Reaction of bis(o-phosphinophenyl)silane with M(PPh3)4 (M = Ni, Pd, Pt): synthesis and structural analysis of η2-(Si–H) metal(0) and pentacoordinate silyl metal(ii) hydride complexes of the Ni triad bearing a PSiP-pincer ligand

Abstract

Reactions of bis(o-(diphenylphosphino)phenyl)methylsilane with M(PPh(3))(4) (M = Ni, Pd, Pt) were investigated. When M = Ni or Pd, synthesis and isolation of η(2)-(Si-H) complexes of mononuclear Ni(0) and Pd(0) were achieved for the first time as frozen intermediates for oxidative addition of the Si-H bond. Structural analysis by X-ray and NMR spectroscopy disclosed that their η(2)-(Si-H) structures were maintained in both solid and solution states and coordination of the Si-H bond to the metal center was relatively weak. On the other hand, reaction with a platinum(0) complex afforded two kinds of pentacoordinate silyl platinum(II) hydride complexes having a PSiP-pincer ligand, which underwent unique thermal isomerization from a square-pyramidal cis-H-Pt-Si to a trigonal-bipyramidal trans-H-Pt-Si isomer. Mechanistic investigations revealed that this isomerization proceeded via an intramolecular rearrangement process probably through a turnstile rotation.