From tetrahydroborate- to aminoborylvinylidene-osmium complexes via alkynyl-aminoboryl intermediates.

The tetrahydroborate OsH(η(2)-H(2)BH(2))(CO)(P(i)Pr(3))(2) (1) reacts with aniline and p-toluidine to give the aminoboryl derivatives [chemical structure: see text] (R = H (2), CH(3) (3)) and four H(2) molecules. Treatment of 2 and 3 with phenylacetylene gives Os{B(NHC(6)H(4)R)(2)}(C≡CPh)(CO)(P(i)Pr(3))(2) (R = H (4), CH(3) (5)), which react with HBF(4) to afford the amino(fluoro)boryl species Os{BF(NHC(6)H(4)R)}(C≡CPh)(CO)(P(i)Pr(3))(2) (R = H (6), CH(3) (7)). In contrast to HBF(4), the addition of acetic acid to 4 and 5 induces the release of phenylacetylene and the formation of the six-coordinate derivatives Os{B(NHC(6)H(4)R)(2)}(κ(2)-O(2)CCH(3))(CO)(P(i)Pr(3))(2) (R = H (8), CH(3) (9)). The coordination number six for 4 and 5 can be also achieved by addition of CO. Under this gas Os{B(NHC(6)H(4)R)(2)}(C≡CPh)(CO)(2)(P(i)Pr(3))(2) (R = H (10), CH(3) (11)) are formed. In toluene, these alkynyl-aminoboryl compounds evolve into the aminoborylvinylidenes Os{═C═C(Ph)B(NHC(6)H(4)R)(2)}(CO)(2)(P(i)Pr(3))(2) (R = H (12), CH(3) (13)) via a unimolecular 1,3-boryl migration from the metal to the C(β) atom of the alkynyl ligand. Similarly to 4 and 5, complexes 6 and 7 coordinate CO to give Os{BF(NHC(6)H(4)R)}(C≡CPh)(CO)(2)(P(i)Pr(3))(2) (R = H (15), CH(3) (16)), which evolve to Os{═C═C(Ph)BF(NHC(6)H(4)R)}(CO)(2)(P(i)Pr(3))(2) (R = H (17), CH(3) (18)).