Synthesis, characterization, and reactivity of rhodium(I) acetylacetonato complexes containing pyridinecarboxaldimine ligands.

Addition of o-C 6H 4NCHNAr to Rh(coe) 2(acac) (coe = cis-cyclooctene, acac = acetylacetonato) gave several new iminopyridine rhodium(I) complexes of the type Rh(acac)(kappa (2)- o-C 6H 4 NCH NAr) ( 1a Ar = 4-C 6H 4-OMe; 1b Ar = 2,6-C 6H 3-Me 2; 1c Ar = 2,6-C 6H 3-Et 2; 1d Ar = 2,6-C 6H 3- i-Pr 2). All new rhodium complexes have been characterized by a number of physical methods, including multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction studies for 1b and 1c. Addition of CHCl 3 to 1a afforded the corresponding rhodium(III) complex trans-Rh(kappa (2)- o-C 6H 4 NCH NAr)(CHCl 2)(Cl)(acac) ( 2). Addition of B 2cat 3 (cat = 1,2-O 2C 6H 4) to 1 gave zwitterionic Rh(eta (6)-catBcat)(kappa (2)- o-C 6H 4 NCH NAr) ( 3). The molecular structure of 3b has been confirmed by a single crystal X-ray diffraction study and shows that the N 2Rh fragment is bound to the catBcat anion via one of the catecholato groups in a eta (6)-fashion. These complexes have also been examined for their ability to catalyze the hydroboration of a series of vinylarenes. Reactions using catecholborane and pinacolborane seem to proceed largely through a dehydrogenative borylation mechanism to give a number of boronated products.