Homoleptic complexes osmium

For this triad, only iron (Table 4.17) gives homoleptic complexes containing (tM — C bonds. The remaining elements form heteroleptic compounds. The stability of phosphine complexes of the type M(aryl)2 (PR3)2 decreases considerably according to the series Ni>Co>Fe. Ruthenium and osmium complexes characteristically activate the C —H bond in coordinated ligands and form compounds with (tM—C bonds as a result of oxidative addition. The following reactions serve as examples ... 

Osmium forms a wide variety of alkyl and aryl complexes including homoleptic alkyl and aryl complexes and many complexes with ancillary carbonyl (see Carbonyl Complexes of the Transition Metals), cyclopentadienyl (see Cyclopenta-dienyl), arene (see Arene Complexes), and alkene ligands (see Alkene Complexes). It forms stronger bonds to carbon and other ligands than do the lighter elements of the triad. Because of this, most reactions of alkyl and aryl osmium complexes are slower than the reactions of the corresponding ruthenium complexes. However, because osmium is more stable in higher oxidation states, the oxidative addition (see Oxidative Addition) of C-H bonds is favored for osmium complexes. The rate of oxidative addition reactions decreases in the order Os > Ru Fe. 

While inorganic complexes of osmium in oxidation states +4 through +8 have been known for many years, the study of high-valent alkyl and aryl complexes of osmium is much more recent. The organometallic complexes include homoleptic see Homoleptic Compound) alkyls and aryls, oxo alkyls and aryls, nitrido/imido alkyls and aryls, and cyclopentadienyl see Cyclopentadienyl) alkyls and aryls. The majority of these are complexes of osmium(VI). 

Isonitriles are isoelectronic with carbon monoxide bnt homoleptic see Homoleptic Compound) isonitrile complexes are more difficnlt to prepare than carbonyl complexes. The reduction of OsXg with ethanol in the presence of methylisonitrile gives OsX2(CNMe)4. The osmium(II) isonitrile complex [Os(CNMe)6] + results from the alkylation of [Os(CN)6]" with MeOS02CF3. More generally, [Os(CNR)6] + can be prepared by reaction of 0s2(02CMe)4Cl2 with alkyl isonitriles. 

A series of osmium carbonyl complexes have been prepared by the reaction of OsO-with CO or decomposition of Os3(CO)i2 [226] and a mononuclear homoleptic osmium carbonyl complex, Os(CO)5, is also known. It is a volatile, colorless liquid and is the most robust M(CO)5 type complex of the iron triad against both oxidation and heat but it gradually loses CO to form Os3(CO)i2. Multinuclear osmium carbonyl clusters such as Os3(CO),2, Os5(CO)i6, Os5(CO)i9, Os6(CO)ig, 087(00)2, and OsgfCO).. have also been reported [227]. In this section, several carbonyl complexes based on Os3(CO)j2are described. 

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