3
III
C ACHTUNGTRENNUNG( sp )-Cyclometalated Ir Compounds
FULL PAPER
atmospheres. Although the active catalytic species are still
3
unknown, the reactivity of the C
A
H
U
G
R
N
U
G
2
and different from well-studied C ACHUTNGRNENUG( sp )-metalated com-
pounds. Currently, mechanistic studies and the syntheses of
more sophisticated complexes, as well as enantiopure chiral
compounds of this type, are in progress.
bond, and displacement of the product from Ir by the iso-
propoxide ligand might be greatly facilitated by a strong
3
[20]
trans-influence imposed by the C AHCUTNGRNENUG( sp ) ligand (Scheme 3).
Experimental Section
General considerations: Iridium chloride hydrate (98%), iPrOH (HPLC
grade), and all starting ketones were purchased from Aldrich. All re-
agents were used without further purification. 1,8-bis(diisopropylphosphi-
[
5]
no)triptycene was synthesized according to the published procedure.
All reagents were weighed and handled in air. Flash column chromatog-
raphy was performed with Merck ultra pure silica gel (230–400 mesh)
purchased from Fluka. All reactions were carried out under air in single-
1
13
use screw-capped tubes. H NMR and C NMR spectra were recorded
on a Bruker 400 MHz instrument with chemical shifts reported in ppm
relative to the residual deuterated solvent or the internal standard tetra-
methylsilane. IR spectra were recorded using Bruker Vector 22 instru-
ment. Gas chromatography analyses were performed on a Hewlett Pack-
ard 5890 instrument with a FID detector and a Hewlett Packard 25 mꢁ
0.2 mm internal diameter Supelcowax–10 capillary column. Yields refer
to isolated compounds of greater than 95% purity, as determined by
Scheme 3. Proposed catalytic cycle for 2.
Another interesting point to be addressed in our future
studies is the possible “hemilability” of the PC ACHUTNGRENNUG( sp )P ligand.
At this point, we can only speculate about the reasons for
the high catalytic activity of 2, but if the ligand is indeed
3
1
H NMR analysis. Yields reported in Table 1 are an average of two runs.
Compound 2: A solution of IrCl
3 2
·H O (0.2 g, 0.67 mmol) and 1,8-bis(di-
“hemilabile”, an alternative mechanism involving a dissocia-
AHCTUNGTREiNNNUG sopropylphosphino)triptycene (1, 0.65 g, 1.34 mmol) in N,N-dimethylfor-
tion–association sequence could play a role in the catalytic
cycle (Scheme 4). Indeed, hemilabile PNP pincer-type cata-
mamide (DMF, 10 mL) was heated at reflux for 48 h under nitrogen.
DMF was removed from the reaction mixture by distillation under re-
[21]
duced pressure, and the off-white residue was recrystallized three times
lysts were recently reported.
1
from methanol, affording
2
(0.37 g, 0.48 mmol, 71%). H NMR
(
400 MHz, CDCl3): d=1.02 (6H, dd, J=7.0 Hz, J=8.0 Hz), 1.29 (6H,
dd, J=7.0 Hz, J=8.0 Hz), 1.71 (12H,
m), 2.52 (H, m), 3.85 (2H, m), 5.35
(
(
1H, s), 6.81 (1H, t, J=6.5 Hz), 6.88
1H, t, J=7.3), 7.08 (2H, t, J=
8
(
.6 Hz), 7.17 (1H, d, J=6.5 Hz), 7.28
2H, d), 7.30 (2H, t, J=7.3 Hz),
.40 ppm (1H, t, J=7.3 Hz);
C NMR, (400 MHz, CDCl ): d=0.0
d, J=30.8 Hz), 20.80, 21.86, 26.63 (t,
7
1
3
3
(
J=14.7 Hz), 28.29 (t, J=14.7 Hz),
4.81, 52.03, 54.66, 123.03, 124.3 (d,
J=24.1 Hz), 125.03, 125.6 (d, J=
3
1
2
1
1
6.1 Hz), 128.53, 130.70 (t, J=
6.2 Hz), 144.39 (t, J=7.0 Hz), 149.02,
51.70,
164.3
(t,
J=12.1 Hz),
3
1
67.27 ppm;
P NMR
(100 MHz,
CDCl
3
): d=34.38 ppm. IR (neat): n˜ =
À1
2
020 cm (C=O); elemental analysis
2 2
calcd (%) for C33H39Cl IrOP : C 51.03,
H 5.06; found: C 50.71, H 5.23.
Scheme 4. An alternative catalytic cycle for 2.
General procedure for catalytic trans-
fer hydrogenation of ketones: In a typ-
ical catalytic transfer-hydrogenation
procedure, in
capped reaction tube, as solution of
the catalyst and NaOtBu in iPrOH (0.5 mL) was preheated to 828C. A
solution of the substrate in 4m iPrOH was then injected into the reaction
mixture. After equilibrium was attained, the solvent was removed by
evaporation under reduced pressure. Products were isolated after a stan-
a
single-use screw-
Conclusions
III
To conclude, we reported the synthesis of a robust Ir PC-
ACHTUNGTRENNUNG( sp )P compound, based on a 1,8-bis(diisopropylphosphino)-
3
triptycene scaffold, that demonstrated fascinating coordina-
tion chemistry, a robust nature and exceptional catalytic ac-
tivity in hydrogen transfer reactions, even under non-inert
dard workup and purified, if needed, by flash chromatography.
1
1
-Phenylethanol (CAS Registry No.: 98-85-1): H NMR (400 MHz,
3
CDCl ): d=1.5 (3H, d, J=6.5 Hz), 2.02 (1H, s), 4.89 (1H, q, J=6.5 Hz),
Chem. Eur. J. 2008, 14, 10364 – 10368
ꢀ 2008 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
10367