Issue 36, 2020

Synthesis and structures of anionic rhenium polyhydride complexes of boron–hydride ligands and their application in catalysis

Abstract

The rhenium complex, [K(DME)(18-c-6)][ReH4(Bpin)(η2-HBpin)(κ2-H2Bpin)] 1, comprising hydride and boron ligands only, has been synthesized by exhaustive deoxygenation of the commercially available perrhenate anion (ReO4) with pinacol borane (HBpin). The structure of 1 was analysed by X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, and DFT calculations. While no hydrides were located in the X-ray crystal structure, it revealed a trigonal arrangement of pinacol boron ligands. Variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy supported the presence of seven hydride ligands but further insight was hindered by the fluxionality of both hydride and boron ligands at low temperature. Further evaluation of the structure by Ab Initio Random Structure Searching (AIRSS) identified the presence of hydride, boryl, σ-borane, and dihydroborate ligands. This complex, either isolated or prepared in situ, is a catalyst for the 1,4-hydroboration of N-heteroaromatic substrates under simple operating procedures. It also acts as a reagent for the stoichiometric C–H borylation of toluene, displaying high meta regioselectivity in the borylated products. Reaction of 1 with 9-BBN resulted in HBpin substitution to form the new anionic tetra(dihydroborate) complex [K(DME)(18-c-6)][Re(κ2-H-9-BBN)4] 4 for which the hydride positions were clearly identified by X-ray crystallography. The method used to generate these isolable yet reactive boron–hydride complexes is direct and straightforward and has potential utility for the exploitation of other metal oxo compounds in operationally simple catalytic reactions.

Graphical abstract: Synthesis and structures of anionic rhenium polyhydride complexes of boron–hydride ligands and their application in catalysis

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
22 jun 2020
Accepted
02 set 2020
First published
09 set 2020
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Sci., 2020,11, 9994-9999

Synthesis and structures of anionic rhenium polyhydride complexes of boron–hydride ligands and their application in catalysis

L. J. Donnelly, S. Parsons, C. A. Morrison, S. P. Thomas and J. B. Love, Chem. Sci., 2020, 11, 9994 DOI: 10.1039/D0SC03458D

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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