Iridium Pincer Complex Research Articles

ChemInform Abstract: Selective Catalytic Transfer Dehydrogenation of Alkanes and Heterocycles by an Iridium Pincer Complex.

AbstractA new phosphinothious/phosphinite Ir pincer complex is prepared and successfully applied as catalyst for the transfer dehydrogenation of a variety of heterocycles using 3,3‐dimethylbuten as hydrogen acceptor.

Catalytic Cleavage of Ether CO Bonds by Pincer Iridium Complexes

AbstractThe development of efficient catalytic methods to cleave the relatively unreactive CO bonds of ethers remains an important challenge in catalysis. Building on our group’s recent work, we report the dehydroaryloxylation of aryl alkyl ethers using pincer iridium catalysts. This method represents a rare fully atom‐economical method for ether CO bond cleavage.

Catalytic cleavage of ether C-O bonds by pincer iridium complexes.

The development of efficient catalytic methods to cleave the relatively unreactive C-O bonds of ethers remains an important challenge in catalysis. Building on our group's recent work, we report the dehydroaryloxylation of aryl alkyl ethers using pincer iridium catalysts. This method represents a rare fully atom-economical method for ether C-O bond cleavage.

Catalytic dehydrogenation of cyclooctane and triethylamine using aliphatic iridium pincer complexes

The majority of the known pincer iridium based catalysts for dehydrogenation of alkanes has arene-based backbones. Here, the catalytic activity of aliphatic iridium pincer complexes, viz. the cyclohexane-based phosphine complex (PCyP)IrHCl (4) (PCyP={cis-1,3-bis-[(di-tert-butylphosphino)methyl]cyclohexane}−) and the 2-methylpropane-based phosphinite complex (POCOP)IrHCl (5) (POCOP=1,3-bis-(di-tert-butylphosphinito)-2-methylpropane−), in dehydrogenation of cyclooctane and triethylamine was studied. They give TONs that are in the range of 0–200. In addition, improved procedures for synthesis and metallation of the PCyP ligand (3) are presented.

Insight into the mechanism of carbonyl hydrosilylation catalyzed by Brookhart's cationic iridium(III) pincer complex.

New experimental findings suggest partial revision of the currently accepted mechanism of the carbonyl hydrosilylation catalyzed by the iridium(III) pincer complex introduced by Brookhart. Employing silicon-stereogenic silanes as a stereochemical probe results in racemization rather than inversion of the configuration at the silicon atom. The degree of the racemization is, however, affected by the silane/carbonyl compound ratio, and inversion is seen with excess silane. Independently preparing the silylcarboxonium ion intermediate and testing its reactivity then helped to rationalize that effect. The stereochemical analysis together with these control experiments, rigorous multinuclear NMR analysis, and quantum-chemical calculations clearly prove that another silane molecule participates in the hydride transfer. The activating role of the silane is unexpected but, in fact, vital for the catalytic cycle to close.

Synthesis and characterization of carbazolide-based iridium PNP pincer complexes. Mechanistic and computational investigation of alkene hydrogenation: evidence for an Ir(III)/Ir(V)/Ir(III) catalytic cycle.

New carbazolide-based iridium pincer complexes ((carb)PNP)Ir(C2H4), 3a, and ((carb)PNP)Ir(H)2, 3b, have been prepared and characterized. The dihydride, 3b, reacts with ethylene to yield the cis-dihydride ethylene complex cis-((carb)PNP)Ir(C2H4)(H)2. Under ethylene this complex reacts slowly at 70 °C to yield ethane and the ethylene complex, 3a. Kinetic analysis establishes that the reaction rate is dependent on ethylene concentration and labeling studies show reversible migratory insertion to form an ethyl hydride complex prior to formation of 3a. Exposure of cis-((carb)PNP)Ir(C2H4)(H)2 to hydrogen results in very rapid formation of ethane and dihydride, 3b. DFT analysis suggests that ethane elimination from the ethyl hydride complex is assisted by ethylene through formation of ((carb)PNP)Ir(H)(Et)(C2H4) and by H2 through formation of ((carb)PNP)Ir(H)(Et)(H2). Elimination of ethane from Ir(III) complex ((carb)PNP)Ir(H)(Et)(H2) is calculated to proceed through an Ir(V) complex ((carb)PNP)Ir(H)3(Et) which reductively eliminates ethane with a very low barrier to return to the Ir(III) dihydride, 3b. Under catalytic hydrogenation conditions (C2H4/H2), cis-((carb)PNP)Ir(C2H4)(H)2 is the catalyst resting state, and the catalysis proceeds via an Ir(III)/Ir(V)/Ir(III) cycle. This is in sharp contrast to isoelectronic (PCP)Ir systems in which hydrogenation proceeds through an Ir(III)/Ir(I)/Ir(III) cycle. The basis for this remarkable difference is discussed.

ChemInform Abstract: Olefin Hydroaryloxylation Catalyzed by Pincer—Iridium Complexes.

AbstractAn intensive investigation of the reaction mechanism is presented.

Selective Catalytic Transfer Dehydrogenation of Alkanes and Heterocycles by an Iridium Pincer Complex

AbstractCatalytic alkane dehydrogenation is a reaction with tremendous potential for application. We describe a highly active PSCOP‐pincer iridium catalyst for transfer dehydrogenation of cyclic and linear alkanes. The dehydrogenation of linear alkanes occurs under relatively mild conditions with high regioselectivity for α‐olefin formation. In addition, the catalyst system is very effective in the dehydrogenation of heterocycles to form heteroarenes and olefinic products.

Selective Catalytic Transfer Dehydrogenation of Alkanes and Heterocycles by an Iridium Pincer Complex

AbstractCatalytic alkane dehydrogenation is a reaction with tremendous potential for application. We describe a highly active PSCOP‐pincer iridium catalyst for transfer dehydrogenation of cyclic and linear alkanes. The dehydrogenation of linear alkanes occurs under relatively mild conditions with high regioselectivity for α‐olefin formation. In addition, the catalyst system is very effective in the dehydrogenation of heterocycles to form heteroarenes and olefinic products.

IrCl{N(CHCHPtBu2)2}]−: a versatile source of the IrI(PNP) pincer platform

The iridium(II) complex [IrCl{N(CHCHPtBu2)2}] is reduced by KC8 to give the anionic iridium(I) pincer complex [IrCl{N(CHCHPtBu2)2}](-) which was isolated and fully characterized upon stabilization of the counter cation with crown ether as [K(15-cr-5)2][IrCl{N(CHCHPtBu2)2}]. This unprecedented anionic iridium(I) pincer complex completes the unusual, structurally characterized Ir(I)/Ir(II)/Ir(III) redox series [IrCl{N(CHCHPtBu2)2}](-/0/+), all in a square-planar coordination geometry, emphasizing the versatility of this PNP pincer ligand in stabilizing a broad range of oxidation states. The anionic chloro complex is a versatile source of the Ir(PNP) platform. Its reactivity was examined towards chloride ligand substitution against CO and N2, and oxidative addition of C-electrophiles, C-H bonds and dioxygen, allowing for the isolation of iridium(I) and iridium(III) (PNP) carbonyl, hydrocarbyl and peroxo complexes which were spectroscopically and crystallographically characterized.

Benzo annulated cycloheptatriene PCP pincer iridium complexes.

The benzo annulated cycloheptatriene PCP pincer ligand was prepared in five steps. Treatment of with Ir(CO)3Cl gave the meridional cyclometalated chlorohydrido carbonyl iridium complexes which differ in their arrangement of the H, Cl, and CO ligands around iridium. Storing in THF led to isomerization processes. Hydrogen shifts from the sp(3)-CH carbon bound to iridium into the ligand backbone produced the three isomers . Reductive elimination of HCl from these complexes resulted in the square planar Ir(i) carbonyl complexes . Abstraction of the hydrogen from the sp(3)-CH-Ir fragment could be achieved either by treatment of with Ph3CBF4 or by the elimination of H2 which is initiated by CF3SO3H. The mass spectrometric characterisation of using fast atom bombardment reveals a complex fragmentation pattern. These different "fragment" ions were further investigated by electro-spray ionisation (tandem) mass spectrometry in high and low resolution. The identified compounds were attributed to structures by DFT calculations.

Olefin Hydroaryloxylation Catalyzed by Pincer–Iridium Complexes

Aryl alkyl ethers, which are widely used throughout the chemical industry, are typically produced via the Williamson ether synthesis. Olefin hydroaryloxylation potentially offers a much more atom-economical alternative. Known acidic catalysts for hydroaryloxylation, however, afford very poor selectivity. We report the organometallic-catalyzed intermolecular hydroaryloxylation of unactivated olefins by iridium "pincer" complexes. These catalysts do not operate via the hidden Brønsted acid pathway common to previously developed transition-metal-based catalysts. The reaction is proposed to proceed via olefin insertion into an iridium-alkoxide bond, followed by rate-determining C-H reductive elimination to yield the ether product. The reaction is highly chemo- and regioselective and offers a new approach to the atom-economical synthesis of industrially important ethers and, potentially, a wide range of other oxygenates.

Partial Deoxygenation of Glycerol Catalyzed by Iridium Pincer Complexes

Iridium pincer complexes (POCOP)Ir(CO) (POCOP = κ3-C6H3-1,3-[OP(tBu)2]2) and substituted POCOP derivatives catalyze deoxygenation of glycerol to n-propanol and 1,3-propanediol in good yield under moderate conditions (acidic aqueous dioxane, 200 °C, 80 bar H2). Catalyst solubility in the polar reaction mixture is improved by incorporation of a polar moiety in the para position of the POCOP phenyl ring, with the best results obtained with a dimethylamino substituent.

Synthesis of Piperylene and Toluene via Transfer Dehydrogenation of Pentane and Pentene

The highly thermally stable anthraphos-based iridium pincer complex (iPr4Anthraphos)Ir(C2H4) 3, was shown to catalyze transfer dehydrogenation of pentene and pentane using various olefins as acceptors in the temperature range of 160–250 °C. Using pentene itself as an acceptor, disproportionation of pentene to pentane and pentadiene was observed, but yields of (E)- and (Z)-1,3-pentadienes (piperylenes) were limited to ∼25% as a result of a self-Diels–Alder reaction of the 1,3-dienes to produce isomeric mixtures of the C10 dimers. Using propylene as the acceptor, higher yields of piperylenes were obtained (∼40%), but self-Diels–Alder adducts were again observed along with low fractions of propylene/pentadiene Diels–Alder adducts. Using ethylene as the acceptor, the pentadienes produced via hydrogen transfer undergo an in situ Diels–Alder reaction with ethylene to produce 3-methylcyclohexene (along with toluene from further dehydrogenation) in good yields (65%). 3-Methylcylohexene was quantitatively dehydrog...

Highly Active Catalysts for the Transfer Dehydrogenation of Alkanes: Synthesis and Application of Novel 7–6–7 Ring‐Based Pincer Iridium Complexes

A series of Ir-PCP pincer precatalysts [(7-6-7-(R) PCP)Ir(H)(Cl)] and [(7-6-7-(Ar) PCP)Ir(H)(Cl)(MeCN)] bearing a novel "7-6-7" fused-ring skeleton have been synthesized based upon the postulate that the catalytic species would have durability due to their rather rigid structure and high activity owing to the low but sufficient flexibility of their backbones, which are not completely fixed. Treatment of these precatalysts with NaOtBu gave rise to the active 14 electron (14e) species [(7-6-7-(iPr) PCP)Ir] and [(7-6-7-(Ph) PCP)Ir], which can trap hydrogen and were spectroscopically characterized as the tetrahydride complexes. Both [(7-6-7-(iPr) PCP)Ir] and [(7-6-7-(Ph) PCP)Ir] were found to be highly effective in the transfer dehydrogenation of cyclooctane with tert-butylethylene as the hydrogen acceptor, the initial reaction rate at high temperature (230 °C) being higher for [(7-6-7-(iPr) PCP)Ir] than [(7-6-7-(Ph) PCP)Ir], and the turnover number (TON) of the overall hydrogen transfer being higher for the latter. Nonetheless, the estimated TONs were as high as 4600 and 4820 for the two complexes at this temperature, respectively, which are unprecedented absolute values. In terms of durability, the [(7-6-7-(Ph) PCP)Ir] complex is the catalyst of choice for this reaction. Structural analysis and computational studies support the importance of the low flexibility of the ligand core.

Complexes with Hybrid Phosphorus-NHC Ligands: Pincer-Type Ir Hydrides, Dinuclear Ag and Ir and Tetranuclear Cu and Ag Complexes

Three types of hybrid phosphorus-imidazolium salts, 1-methyl-3-(3-((diphenylphosphino)methyl)benzyl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium hexafluorophosphate (2·PF6), 1-methyl-3-(3-(di-tert-butylphosphinooxy)phenyl)imidazolium iodide (8a), and 3-(3-((diphenylphosphoryl)methyl)phenyl)-1-methyl-1H-imidazol-3-ium iodide (11) have been prepared and used as precursors to phosphine-NHC, phosphinite-NHC, and phosphoryl-NHC metal complexes, respectively. The structure of 11 has been determined by X-ray diffraction. The Ag(I) and Ir(I) complexes of the phosphine-NHC ligand, [Ag(μ-P-NHC,κC,κP)]2(PF6)2 (3) and [Ir(cod)(μ-P-NHC,κC,κP)]2(PF6)2 (4), were obtained and characterized by NMR, ESI-MS, elemental analysis, and X-ray diffraction. Both complexes are dinuclear and dicationic, with two P-NHC ligands bridging the two metal centers. The presence of the P donor led for 3 to an unprecedented structure compared to that of related Ag(I) complexes with trans spanning bis-NHC ligands. Complex 4 is the first example of a dinuclear iridium complex with a hybrid P-NHC ligand. The new hydrido, Ir(III) pincer-type complex [IrH(CNHCCCNHC)(MeCN)]PF6 (7) is suggested to have a square-pyramidal structure. The tetranuclear Ag(I) complex with the phosphinite-NHC ligand, [Ag2(μ3-I)(μ-PO-NHC,κP,κCNHC)]2 (9a) has a cubane-type structure, with alternating silver and iodine apexes and two PO-NHC ligands bridging opposite edges of the Ag4 tetrahedron. The Ir(III) pincer complexes [IrH(I)(PO-NHC,κP,κC,κCNHC)(Me)] (10a) and [IrH(I)(PO-NHC,κP,κC,κCNHC)(n-Bu)] (10b), with Me or n-Bu substituents on the nitrogen atom, respectively, have been prepared and characterized. Ag(I) and Cu(I) complexes with the phosphoryl-NHC ligand are reported and the centrosymmetric structure of the latter, [Cu(OP-NHC,κCNHC)2(μ-I){Cu(μ-I)}]2 (13), was established by X-ray diffraction and consists of a central Cu2(μ-I)2 rhombus connected by single iodide bridges to two Cu(OP-NHC,κCNHC)2 moieties. The Ir(III) hydride pincer complexes 10a,b were tested as catalyst precursors for the C-H bond activation of alkanes. Although their efficiency was significantly lower for transfer dehydrogenation from cyclooctane (coa) to t-butylethylene (tbe) than that of known PCP-Ir systems, these results represent the first attempts to study the catalytic properties of hybrid P-NHC iridium pincer complexes.

ChemInform Abstract: Iridium‐Catalyzed Selective α‐Alkylation of Unactivated Amides with Primary Alcohols.

The first a-alkylation of unactivated amides with primary alcohols is described. An effective and robust iridium pincer complex has been developed for selective alpha-alkylation of tertiary and secondary acetamides involving a borrowing hydrogen methodo

SiH Bond Activation: Bridging Lewis Acid Catalysis with Brookhart’s Iridium(III) Pincer Complex and B(C6F5)3

Different but almost equal: The striking similarities between Brookhart's iridium(III) pincer complex and the electron-deficient tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane in transformations involving SiH bond activation are highlighted. Coordination of the SiH bond to either Lewis acid enhances the electrophilicity of the silicon atom, thereby enabling its transfer to various Lewis basic groups (see scheme, Do=acetone).

Iridium-Catalyzed Selective α-Alkylation of Unactivated Amides with Primary Alcohols

The first α-alkylation of unactivated amides with primary alcohols is described. An effective and robust iridium pincer complex has been developed for selective α-alkylation of tertiary and secondary acetamides involving a "borrowing hydrogen" methodology. The method is compatible with alcohols bearing various functional groups. This presents a convenient and environmentally benign protocol for α-alkylation of amides.

Dehydrogenation of Alcohols by Bis(phosphinite) Benzene Based and Bis(phosphine) Ruthenocene Based Iridium Pincer Complexes

Dehydrogenation of alcohols by three iridium pincer complexes, IrH(Cl)[2,6-(tBu2PO)2C6H3] (1), {IrH(acetone)[2,6-(tBu2PO)2C6H3]}{BF4} (2), and IrH(Cl)[{2,5-(tBu2PCH2)2C5H2}Ru(C5H5)] (3), is reported, in both the presence and the absence of a sacrificial hydrogen acceptor. Dehydrogenation of secondary alcohols proceeds in a catalytic mode with turnover numbers up to 3420 (85% conversion) for acceptorless dehydrogenation of 1-phenylethanol. Primary alcohols are readily decarbonylated even at room temperature to give catalytically inactive 16e Ir–CO adducts. The mechanism of this transformation was studied in detail, especially for EtOH; new intermediates were isolated and characterized.