A cobalt templated outer sphere hydrogen bond donor catalyst derived from 2-guanidinobenzimidazole: Synthesis, applications in carbon–carbon bond forming reactions, structure

Abstract

A lipophilic tricationic cobalt tris(chelate) complex of 2-guanidinobenzimidazole (GBI), [Co(GBI)3]3+ 3BArf– (23+ 3BArf–; BArf = B(3,5-C6H3(CF3)2)4), is prepared from the corresponding hydrophilic trichloride salt and Na+ BArf– or Ag+ BArf– under aqueous/organic biphasic conditions. This racemic chiral complex, which is obtained as a mer isomer and a tetradecahydrate as assayed by NMR and TGA, is an excellent catalyst for additions of dimethyl malonate and indole to trans-ß-nitrostyrenes (10 mol%), and cycloadditions of CO2 to epoxides (1 mol%; solvent-free). Average yields (84 %, 91 %, 81 %) and rates are slightly greater than those obtained with a monocationic ruthenium GBI complex [(η5-C5H5)Ru(CO)(GBI)]+ BArf– prepared earlier. Attempted crystallization of 23+ 3Cl– gives a tetramethanol solvate of a salt derived from loss of two molecules of HCl. This can be represented as [Co(GBI)(GBI–H)2]+ Cl−, and bond lengths and hydrogen bonding motifs are carefully analyzed, especially in the context of dominant chelate resonance forms.