Carbene-anchored/pendent-imidazolium species as precursors to di-N-heterocyclic carbene-bridged mixed-metal complexes.

Reaction of a series of linked diimidazolium dibromide salts with one-half equivalent of Rh(mu-OAc)(COD) under reflux conditions generates a series of carbene-anchored/pendent-imidazolium complexes, [RhBr(COD)((R)C(H)-eta(1)-C(eth))][Br] ((Me)C(H)-eta(1)-C(eth) = ethylene[(N-methyl)imidazolium][(N-methyl)imidazole-2-ylidene] and (tBu)C(H)-eta(1)-C(eth) = ethylene[(N-tert-butyl)imidazolium][(N-tert-butyl)imidazole-2-ylidene]) via deprotonation of one end of the diimidazolium salt and coordination of the resulting carbene to Rh. Reaction of these complexes with carbon monoxide or the appropriate diphosphine yields either [RhBr(CO)(2)((R)C(H)-eta(1)-C(eth))][Br] (R = Me, (t)Bu) or [RhBr(P( intersection)P)((Me)C(H)-eta(1)-C(eth))][Br] (P( intersection)P = Ph(2)PCH(2)PPh(2), Ph(2)PCH(2)CH(2)PPh(2), Et(2)PCH(2)PEt(2)), respectively. The resulting diphosphine complexes readily decompose in solution. A series of palladium complexes [PdI(3-n)(PR(3))(n)(L)]I (n = 1,2) and [PdI(P( intersection)P)(L)]I (L = (tBu)C(H)-eta(1)-C(meth), (tBu)C(H)-eta(1)-C(eth); (tBu)C(H)-eta(1)-C(meth) = methylene[(N-tert-butyl)imidazolium][(N-tert-butyl)imidazole-2-ylidene]), containing the linked NHC-imidazolium moiety, have also been prepared by reacting the triiodo complexes, [PdI(3)((tBu)C(H)-eta(1)-C(meth))] and [PdI(3)((tBu)C(H)-eta(1)-C(eth))] with several mono- and diphosphines. Attempts to generate mixed Rh/Pd complexes using Pd(OAc)(2) to deprotonate the pendent arm of several of the above carbene-anchored/pendent-imidazolium complexes of Rh have proven unsuccessful. However, a targeted di-NHC-bridged heterobimetallic complex [PdI(2)(PEt(3))(mu-(tBu)CC(meth))RhI(COD)] ((tBu) CC(meth) = 1,1'-methylene-3,3'-di-tert-butyldiimidazol-2,2'-diylidene) can be generated by deprotonation of the imidazolium group in [PdI(2)(PEt(3))((tBu)C(H)-eta(1)-C(meth))][I] using half an equivalent of Rh(mu-OAc)(COD). The X-ray structure determination of this Pd/Rh complex confirms the dicarbene-bridged formulation and shows a metal-metal separation of approximately 6.2 A. Reaction of this Rh/Pd complex with CO yields the corresponding dicarbonyl product [PdI(2)(PEt(3))(mu-(tBu)CC(meth))RhI(CO)(2)] via replacement of the COD ligand. The related dicarbene-bridged Ir/Rh complex [IrBr(COD)(mu-(tBu)CC(meth))RhBr(COD)] can be generated by reaction of [IrBr(COD)((tBu)C(H)-eta(1)-C(meth) )][Br] with Rh(mu-OAc)(COD), while the Pd/Ir complexes [PdI(2)(PR(3))(mu-(tBu)CC(meth))IrI(COD)] (PR(3) = PPh(3), PMe(2)Ph) can be generated by reaction of the monometallic [PdI(2)(PR(3))((tBu)C(H)-eta(1)-C(meth))][I] species with K[N(SiMe(3))(2)] in the presence of Ir(mu-Cl)(COD). The carbonyl analogues, [PdI(2)(PR(3))(mu-(tBu)CC(meth))IrI(CO)(2)], can be generated via a gentle purge of CO gas. These di-NHC-bridged heterobimetallic species represent some of the first examples of this class and are the first involving palladium.