116.2, 123.0, 124.0, 130.4,
136.1, 138.2, 141.7, 144.2, 146.7. Anal. Calcd for C11H7KN2: C,
64.05; H, 3.42; N, 13.58. Found: C, 64.30; H, 3.25; N, 12.32.
(PyInd)Pt(η3-CH2CMeCH2) (1a). To a suspension of [(η3-CH2-
CMeCH2)PtCl]2 (0.246 g, 0.434 mmol) in 8 mL of benzene was
added K[PyInd] (0.200 g, 0.868 mmol) as a solid. The reaction
mixture was allowed to stir for 16 h and filtered, and the solvent
volume was reduced to ca. 3 mL. The resulting solution was layered
with 10 mL of pentane and stored at room temperature for 1 day,
leading to the precipitation of a yellow solid. The solvent was
decanted, and the resulting solid was washed with pentane and dried
-26.2, -20.2, 99.9, 102.3, 115.5, 116.7, 123.8, 125.0, 129.6, 134.4,
135.8, 144.1, 145.7. Anal. Calcd for C13H13KN2Pt‚0.25(THF): C,
37.31; H, 3.36; N, 6.23. Found: C, 37.09; H, 3.05; N, 5.85. The
presence of 0.25 equiv of THF was confirmed by 1H NMR
integration.
K[(PyInd)PtPh2] (K[3a]). Following the procedure analogous
to that used to prepare K[2a], with K[PyInd] (0.100 g, 0.430 mmol)
and [(Me2S)PtPh2]2 (0.212 g, 0.258 mmol) as the reactants, K[3a]
1
was obtained as a flaky bright yellow solid (0.192 g, 77%). H
NMR (THF-d8): δ 6.52 (m, 2H), 6.55 (pt, 3J ) 7.0 Hz, 1H), 6.68
3
3
3
(dd, J ) 9.0 Hz, J ) 7.0 Hz, 2H), 6.74 (pt, J ) 6.0 Hz, 1H),
3
3
3
6.82 (dd, J ) 9.0 Hz, J ) 7.0 Hz, 4H), 6.89 (s, 1H), 7.31 (d, J
1
in vacuo, yielding 1a (0.352 g, 92%). H NMR (benzene-d6): δ
) 9.0 Hz, 1H), 7.68 (m, 6H), 8.00 (d, J ) 5.5 Hz, 1H). 13C{1H}
3
1.86 (3JPt-H ) 66.0 Hz, 3H, CH3), 2.23 (2JPt-H ) 71.4 Hz, 1H,
CH), 2.26 (2JPt-H ) 79.8 Hz, 1H, CH), 2.98 (2JPt-H ) 26.0 Hz,
1H, CH), 3.80 (2JPt-H ) 24.5 Hz, 1H, CH), 6.01 (pt, 3J ) 7.3 Hz,
1H), 6.72 (pt, 3J ) 7.0 Hz, 1H), 7.01 (s, 1H), 7.12 (d, 3J ) 8.0 Hz,
NMR: δ 97.9, 113.8, 114.8, 116.8, 117.6, 117.7, 117.8 (two
overlapping signals), 117.9, 123.8, 124.4, 126.1, 129.2, 133.5, 137.5,
138.2, 144.4, 145.6, 146.0, 153.2, 157.3. Anal. Calcd for C25H19-
KN2Pt: C, 51.63; H, 3.29; N, 4.82. Found: C, 51.43; H, 3.51; N,
4.61.
3
3
1H), 7.28 (pt, J ) 7.5 Hz, 1H), 7.43 (pt, J ) 7.0 Hz, 1H), 7.84
(d, 3J ) 8.3 Hz, 1H), 7.92 (d, 3J ) 7.5 Hz, 1H), 8.10 (d, 3J ) 5.0
K[(PyQuin)PtPh2] (K[3b]). Following the procedure analogous
to that used to prepare K[2a], with K[PyQuin] (0.050 g, 0.242
mmol) and [(Me2S)PtPh2]2 (0.097 g, 0.145 mmol) as the reactants,
(58) Rashidi, M.; Fakhroeian, Z.; Puddephatt, R. J. J. Organomet. Chem.
1991, 406, 261.

1810 Organometallics, Vol. 25, No. 7, 2006
Karshtedt et al.
1
K[3b] was obtained as a yellow solid (0.118 g, 88%). H NMR
-35 °C for 5 days, yielding 8 as a dark red oily solid (0.164 g,
63%). 1H NMR (dichloromethane-d2): δ 2.62 (m, 8H, CH2), 5.53
(2JPt-H ) 71.0 Hz, 2H, CH), 6.84 (2JPt-H ) 83.0 Hz, 2H, CH),
3
(THF-d8): δ 6.52 (br s, 1H), 6.73 (pt, J ) 7.0 Hz, 2H), 6.85 (m,
3
3
4H), 7.04 (pt, J ) 6.3 Hz, 1H), 7.08 (d, J ) 9.0 Hz, 1H), 7.32
3
3
3
3
(br s, 1H), 7.46 (d, J ) 7.0 Hz, 2H), 7.56 (pt, J ) 9.0 Hz, 3H),
6.93 (d, J ) 10.0 Hz, 1H), 7.11 (pt, J ) 9.5 Hz, 1H), 7.15 (s,
3
3
3
3
8.07 (d, J ) 4.5 Hz, 1H), 8.14 (d, J ) 7.5 Hz, 1H). 13C{1H}
NMR: δ 100.7, 115.2, 117.6, 120.9, 121.3, 123.7, 124.0, 126.6,
126.8, 129.4, 135.3, 136.1, 140.7, 140.9, 142.2, 144.9, 145.1, 147.0,
151.8. Anal. Calcd for C23H17KN2Pt: C, 49.72; H, 3.08; N, 5.04.
Found: C, 49.34; H, 2.99; N, 4.95.
1H), 7.26 (m, 2H), 7.64 (d, J ) 10.0 Hz, 1H), 7.75 (d, J ) 7.5
Hz, 1H), 8.01 (m, 2H). 13C{1H} NMR: δ 29.7, 31.9, 100.8, 101.0,
108.7, 112.5, 121.7, 122.1, 123.4, 123.5, 127.0, 131.1, 135.5 (br),
137.6 (br), 139.7 (br), 142.7, 144.0, 146.1, 146.8 (br), 149.5, 157.3.
3
3
19F{1H} NMR: δ -166.6 (t, J ) 15.0 Hz, 2F), -162.8 (t, J )
20.7 Hz, 1F), -132.3 (br s, 2F). Anal. Calcd for C45H21BF20N2Pt:
C, 45.97; H, 1.80; N, 2.38. Found: C, 45.92; H, 1.92; N, 2.32.
(PyInd)Pt(SiMe3)Me2 (4). To a suspension of K[2a] (0.080 g,
0.175 mmol) in 2 mL of benzene, trimethylsilyl triflate (0.038 g,
0.175 mmol) was added as a solution in 1 mL of benzene. After
stirring for 20 min, the solvent was removed in vacuo and the
resulting residue was extracted with 2 mL of dichloromethane and
rapidly filtered. To this solution, 10 mL of pentane was added,
causing 4 to precipitate as a powdery brown solid (0.070 g, 82%).
1H NMR (dichloromethane-d2): δ 0.06 (3JPt-H ) 21.6 Hz, 9H, Si-
Me3), 1.01 (2JPt-H ) 62.4 Hz, Pt-CH3), 1.69 (2JPt-H ) 70.4 Hz,
Thermolysis of K[2a]. A 15 mg amount of K[2a] was suspended
in 1 mL of benzene and placed in an NMR tube (a small amount
of cyclohexane-d12 was added to obtain a lock signal), which was
subsequently flame-sealed and heated to 150 °C in a temperature-
1
controlled bath for 3 days. A H NMR spectrum was obtained,
confirming the formation of methane. The solvent was then removed
under reduced pressure, and the resulting residue was redissolved
in THF-d8. The 1H and 13C NMR spectra of the product were
subsequently obtained and compared to those of the authentic
sample of K[3a] (see above), confirming that K[3a] was the major
product (68% yield). An internal ferrocene standard was used to
quantify the yield of the reaction. The reaction with benzene-d6
was conducted under the same conditions, and a 1H NMR spectrum
was obtained before the solvent was removed. While CH3D was
observed in the reaction mixture, ethane was not.
3
3
Pt-CH3), 6.91 (pt, J ) 7.2 Hz, 1H), 7.03 (pt, J ) 6.0 Hz, 1H),
7.05 (s, 1H), 7.18 (pt, 3J ) 6.0 Hz, 1H), 7.57 (d, 3J ) 8.0 Hz, 1H),
3
3
3
7.72 (d, J ) 8.0 Hz, 1H), 7.84 (pt, J ) 7.2 Hz, 1H), 7.94 (d, J
) 8.0 Hz, 1H), 8.51 (d, 3J ) 6.0 Hz, 1H). 13C{1H} NMR: δ -7.7,
0.2, 3.1, 102.7, 109.0, 113.9, 115.4, 117.9, 120.6, 121.0, 121.1,
122.2, 128.2, 131.6, 138.6, 144.9. 29Si{1H-INEPT} NMR: δ 38
(1JPt-Si ) 94 Hz). Anal. Calcd for C18H24N2PtSi: C, 43.98; H, 4.92;
N, 5.70. Found: C, 43.63; H, 4.72; N, 5.44.
Thermolysis of K[2b]. This reaction was conducted under the
same conditions as indicated for K[2a] (54% yield). The identity
of K[3b] as the major product was established by comparison of
its 1H and 13C NMR spectra to those of the authentic sample (vide
supra).
(PyInd)Pt(Me)(MeCN) (5). To a solution of K[2a] (0.080 g,
0.175 mmol) in 3 mL of acetonitrile was added [iPr2EtNH][BPh4]
(0.084 g, 0.175 mmol) as a solid. After stirring for 2 h, the solvent
was removed and the resulting residue was extracted into 5 mL of
dichloromethane and filtered. The solvent volume was then reduced
to ca. 1 mL, and the resulting solution was layered with 10 mL of
pentane and stored at -35 °C for 2 days, leading to precipitation
of 5 as a microcrystalline red solid (0.054 g, 66%). 1H NMR
(dichloromethane-d2): δ 1.45 (2JPt-H ) 81.0 Hz, 3H, Pt-CH3), 2.42
Reaction of 4 with NBu4F. To a sample of 4 (0.0090 g, 0.018
mmol) dissolved in 0.2 mL of acetonitrile-d3 was added NBu4F
(0.0048 g, 0.018 mmol) as a solution in 0.2 mL of acetonitrile-d3.
A
1H NMR spectrum of this reaction mixture was obtained,
1
3
confirming the presence of 2a (by comparison with the H NMR
spectrum of K[2a]) and trimethylsilyl fluoride (0.11 ppm, 3JF-H
7.5 Hz) as the only products.
(s, 3H, CH3CN), 6.90 (pt, J ) 7.5 Hz, 1H), 7.00 (m, 2H), 7.12
(pt, 3J ) 4.3 Hz, 1H), 7.52 (d, 3J ) 8.0 Hz, 1H), 7.73 (d, 3J ) 8.5
Hz, 1H), 7.84 (m, 2H), 8.40 (d, 3J ) 4.3 Hz, 1H). 13C{1H} NMR:
δ -25.9, 4.3, 102.2, 115.0, 117.5, 119.6, 120.9, 121.3, 121.9, 130.2,
137.4, 145.5, 147.7, 148.0, 156.3. Complex 5 was judged to be
pure by 1H NMR, but a satisfactory combustion analysis could not
be obtained. HRMS (FAB): m/z for [C16H15N3Pt]+ (M+): calcd
443.0893, obsd 443.0892 (for 194Pt).
)
Reaction of 6 with Norbornene. To a sample of 6 (0.0150 g,
0.030 mol) dissolved in 0.2 mL of fluorobenzene-d5 was added 2
equiv of norbornene (0.0057 g, 0.060 mmol) dissolved in 0.2 mL
of fluorobenzene-d5. The resulting mixture was heated for 12 h at
1
140 °C, and the organic products were analyzed by H NMR and
GC-MS, revealing the formation of exo-phenylnorbornane (64%
yield) and a small amount of norbornene dimerization products (ca.
15% yield).
(PyInd)Pt(Ph)(MeCN) (6). To a solution of K[3a] (0.070 g,
0.120 mmol) in 3 mL of acetonitrile was added [iPr2EtNH][BPh4]
(0.057 g, 0.129 mmol) as a solid. The reaction mixture was allowed
to stir for 2 h at 80 °C in a Teflon-sealed flask and allowed to cool
to room temperature, and volatile materials were then removed
under reduced pressure. The resulting residue was extracted into 5
mL of dichloromethane and filtered. The solvent volume was then
reduced to ca. 1 mL, and the resulting solution was layered with
10 mL of pentane and stored at -35 °C for 2 days, leading to
precipitation of 6 as a microcrystalline yellow-orange solid (0.049
g, 81%). 1H NMR (dichloromethane-d2): δ 2.35 (s, 3H, CH3CN),
5.88 (d, 3J ) 8.5 Hz, 1H), 6.55 (pt, 3J ) 8.0 Hz, 1H), 6.75 (pt, 3J
General Procedure for Catalytic Runs. Reactions were con-
ducted in 5 mm Wilmad NMR tubes equipped with a J. Young
Teflon-valve seal, which were heated in temperature-controlled oil
baths. Samples were prepared in a drybox by dissolving the catalyst
and norbornene in neat arene. Reaction progress was monitored
by 1H NMR spectroscopy (a small amount of cyclohexane-d12 was
added to all samples in order to obtain a lock signal). Product yields
were quantified by GC, using a calculated response factor to account
for the difference in ionization between the integration standard
(naphthalene) and exo-phenylnorbornane.
X-ray Structure Determination of 1b. X-ray-quality crystals
of 1b were obtained by vapor diffusion of pentane into a toluene
solution at room temperature. The X-ray analysis of 1b was carried
out at the Advanced Light Source facility of the Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory. Measurements were made on a Bruker
Platinum 200 CCD area detector with Si(111) channel cut crystal-
monochromated synchrotron radiation. The data were processed
using the methods indicated below for compounds 6 and 7 and are
summarized in Table 4.
3
) 7.5 Hz, 1H), 6.99 (s, 1H), 7.12 (m, 6H), 7.43 (d, J ) 7.5 Hz,
1H), 7.56 (d, 3J ) 7.0 Hz, 1H), 7.85 (m, 2H), 8.40 (d, 3J ) 5.5 Hz,
1H). 13C{1H} NMR: δ 4.3, 102.5, 116.4, 117.6, 119.5, 120.6, 121.1,
121.5, 123.4, 126.8, 130.0, 131.2, 138.0, 138.9, 146.1, 146.7, 147.5,
156.4. Anal. Calcd for C21H17N3Pt: C, 49.80; H, 3.38; N, 8.30.
Found: C, 49.77; H, 3.57; N, 8.12.
[(PyInd)Pt(COD)][B(C6F5)4] (8). To a stirred solution of 7
(0.100 g, 0.221 mmol) and 1,5-cyclooctadiene (0.024 g, 0.221
mmol) in 7 mL of dichloromethane was added Li[B(C6F5)4] (0.152
g, 0.221 mmol) as a solid. The reaction mixture was stirred for 16
h and filtered, and the solvent volume was reduced to ca. 2 mL.
The solution was then layered with 3 mL of hexane and stored at
General Considerations for the Determinations of X-ray
Structures of 6 and 7. The X-ray analyses of compounds 6 and 7

Arene ActiVations by Pt Complexes with N-Based Ligands
Organometallics, Vol. 25, No. 7, 2006 1811
7‚0.5CH2Cl2
Table 4. Summary of Crystallographic Data for 1b, 6, and 7‚0.5CH2Cl2
1b
6
formula
MW
PtFN2C17H15
461.40
PtN3C21H17
506.48
PtCl3N2C15.5H14
529.74
cryst color, habit
cryst dimens
cryst syst
red, plate
pale yellow, platelike
orange, blocklike
0.04 × 0.03 × 0.02 mm
0.19 × 0.15 × 0.05 mm
0.09 × 0.09 × 0.20 mm
monoclinic
monoclinic
monoclinic
cell determination (2θ range)
lattice type
5487 (5.42° < 2θ < 58.08°)
primitive
4501 (4.00° < 2θ < 49.00°)
primitive
2804 (5.00° < 2θ < 49.00°)
C-centered
lattice params
a ) 10.386(2) Å
b ) 13.784(3) Å
c ) 10.202(2) Å
â ) 110.111(5)°
V ) 8876(1) Å3
P21/c (#14)
a ) 10.295(2) Å
b ) 26.794(6) Å
c ) 12.618(3) Å
â ) 93.410(3)°
V ) 3474(1) Å3
P21/c (#14)
a ) 20.614(3) Å
b ) 15.956(2) Å
c ) 9.241(1) Å
â ) 101.447(1)°
V ) 2979.2(6) Å3
C2/c (#15)
space group
Z value
Dcalc
4
8
8
2.131 g/cm3
1.936 g/cm3
2.362 g/cm3
µ
synchrotron, 12.10 cm-1
-100 °C
Mo KR, 80.52 cm-1
-140 °C
Mo KR, 99.13 cm-1
-135 °C
temperature
scan type
no. of reflns measd
ω (0.3° per frame)
total: 10 808
ω (0.3° per frame)
total: 15 281
ω (0.3° per frame)
total: 6678
unique: 2957 (Rint ) 0.0391)
Lorentz-polarization
abs (Tmax ) 0.7939, Tmin ) 0.6432)
direct methods (SIR97)
full-matrix least-squares
2571 [I > 2.0σ(I)]
190
unique: 4042 (Rint ) 0.043)
Lorentz-polarization
abs (Tmax ) 1.00, Tmin ) 0.48)
direct methods (SIR97)
full-matrix least-squares
4151 [I > 3.0σ(I)]
451
unique: 2710 (Rint ) 0.045)
Lorentz-polarization
abs (Tmax ) 1.00, Tmin ) 0.45)
direct methods (SIR97)
full-matrix least squares
1893 [I > 3.0σ(I)]
198
corrections
structure solution
refinement
no. reflns obsd
no. variables
R; Rw; Rall
GOF
max. peak in final diff map
min. peak in final diff map
0.0301; 0.0743; 0.0357
1.107
0.038; 0.042; 0.062
1.37
0.032; 0.037; 0.050
1.23
1.933 e-/Å3
1.30 e-/Å3
1.00 e-/Å3
-0.561 e-/Å3
-2.57 e-/Å3
-1.51 e-/Å3
were carried out at the UC Berkeley CHEXRAY crystallographic
facility. Measurements were made on a Bruker SMART CCD area
detector with graphite-monochromated Mo KR radiation (λ )
0.71069 Å). Data were integrated by the program SAINT and
analyzed for agreement using XPREP. Empirical absorption cor-
rections were made using SADABS. Structures were solved by
direct methods and expanded using Fourier techniques. All calcula-
tions were performed using the teXsan crystallographic software
package. Selected crystal and structure refinement data are sum-
marized in Table 4.
Computational Details
Method. Quantum mechanical calculations were performed at
the University of California, Berkeley Molecular Graphics Facility
using a 98 cpu-cluster with 2.8 GHz Xeon processors. The DFT
calculation on 2a was carried out by implementing the B3LYP
exchange-correlation functional59 with the LACVP**++ basis set,
using Jaguar 5.5. The geometry of 2a was fully optimized in the
gas phase without symmetry constraints. Vibrational frequencies
were calculated to ensure that local minima lacked any negative
frequencies.
X-ray Structure Determination of 6. X-ray-quality crystals of
6 formed upon slow evaporation of a dilute dichloromethane
solution. The compound crystallizes in the centric monoclinic space
group P21/c with two molecules in the asymmetric unit and eight
molecules in the unit cell. The pyridinyl moieties of the ligands in
adjacent molecules are essentially parallel to each other and have
a plane-to-plane closest approach of about 3.25 Å. All hydrogen
atom positions were calculated but not refined.
X-ray Structure Determination of 7. X-ray quality crystals of
7 formed upon slow evaporation of a dilute dichloromethane
solution. The compound crystallizes with one molecule of 7 and
one-half molecule of dichloromethane in the asymmetric unit, and
the dichloromethane sits on the crystallographic 2-fold axis in the
cell. Non-hydrogen atoms were refined anisotropically. The data
set was of sufficient quality that the positions of the four hydrogen
atoms of the ethylene ligand could be refined with the thermal
parameters fixed at reasonable values. Other hydrogens were
included in calculated positions and not refined.
Acknowledgment is made to Dr. Paul Glaser for the synthesis
of K[PyQuin], to Dr. Fred Hollander and Dr. Allen Oliver for
assistance with the X-ray crystallography, and to Dr. Kathy
Durkin for training at the Molecular Graphics Facility. This work
was supported by the Director, Office of Energy Research,
Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Chemical Sciences Division,
of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-
05CH11231.
Supporting Information Available: X-ray crystallographic data
for 1b, 6, and 7 (CIF). This material is available free of charge via
the Internet at http://pubs.acs.org.
OM0600902
(59) (a) Becke, A. D. J. Chem. Phys. 1993, 98, 5648. (b) Lee, C.; Yang,
W.; Parr, R. G. Phys. ReV. B 1988, 37, 785.