Isocyanide ligands alkyls

The preparations of a number of rhodium(I) complexes of isocyanides, some of them new, have been described. The newtetrakis(methyl isocyanide) complex, [Rh(CNCH3)4], was isolated as salts of various anions from reactions of RhClj -3H20 or [(l,S-CgH,2)RhCl]2 and this isocyanide ligand (11), and several [Rh(CNR)4]+ alkyl and aryl isocyanide complexes (R= Bu, Pr, /)-C6H4C1, /.-CSH4CH3, and P-C6H4OCH3) have... 

Addition of disilanes to isocyanides is catalyzed by palladium complexes, giving A-substituted bis(silyl)imino-methanes (Equation (53)).132 A wide range of isocyanides including aryl isocyanides and alkyl isocyanides can take part in the reaction. However, it is important to note that tert-alkyl isocyanides hardly undergo the bis-silylation reaction. This low reactivity of / r/-alkyl isocyanides allows their use as spectator ligands in the catalytic bis-silylations. 

Complex 61 is also accessible from the 2-nitrophenyl isocyanide complex 68 by reduction of the nitro group with Sn/HCl. Incomplete reduction of the nitro group in 68 with Raney-Nickel/hydrazine yields, after intramolecular cyclization, the complex 70 with the NH,NOH-stabilized benzimidazolin-2-ylidene ligand. Complex 69 with the 2-hydoxylamin-substituted phenyl isocyanide ligand presumably occurs as an intermediate in this reaction. The alkylation of both the NH,NH- and the NH, NOH-stabilized NHC ligands in 67 and 70, respectively, proceeds readily (Fig. 23) [184, 185]. 

The well-known alkylation of ferrocyanide ion to form isocyanide iron complexes (48) can be explained by an insertion mechanism if the metal is alkylated initially, and then metal alkyl adds across a cyanide group. This mechanism also explains how external radioactive cyanide ion can enter the isocyanide ligands (48). 

Comparison between the half-wave potentials (equations 2 to 4) of [Cr(CNR)6](PF6)2, e.g. for R = Bu , -1.04, -0.28 and 0.84 V (versus SCE),22 with those for [Cr(CNPh)6](PF6)2, i.e. -0.35, 0.25 and 1.00 V,20 shows that alkyl and aryl isocyanides favour respectively the higher and the lower oxidation states as expected from the greater a-donor and weaker jr-acceptor capabilities of the alkyl over the aryl isocyanides. Similarly, the phosphines in the mixed ligand complexes (Table 3), 23 relative to isocyanide ligands, stabilize the Cr111 oxidation state. The great difference in the relative stabilities of Cr—C bonds in the cyano and phenyl isocyanide complexes is indicated by the magnitude of the shift (ca. 2.0 V) between the Cr(CN) "/Cr(CN)r (-1.130 V) and the Cr(CNPh)i+/Cr(CNPh)i+ reduction potentials.28... 

N==Ca+—Aua which makes the isocyanide ligands susceptible to nucleophilic attack and has led to formation of carbene complexes, iminoalkyl complexes and catalytic conversion of isocyanides to formamidines using alkyl or aryl isocyanide complexes of gold(I).301,402 4(y7-409-415 A review of this significant work has been published.16... 

Though alkylation of metal cyanides is one of the oldest routes to metal-isocyanide complexes, at the present time the usefulness of this method is confined to (i) partially characterizing new metal-cyanide complexes, (ii) providing access to complexes containing unstable or unusual isocyanide ligands which cannot be prepared by direct interactions of complex with isocyanide, and (iii) providing a route to chiral metal-isocyanide complexes. The following examples exemplify this. 

Complexes containing unusual isocyanide ligands have evolved from attempts to alkylate the anions [M(CN)6]4 (M = Fe, Ru, Os) with [Et3OJBF4 in acetone solution. The compounds isolated [M CNCMe2 CH2COMe)6](BF4)2 resulted from an initial acid-catalyzed aldol condensation of the acetone solvent followed by a nucleophilic attack of the carbon-... 

Addition of an electrophile (see Electrophile) to metal-bound cyanides will often form an isocyanide ligand (see Electrophile), -CsN-R. For example, the compound [Fe P(OMe)3 (NO)2(j7 -C3H4R)], which is a source of the allyl cation ( -C3H4R)+, reacts with trans-[Mn(CN)(CO)(dppm)2] to alkylate the cyanide, giving an allyl isocyanide ligand (equation 8). The tungsten alkyne... 

Alkylidenes have been prepared by reduction of alkyli-dynes, by C H oxidative addition from alkyls, and by treatment of unsaturated metal clusters with diazoalkanes. In most instances, the alkylidene adopts a /r2-h coordination mode. However, alkylidenes with heteroatom substituents may also be found in terminal coordination modes. The latter are typically prepared by the Fischer-type carbene route (see Fischer-type Carbene Complexes) (sequential addition of nucleophilic and electrophilic alkylating agents to carbonyl or isocyanide ligands), by condensation of metal fragments with mono- or dimetallic carbene complexes, or by C-H activation of alkylamines. These heteroatom substituted carbenes may also bind in a p3-ri mode, as in (12). 

Complexes of Crlv with alkyl,216 alkylidene,217 or r/-carborane218 ligands are extensively studied as model compounds for Cr-based alkene polymerization catalysts (Section 4.6.5.1.2). These complexes are described in detail in the Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry series. A CrIV complex with isocyanide ligands is described in Section 4.6.4.2.I. 

Any adequate theoretical treatment must also explain how iron-porphyrin systems can bind not only O2, but also CO, NO, alkyl isocyanides, and alkyl-nitroso moieties. A simple qualitative model presented by Wayland and coworkersconveniently summarizes ligand-binding geometries of cobalt and iron porphyrins. Although a reasonable quantitative theoretical consensus exists for 1 1 cobalt-dioxygen species, the same cannot be said yet for iron-dioxygen systems. 

---