Transition hydride complexes

Photochemistry of transition metal hydride complexes. G. L. Geoffroy, Prog. Inorg. Chem., 1980, 27, 123-151 (58). 

Transition metal complexes with bridging hydride ligands. L. M. Venazi, Coord. Chem. Rev., 1982, 43, 251-274 (40). 

The racemization mechanism of sec-alcohols has been widely studied [16,17]. Metal complexes of the main groups of the periodic table react through a direct transfer of hydrogen (concerted process), such as aluminum complexes in Meerwein-Ponn-dorf-Verley-Oppenauer reaction. However, racemization catalyzed by transition metal complexes occurs via hydrogen transfer processes through metal hydrides or metal dihydrides intermediates (Figure 4.5) [18]. 

The analogous reactions of Zn and Cd derivatives arc less well studied. Zinc alkyls ZnRi (R = Et, n-Bu) react with transition-metal hydride complexes, H2M(Cp-(M = Mo, W) ... 

Teller R, Bau RG (1981) Crystallographic Studies of Transition Metal Hydride Complexes. 44 1-82... 

Two closely related reactions, (a) and (b), illustrated by Eq. (12) (Rj = HPhj, Etj, Phj, CI3, CljPh) and (13), of silicon hydrides with transition metal complexes generate compounds with Si—M bonds with elimination of hydrogen (a) cleavage of metal-metal bonds and (b) reaction with transition metal hydrides. Reactions discussed in this section are relevant to... 

Polymerisation by transition metal alkyl and hydride complexes... 

This is the first example of a proton transfer process to a hydride complex with a second-order dependence. Theoretical calculations indicate that the role of the HX molecules is the formation of W-H H-Cl- H-Cl adducts that convert into W-Cl, H2 and HCl2 in the rate-determining state through hydrogen complexes as transition states. 

In 1931, Hieber and Leutert reported Fe(CO)4(H)2 not only as the first iron hydride complex but also as the first transition-metal hydride complex (FeH2 was reported in 1929 from FeCl2 and PhMgBr under a hydrogen atmosphere. However, it exists only in a gas phase) [2, 3]. The complex synthesized from Fe(CO)5 and OH (Scheme 1) is isolable only at low temperature and decomposes at room temperature into Fe(CO)5, Fe(CO)3, and H2. 

A Fe-H bond is generally polarized as Fe -H because H is more electronegative than Fe. However, iron hydride complexes impart much less negative charge to the hydride than early transition-metal hydride complexes. 

These transition-metal catalysts contain electronically coupled hydridic and acidic hydrogen atoms that are transferred to a polar unsaturated species under mild conditions. The first such catalyst was Shvo s diruthenium hydride complex reported in the mid 1980s [41 14], Noyori and Ikatiya developed chiral ruthenium catalysts showing excellent enantioselectivity in the hydrogenation of ketones [45,46]. 

During the last years, more and more researchers have applied density functional theory to small transition-metal complexes and benchmarked the results against either high level wave function based methods or experimental data. A particular set of systems for which reasonably accurate benchmark data are available are the cationic M+-X complexes, where X is H, CH3 or CH2. Let us start our discussion with the cationic hydrides of the 3d transition-metals. 

Silene-transition metal complexes were proposed by Pannell121 for some iron and tungsten systems, and such species were observed spectroscopically by Wrighton.122,123 Thus intermediates such as 33 have been proposed in the preparation of carbosilane polymers from hydrosilanes,124 both as intermediates in the isotope scrambling observed to occur in similar ruthenium hydride systems125 126 and in the 5N2 addition of alkyllithium species to chlorovinylsilanes.47... 

Not included in the present review is the fascinating new chemistry which results from reaction between diazo compounds and low-valent transition-metal complexes bearing easily displaceable two-electron ligands as well as with metal-metal multiple bonds and metal hydrides whereby a variety of novel organometallic molecules could be obtained. This field has been covered, in accord with its rapid development, by successive reviews of Hermann 19 22) and Atbini23). 

The reduction of protons is one of the most fundamental chemical redox reactions. Transition metal-catalyzed proton reduction was reviewed in 1992.6 The search for molecular electrocatalysts for this reaction is important for dihydrogen production, and also for the electrosynthesis of metal hydride complexes that are active intermediates in a number of electrocatalytic systems. 

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