Oxochromium(V) complexes of 5,10,15-tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole and brominated derivatives oxygenate substrates (triphenylphosphine and norbornene) with concomitant production of chromium(III). Regeneration of CrVO by reaction of dioxygen with CrIII completes an aerobic catalytic cycle, with very large solvent effects; in acetonitrile, rapid initial turnovers observed initially are shut down by formation of CrIVO, while in toluene, THF, and methanol, relatively slow reactions are further inhibited by product formation.
We have isolated and characterized chromium complexes of 5,10,15-tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole [(tpfc)H-3] (1) in four oxidation states: [(tpfc*)CrO][SbCl6] (6): [(tpfc)CrO] (2); [(tpfc)CrO][Cp2Co] W and [(tpfc)Cr(py)(2)] (3). Complex 6 was prepared both by electrochemical and chemical oxidation of 2 its formulation as a (CrO)-O-V ligand-radical species is based on UV-visible absorption as well as EPR measurements. Cobaltocene reduction of 2 gave 4, it was identified as a diamagnetic d(2) (CrO)-O-IV complex from its sharp H-1 NMR spectrum. Reaction of 2 with triphenylphosphine yielded a chromium(III) corrole, [(tpfc)Cr(OPPh3)(2)] (5). Owing to its air sensitivity, 5 could not be isolated in the absence of excess OPPh3. The structure of the Cr-III bis-pyridine complex (3) was determined by X-ray crystallography (Cr-N distances: 1.926-1.952 Angstrom, pyrrole: 2,109, 2.129 Angstrom, pyridine).