Carbene Iridium(I) and Iridium(III) Complexes Containing the Metal Center in Different Stereochemical Environments

Abstract

The mixed-ligand complex [IrCl(C2H4)(SbiPr3)(PiPr3)] (2), prepared from [IrCl(C2H4)(PiPr3)]2 (1) and SbiPr3, reacts not only with CO, diphenylacetylene, and H2 by ligand substitution or oxidative addition but also with diaryldiazomethanes R2CN2 to give the four-coordinate iridium(I) carbenes [IrCl(CR2)(SbiPr3)(PiPr3)] (8−10) in 60−70% isolated yield. In contrast, treatment of 2 and of the related cyclooctene derivative trans-[IrCl(C8H14)(SbiPr3)2] (12) with C5Cl4N2 affords the diazoalkane complexes trans-[IrCl(N2C5Cl4)(SbiPr3)(EiPr3)] (11, E = P; 13, E = Sb) without elimination of N2. Displacement of the stibine ligand in 8−10 by PiPr3 leads to the corresponding bis(phosphine) compounds trans-[IrCl(CR2)(PiPr3)2] (14−16), while the reaction of 8 (R = C6H5) with NaC5H5 yields the half-sandwich-type complex [(η5-C5H5)Ir(CPh2)(PiPr3)] (17). Protonation of 17 with HCl occurs stepwise to give via the iridium(III) alkyl [(η5-C5H5)IrCl(CHPh2)(PiPr3)] (20) the ring-substituted isomer [(η5-C5H4CHPh2)IrHCl(PiPr3)] (21); however, if 17 is treated with HBF4, a cationic complex is formed which probably contains a η3-coordinated benzylic ligand. The square-planar iridium(I) carbenes 8 and 14 react with HBX4 (X = F, ArF) to afford the ionic products [IrHCl(CPh2)(PiPr3)(EiPr3)]BX4 (23, 24, E = P; 25, E = Sb) and with HCl to give the relatively labile octahedral species [IrHCl2(CPh2)(PiPr3)(EiPr3)] (26, E = P; 27, E = Sb). Treatment of 8 and 14 with ethene yields, besides [IrCl(C2H4)2(SbiPr3)2] (18) and/or trans-[IrCl(C2H4)(PiPr3)2] (28), a mixture of two isomeric olefinic products CH2CHCHPh2 (29) and CH3CHCPh2 (30), the ratio of which is independent of the ligand sphere of the iridium precursor. The molecular structures of 13, 14, 17, and 24 have been determined by X-ray crystallography.