Reactions of the allenylidenes trans-[IrCl[=C=C=C(ph)R](PiPr3)2] with electrophiles: generation of butatriene-, carbene-, and carbyne- iridium complexes.

Abstract

The allenylidenciridium(I) complexes trans-[IrX(=C=C-CPh2)(PiPr3)2] (X = Cl: 1; X = I: 2) react with excess methyl iodide by C-C coupling and elimination of HI to give the eta2-butatriene compounds trans-[IrX-(eta2-CH2=C=C=CPh2)(PiPr3)2] (3, 4), of which 3 (X = Cl) was characterized by X-ray crystallography. Treatment of 1 and 5 (containing C=C=C(Ph)tBu as the allenylidene ligand) with HCI leads to the formation of the six-coordinate hydridoiridium(III) complexes [IrHCl2[= C=C=C(Ph)R](PiPr3)2] (6, 7) by oxidative addition at the metal center. In contrast, the reactions of 1 and 5 with both CF3CO2H and CF3SO3H afford the four-coordinate vinylcarbene compounds trans-[IrCl[=C(X)-CH=C(Ph)R[(PiPr3)2] (8-10). For X= CF3CO2, in nitromethane a dissociation of the C-X bond occurs and the cationic iridium carbynes trans-[IrCl[=C-CH=C(Ph)R](PiPr3)2]+ are generated. Upon addition of NaBPh4, the stable carbyne complexes 11b (R= Ph) and 12b (R = tBu) with BPh4 as the counterion were isolated in almost quantitative yields. The X-ray crystal structure analysis of 6 reveals that the chloro ligands are cis and the phosphane ligands trans disposed.