Trapping of Acetylene by a Zirconocene Terminal Imido Complex
摘要:
Treatment of the zirconocene terminal imido complex (CpR)(2)Zr=(NBu)-Bu-t(THF) (1a-THF: R H; 1b-THF: R = Me) with acetylene results in the formation of a dinuclear product, [(CpR)(2)Zr](2)(mu-(CHCHNBu)-Bu-t)(mu-(NBu)-Bu-t) (3a, R = H; 3b, R = Me), in which the zirconium centers are bridged by nitrogen and carbon. Upon heating, the dinuclear complex 3 is cleaved into the azametallacyclobutene (CpR)(2)Zr(eta(2)-(NBuCHCH)-Bu-t) (4) and the terminal imido complex (CpR)(2)Zr=(NBu)-Bu-t (1), which can be trapped with Lewis bases or alkynes. Heating 3 in the absence of traps cleanly produces the alkynyl-bridged species [(CpR)(2)(ZrNHBu)-Bu-t](2)(mu-C drop C) (5). Kinetic data indicate that the dinuclear complex 3 fragments into the mononuclear species 4 and 1 prior to C-H activation to form 5. The X-ray structures of [Cp2Zr](2)((CHCHCHNBu)-Bu-t)-(mu-(NBu)-Bu-t) (3a) and [(Cp2ZrNHBu)-Bu-t](2)(mu-C drop C) (5a) are reported; the structure of the dinuclear species [( Cp2Zr)((CpMe)(2)Zr)] (mu-(CHCHNBu)-Bu-t)(mu-(NBu)-Bu-t) (3c) is included in the Supporting Information.