Issue 1, 2011

The synthesis and exchange chemistry of frustrated Lewis pair–nitrous oxide complexes

Abstract

Facile activation of nitrous oxide is achieved using a series of fluoroarylboranes, B(C6F5)3, PhB(C6F5)2, MesB(C6F5)2, (C6F5)2BOC6F5, B(C6F4-p-H)3, B(C6H4-p-F)3 and 1,4-(C6F5)2BC6F4B(C6F5)2 in the presence of the basic, bulky phosphinetBu3P. Room temperature reaction yields mono- and bis-zwitterionic species of the form tBu3P(N2O)B(C6F5)2R (R = C6F51, Ph 2, Mes 3, OC6F54), tBu3P(N2O)BR3 (R = C6F4-p-H 5, C6H4-p-F 6) and tBu3P(N2O)B(C6F5)2C6F4(C6F5)2B(ON2)PtBu37. N2O activation is similarly achieved using Cy3P and B(C6F4-p-H)3 yielding the zwitterionic species Cy3P(N2O)B(C6F4-p-H)38. Reaction of 6 with [Ph3C][B(C6F5)4] results in facile transfer of the robust tBu3P(N2O) fragment to the stronger Lewis acid Ph3C+ generating [tBu3P(N2O)CPh3][B(C6F5)4] 10. Similarly exchange reactions with titanocene and zirconocene cations generate transition metal and phosphine stabilized nitrous oxide salts, of the form [tBu3P(N2O)MCp2Me][MeB(C6F5)3], (M = Zr 11, Ti 12). The alkoxy zirconocene cation [Cp*2Zr(OMe)]+ forms an FLP in the presence of tBu3P which reacts with N2O providing a direct synthetic route to the corresponding salt [tBu3P(N2O)ZrCp*2(OMe)][B(C6F5)4] 13. Kinetic studies of the self-exchange reaction of tBu3P(N2O)B(C6H4-p-F)3 with B(C6H4-p-F)3 were carried out acquiring information regarding the mechanism of exchange.

Graphical abstract: The synthesis and exchange chemistry of frustrated Lewis pair–nitrous oxide complexes

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
29 Jul 2010
Accepted
19 Aug 2010
First published
13 Sep 2010

Chem. Sci., 2011,2, 170-176

The synthesis and exchange chemistry of frustrated Lewis pair–nitrous oxide complexes

R. C. Neu, E. Otten, A. Lough and D. W. Stephan, Chem. Sci., 2011, 2, 170 DOI: 10.1039/C0SC00398K

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