Olefin transition-metal complexes structural studies

It is appropriate at this point to indicate our personal motivation for carrying out structural studies, the types of compounds we study, and the experimental conditions we employ. In a very general sense we are interested in the bonding of small molecules and ions, e.g., 02, N2, NO, N2 R+, olefins, and acetylenes, to transition-metal complexes. Because of our interest in bonding, we seek the best solutions we can attain. Rapid, qualitative answers to conformational problems are not our interest. Since those transition-metal systems that bind small molecules generally have the metal in a low oxidation state, and since a low oxidation state is usually stabilized by ligands of the type PR3 (R = alkyl or aryl), solution to our problems involves typically the determination of a large number of structural parameters. With only a few exceptions the intensity data are obtained at room temperature on a Picker FACS-1 computer-controlled diffractometer. Usually the ratio of observations to variables is at least 10, and it is often 20 to 30. 

The reactivity of Qo comparable to that of electron deficient conjugated olefins is nicely reflected by reactions with transition metal complexes. A variety of single crystal structures and spectroscopic studies show that the complexation of transition metals to the fullerene core proceeds in a dihapto manner or as hydrometalation reactions rather than in rf- or ] -binding mode. This was elegantly demonstrated by the reaction of Cgg with ruthenium complexes (Scheme 8) [144]. A variety of iridium complexes ( ] -Cgo)Ir(CO)Cl(PR R R )2 were synthesized by allowing Cgg to react with different Vaska-type complexes Ir(CO)Cl(PR R R )2 [145]. ] -Complex formation was also observed upon reaction of Cgo with other Ir [146] as well as Rh [147] complexes. Hydro-metallation was obtained with Cp2Zr(H)Cl [140]. 

As shown in Table 1, a remarkable variety of alkene complexes bearing metal centers in a low oxidation state have been isolated and their structures have been determined by X-ray analysis. All the C-C bond distances in olefins coordinated to early transition metals at low oxidation states are more or less elongated compared to free ethylene. These structural data, together with those from NMR studies [14], indicate a major contribution of the metallacyclo-propane structure (2), a fact which is also supported by calculation studies [15]. In the case of ethylene bridging two metal centers such as [ Cp2ZrX 2(iu-f/-C2H4)] (3), the M-C bond could be characterized as a er-bond and there is a little contribution from the / -ethylene canonical structure [16-18]. 

In scrutinizing the various proposed reaction sequences in Eq. (26), one may classify the behavior of carbene complexes toward olefins according to four intimately related considerations (a) relative reactivities of various types of olefins (b) the polar nature of the metal-carbene bond (c) the option of prior coordination of olefin to the transition metal, or direct interaction with the carbene carbon and (d) steric factors, including effects arising from ligands on the transition metal as well as substituents on the olefinic and carbene carbons. Information related to these various influences is by no means exhaustive at this point. Consequently, some apparent contradictions exist which seem to cast doubt on the relevance of various model compound studies to conventional catalysis of the metathesis reaction, a process which unfortunately involves species which elude direct structural determination. 

There have been too many crystallographic studies of transition metal-olefin complexes to present a comprehensive survey in this limited space. Therefore, only representative structures of major classes of compounds will be discussed, drawing on pertinent structural determinations as they are needed. Many of the important features of olefin bonding can be illustrated in the d10 system whore most of the complexes are approximately trigonal-planar (Fig. 4). 

The cocatalyst has various functions. The primary role of MAO as a cocatalyst for olefin polymerization with metallocenes is alkylation of the transition metal and the production of cation-like alkyl complexes of the type Cp2MR+ as catalytically active species (91). Indirect evidence that MAO generates metallocene cations has been furnished by the described perfluorophenyl-borates and by model systems (92, 93). Only a few direct spectroscopic studies of the reactions in the system CP2MCI2/MAO have been reported (94). The direct elucidation of the structure and of the function of MAO is hindered by the presence of multiple equilibria such as disproportionation reactions between oligomeric MAO chains. Moreover, some unreacted trimethylaluminum always remains bound to the MAO and markedly influences the catalyst performance (77, 95, 96). The reactions between MAO and zirconocenes are summarized in Fig. 8. 

While most of the initial studies have involved the transition metal-catalyzed decomposition of a-carbonyl diazo compounds and have been reviewed [3-51], it appears appropriate to highlight again some milestones of these transformations, since polycyclic structures could be nicely assembled from acyclic precursors in a single step. Two main reactivities of metalo carbenoids derived from a-carbonyl diazo precursors, namely addition to a C - C insaturation (olefin or alkyne) and formation of a ylid (carbonyl or onium), have been the source of fruitful cascades. Both of these are illustrated in Scheme 27 [52]. The two diazo ketone functions present in the same substrate 57 and under the action of the same catalyst react in two distinct ways. The initially formed carbenoid adds to a pending olefin to form a bi-cyclop. 1.0] intermediate 58 that subsequently cyclizes to produce a carbonyl ylide 59, that is further trapped intramolecularly in a [3 + 2] cycloaddition. The overall process gives birth to a highly complex pentacyclic structure 60. 

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