Ready displacement of dithiolene ligands from electron-poor dithiolene complexes by weak nucleophiles

Abstract

The ‘reduction’ of electron-poor bis-dithiolene metal complexes (one-electron reduction potentials > 0 V vs. SCE) by halide and pseudohalide anions, unhindered amines, and common weakly Lewis basic solvents such as acetonitrile, proceeds by initial nucleophilic displacement of a dithiolene ligand, which induces rapid consequent reactions leading to overall disproportionation stoicheiometry.