Dirhodium(II) Compounds with Bridging Thienylphosphines: Studies on Reversible P,C/P,S Coordination

Abstract

Monocyclometalated compound [Rh(2){(C(8)H(4)S)P(C(8)H(5)S)(2)}(CH(3)CO(2)H)(2)(O(2)CCH(3))(3)] (1 a) and bis-cyclometalated compound [Rh(2){(C(8)H(4)S)P(C(8)H(5)S)(2)}(2)(CH(3)CO(2)H)(2)(O(2)CCH(3))(2)] (2 a) have been isolated from the reaction of dirhodium tetraacetate and tris(2-benzo[b]thienyl)phosphine (2 BTP) using low acidic solutions. By contrast, in pure acetic acid the reaction of Rh(2)(O(2)CCH(3))(4) with 2 BTP and tris(2-thienyl)phosphine (2 TP), followed by replacement of the axial acetate ligands by chlorides, led to [Rh(2){(2-C(8)H(5)S)P(2-C(8)H(5)S)(2)}(2)Cl(2)(O(2)CCH(3))(2)] (3 b) and [Rh(2){(2-C(4)H(3)S)P(C(4)H(3)S)(2)}(2)Cl(2)(O(2)CCH(3))(2)] (5 b), respectively. These new dirhodium(II) compounds possess equatorial bridging ligands in a phosphorous-sulfur (P,S) coordination mode. The reversible switching between the P,C and P,S bonding mode of the phosphine has been studied in the monocyclometalated [Rh(2){(C(4)H(2)S)P(C(4)H(3)S)(2)}(CH(3)CO(2)H)(2)(O(2)CCH(3))(3)] (6 a), which was selectively transformed into compound [Rh(2){(2-C(4)H(3)S)P(C(4)H(3)S)(2)}(CF(3)SO(3))(CH(3)CO(2)H)(O(2)CCH(3))(3)] (7 c) in triflic acid media. Remarkably, compound 7 c reverts to the starting compound 6 a upon treatment with sodium acetate. Theoretical DFT calculations for both the P,C/P,S rearrangement and the base-promoted reversion have been performed to explain the experimental findings. Data suggest the P,C/P,S rearrangement occurs by means of a "concerted protonation-demetalation mechanism" followed by eta(2) coordination of the thienyl ring and subsequent isomerization to the S-eta(1)-coordination mode. In the reversion reaction, the base coordinated at the axial position would promote a concerted metalation-deprotonation mechanism.