Group 5 Vanadium, Niobium and Tantalum

Although group 5 organometallic systems have been found to be of relevance in transition-metal catalyzed hydroboration reactions, structurally authenticated group 5 boryl complexes remain relatively few in number. Smith and co-workers, for example, have probed the mechanisms for the formation of niobium and tantalum mono- and bis(boryls) from propylene complex precursors, with concomitant formation of propyl boronate esters [31,32]. Of particular interest from a structural viewpoint are the relative merits of alternative bonding descriptions for metal(V) boryl bis(hydrides) as borohydride complexes or as mono(hydride) a-borane systems [31-34]. 

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The 5th group metals a summary of their atomic and physical properties Vanadium, niobium and tantalum have only the bcc, W-type, structure no high-temperature or high-pressure polymorphs are known. 

Although there are few five-membered metallacycles reported for group 5, there are some examples of metallacyclopentane compounds for niobium and tantalum. The reaction of the labile vanadium naphthalene complex [CpV(Ci0H8)] with ethene provided the unusual binuclear complex [Cp2V2(p-C4H8)2] (34 [Eq. (13)], Fig. 9) in which the two vanadium centres are bridged by two butanediyl groups.38... 

The atoms of the vanadium group metals have five valence electrons. In vanadium (Z — 23) and niobium (columbium, Z = 41), these valence electrons lie beyond ra re-gas cores, whereas in tantalum (Z = 73), they lie beyond the xenon core which has been augmented by fourteen 4/ electrons. The +5 oxidation state is characteristic of this family for niobium and tantalum it is the only oxidation state of importance. Oxidation is often regarded as removal of five valence electrons, followed by coordination of the pentapositive ion (which cannot exist for appreciable time in chemical systems) to basic groups which are present (H2O, OH, Cl, etc.). Although such a description almost certainly has very little resemblance to the actual path of oxidation of these metals, it is clerically convenient and may be used if not taken literally. In the same way, the lower oxidation states of vanadium may be considered vanadium atoms with the two 4s electrons removed, and with additional removal of one or two 3d electrons. 

In general, Group 5 fluorides tend to adopt a preference for higher oxidation states, and as a consequence, over the past few years, there have been virtually no reported examples of low valent fluoro complexes of vanadium, niobium or tantalum. 

Oxidative addition reactions for group VA compounds within the context of the discussion found in 5.8.2.9.1 are presented in 10.3.3.1 and 10.3.3.2, including some cases of reactions that may not be true oxidative additions. The discussion on vanadium is separated from its heavier cousins, niobium and tantalum, since the chemistry of V is distinct from that of Nb and Ta. Oxidative additions across metal-metal multiple bonds and involving clusters are not covered. 

Monomeric species M OR-tert)x have been characterized for titanium, vanadium, chromium, zirconium, and hafnium (x = 4) and for niobium and tantalum (x == 5). With chromium it was found that limiting Cr(III) to coordination number 4 in the dimeric Cr2(OBu )e caused instability and a remarkable facility toward valency disproportionation or oxidation to the stable quadricovalent Cr(OBu )4 (8, 9). In contrast, molybdenum formed a stable dimeric tri-tert-butoxide (Bu O)3Mo=Mo-(OBu )3 which is diamagnetic and presumably bound by a metal-metal triple bond (10, II). Yet another interesting feature of chromium is the synthesis of a stable diamagnetic nitrosyl Cr(NO) (OBu )3 in which the nitric oxide is believed to act as a three-electron donor with formation of a four-coordinated low spin chromium (II) compound (12). The insta-bihty of Cr2(OBu )e and the stability of both Cr(NO) (OBu )3 and Cr(OBu )4 must result from the steric effects of the tertiary butoxo groups since the less bulky normal alkoxo groups form very stable polymeric [Cr(OR)3]a. compounds in which the Cr(III) has its usual coordination number of 6 (octahedral). 

The elements of Group 5 are in many ways similar to their predecessors in Group 4. They react with most non-metals, giving products which are frequently interstitial and nonstoichiometric, but they require high temperatures to do so. Their general resistance to corrosion is largely due to the formation of surface films of oxides which are particularly effective in the case of tantalum. Unless heated, tantalum is appreciably attacked only by oleum, hydrofluoric acid or, more particularly, a hydrofluoric/nitric acid mixture. Fused alkalis will also attack it. In addition to these reagents, vanadium and niobium are attacked by other hot concentrated mineral acids but are resistant to fused alkali. 

Tantalum has properties similar to niobium and vanadium above it in group 5. It is a very hard and heavy metal with a bluish color when in its rough state, but if polished, it has a silvery shine. It is ductile, meaning it can be drawn into fine wires, and also malleable, meaning it can be hammered and worked into shapes. Thin strips and wires of tantalum will ignite in air if exposed to a flame. 

Group r In order of increasing atomic number, ihese are vanadium, niobium Isomelimes culled columbiunti. and tantalum. Vanadium and tanlalum have two electrons in an ouler shell niobium has one electron in ils ouler shell. Although niobium and vanadium also have other valences, all of ihe elements in this group have a 5+ valence in common... 

The group 5-7 supported transition metal oxides (of vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, and rhenium) are characterized by terminal oxo bonds (M =0) and bridging oxygen atoms binding the supported oxide to the cation of the support (M -0-MSUpport). The TOF values for ODH of butane or ethane on supported vanadia were found to depend strongly on the specific oxide support, varying by a factor of ca. 50 (titania > ceria > zirconia > niobia > alumina > silica). 

The lack of stability of terminal oxo compounds of the heavier Group 5 metals led us naturally to the door of the isoelectronic imido (NR) ligand, where the availability of a substituent attached to the multiply-bonded group would allow both steric and electronic modulation of the products stability and reactivity. There had been a handful of half-sandwich imido complexes of the Group 5 metals synthesised by other workers, especially for vanadium and tantalum, but at that time none were known for niobium. A half-sandwich imido compound of niobium we considered, therefore, a prime target. 

The most studied of the Group 5 porphyrins have been compounds with vanadyl and niobium metal ions no electrochemical data have yet been reported for tantalum porphyrins. Vanadium porphyrins have been synthesized as both V(IV) and V(II) complexes. The vanadyl derivatives, represented as (P)VO, generally undergo well-defined reduction and oxidation reactions involving the porphyrin, macrocyle the lower oxidation state V(II) complexes have been prepared as (P)V (L) and (P)V (L)2 derivatives, where P = T(p-Me)PP or OEP and L = THE or PPhMe2, but these species have not been examined as to their electrochemical properties [7]. 

Group 5 metal catalysts based on various cyclopentadienyl and dianionic mixed ligand and related complexes of tantalum (169,170), niobium (171,172), and vanadium (173,174) have also been described. 

The refractory component comprises the elements with the highest condensation temperatures. There are two groups of refractory elements the refractory lithophile elements (RLEs)—aluminum, calcium, titanium, beryllium, scandium, vanadium, strontium, yttrium, zirconium, niobium, barium, REE, hafnium, tantalum, thorium, uranium, plutonium—and the refractory siderophile elements (RSEs)—molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, tungsten, rhenium, iridium, platinum, osmium. The refractory component accounts for —5% of the total condensible matter. Variations in refractory element abundances of bulk meteorites reflect the incorporation of variable fractions of a refractory aluminum, calcium-rich component. Ratios among refractory lithophile elements are constant in all types of chondritic meteorites, at least to within —5%. 

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