Restricted rotation in unbridged sandwich complexes: rotational behavior of closo-[Co(eta 5-NC4H4)(C2B9H11)] derivatives.

Rotation about the centroid/metal/centroid axis in ferrocene is facile; the activation energy is 1-5 kcal mol(-1). The structurally similar sandwich complexes derived from closo-[3-Co(eta5-NC4H4)-1,2-C2B9H11] (1) have a different rotational habit. In 1, the cis rotamer in which the pyrrolyl nitrogen atom bisects the carboranyl cluster atoms is 3.5 kcal mol(-1) more stable in energy than the rotamer that is second lowest in energy. This cis rotamer is wide, spanning 216 degrees , and may be split into three rotamers of almost equal energy by substituting the N and the carboranyl carbon atoms adequately. To support this statement, closo-[3-Co(eta5-NC4H4)-1,2-(CH3)2-1,2-C2B9H9] (2), closo-[3-Co(eta5-NC4H4)-1,2-(mu-CH2)3-1,2-C2B9H9] 3, 2-->BF3, and 3-->BF3 have been prepared. Two rotamers are found at low temperature for 2-->BF(3) and 3-->BF3. Compounds 2, 3, and 1-->BF3 behave similarly to 1. Rotational energy barriers and the relative populations of the different energy states are calculated from 1H DNMR spectroscopy (DNMR, dynamic NMR). These results agree with those of semiempirical calculations. Without exception, the cis rotamer is energetically the more stable. The fixed conformation of 1 assists in elucidating the rotational preferences of the [3,3'-Co(1,2-C2B9H11)2]- ion in the absence of steric hindrance; the [3,3'-Co(1,2-C2B9H11)2]- ion is commonly accepted to present a cisoid orientation. Complex 1 is electronically similar to the [3,3'-Co(1,2-C2B9H11)2]- ion. Both have heteroatoms in the pi ligands, and they have the same electronegativity difference between the constituent atoms. This leads to a view of the [NC4H4]- as [7,8-C2B9H11]2- ion, with no steric implications. Therefore the [3,3'-Co(1,2-C2B9H11)2]- ion should be considered to have a cisoid structure, and the different rotamers observed to be the result of steric factors and of the interaction of the counterion with either B-H groups and/or ancillary ligands. The rotamer adopted is the one with the atoms holding the negative charges furthest apart.