Catalyst Design for Rh-Catalyzed Arene and Alkane C-H Borylation: The NHC Affects the Induction Period, and Indenyl is Superior to Cp.

In order to establish design criteria for Rh C-H borylation catalysts, analogues of the successful catalyst [Rh(Ind)(SIDipp)(COE)] (Ind = η-indenyl, SIDipp = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene, and COE = -cyclooctene) were synthesized by changing the indenyl and carbene ligands. [RhCp(SIDipp)(COE)] () formed alongside the C-C activated, cyclometalated byproduct [RhCp(κC,C-SIDipp')(Pr)] (; SIDipp' = 1-(6-isopropylphenyl)-3-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene). Computational modeling of COE dissociation showed that both C-C and C-H activation of the SIDipp aryl group is thermally attainable and reversible under experimental conditions, with the C-C activation products being the more thermodynamically stable species. Oxidative addition of with SiH(OEt) gave the Rh silyl hydride [RhCp(H){Si(OEt)}(SIDipp)] (). [Rh(Ind)(IDipp)(COE)] (; IDipp = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-imidazole-2-ylidene), the carbonyl analogue [Rh(Ind)(IDipp)(CO)] (; ν = 1940 cm, cf. 1944 cm for [Rh(Ind)(SIDipp)(COE)]), and [Rh(Ind)(IMe)(COE)] (; IMe = 1,3,4,5-tetramethylimidazol-2-ylidene) were also characterized, but attempts to synthesize Rh carbene complexes with fluorenyl or 1,2,3,4-tetrahydrofluorenyl ligands were not successful. For the catalytic C-H borylation of benzene using Bpin, was inactive at 80 °C, and [Rh(Ind)(SIDipp)(COE)] was superior to all other complexes tested due to the shortest induction period. However, the addition of HBpin to precatalyst eliminated the induction period. Catalytic -alkane C-H borylation using [Rh(Ind)(NHC)(COE)] gave yields of up to 21% alkylBpin, but [RhCp*(CH)] was the better catalyst.