Organometallic Chemistry Flashcards
What is synergic bonding?
Donation from a filled ligand to empty metal orbitals with back-donation from filled metal orbitals to vacant ligand orbitals
Liogand donates from the homo to the lumo of the metal
Metal donates to the lumo of the liagnd
This interaction can stabalise high and low oxidation states
How can organometallics influence catalysis?
Increasing the rate of reaction can occur by destabalising the reactants or stabalising the Transition state or intermediate
Transition metals can play roles in lowering the barrier heights
Cannot change the position of equilibrium just change how fast equilibrium is reached
How can addition reactions occur?
The 18 electron rule determines stability
A new two electron donor can bind to go to a 20 electron complex which can be high energy and unstable
Or it can undergo ligand loss to go to a 16 electron complex which bind a new 2 electron donor to get back to 18 electrons
What is oxidative addition?
Process where a metal reacts with an single incoming ligand to form a complex where the metal has been oxidised by 2 units and now has two new ligands:
e.g M + AB —–> M(II)(A)(B)
The sigma bond between A and B can be broken
What are the three methods the sigma bond within a ligand can be broken in oxidative addition?
Concerted oxidative addition
Heterolytic splitting
Homolytic splitting/atom transfer
What is concerted oxidative addition?
[M] + A-B —-> M(A)(B)
The oxidation state of the metal is changed by 2 units and the electron count is increased by 2
In the transition state the original ligands attached to the metal bend backwards and the bond between A and B lengthens
Sometimes the metal is not electron rich enough to break the sigma bond between A and B and there is an interaction with the bond itself to form a sigma complex
What are the activation parameters for concerted oxidative addition?
Rate of reaction = k[M][AB]
Biomolecular - creates order }+ breaks a bond
ΔH† = +ve
ΔS† = -ve
There is little charge separatipn so varying the solvent is not expected to change the barrier height significantly
A and B are always arranged cis on the metal
If A or B are chiral the product maintains the chirality
What is heterolytic splitting?
Mn + A-B —–> MnA+ + B- —-> Mn+2AB
The metal attacks the incoming group with a lone pair or is attacked by an electrophile
It is possible to stop the reaction at the first step if an 18 electron species os produced
In the first step the metal is oxidised
In the second step the -ve ligand bonds - no change in oxidation state
What are the activation parameters of heterolytic splittling?
Second order process
ΔH† = +ve
ΔS† = -ve (expected to be large)
REate faster in more polarising solvents
Inversionof stereochemistry
A and B do not have to be cis - often see mixture of trans and cis
What is homolytic splitting?
2Mn + A-B —-> Mn+1A + Mn+1B
[M] + A-B —-> M(A)(B) via M-Ao + Bo
Involves radicals - one electron goes to each centre in A-B
This reaction is less common
The radical is planar - (attack from above or below)
Loss of stereochemistry
A/B end up in any position to eacvh other on the metal
What is a migration reaction?
A reaction where an AB bond is formed by one ligand migrating onto another:
M(A)(B) —-> M(AB)
e.g: metal complex with and alkene and hydride ligand: hydride can migrate onto the alkene to form an alkane ligand.
This porcess can have polymerisation properties if it continues
What is reductive elimination?
This is the reverse reaction of oxidative addition:
Form A-B bonds from a metal complex
There are two kinds:
once centre reductive elimination
migration
What is one centre reductive elimination?
M(A)(B) —–> [M] + A-B
The barriers to this reaction can be determined by ligand design
If a 14 electron complex is formed it may decompose
If stabalising groups are added more stable metal complexes could be formed.
How can alkyl ligands be added to a metal complex?
Oxidative addition: MeI is added through hetero;ytic cleavage
Nucleophilic attack: alkyl with δ- charge can attack metal and substitute good leaving groups
e.g LiMe can replace Cl on a metal centre to form alklyl ligand and LiCl
Electrophilic attack: δ+ species can attack -vely charged ligand to neutralise charge
e.g: MeI attacks Na+[M]- to form M(Me) + NaI
Formation of salt is beneficial due to lattice energy
How can alklyl ligands decompose?
β-hydrogen elimination
α-hydrogen elimination
homolytic cleavage
What is β-hydrogen elimination?
The electrons from a C-H bond on the β carbon are donated to the metal so that the hydrogen migrated to form a hydride ligand and an alkene ligand
Alkenes can be labile and can drop off the metal complex to form a metal hydride complex
How can β-hydroge elimination be prevented?
Make the metal coordinately saturated
Make it 18 eletron
Make the ligands strong binding
Remove all β hydrogens
Make the formation of the olefin sterically or energetically unfavourable:
Bredt’s rule: double bonds to bridgehead carbons are unfavourable
What is α-hydrogen elimination?
Transfer of a hydrogen from the α-carbon to the metal resulting in the formation of a metal hydride and a carbene ligand
Less favourable than β elimination as there is poor orbital overlap
This often occurs when there is a second alkyl ligand and can lead to the elimintion of an alkene
What is homolytic cleavage?
Very rare - can be imporant in biology
LnM-CH2CH2R —-> MLn. + .CH2CH2R
Formation of radicals
What is an agostic complex?
The cleavage of the C-H bond during an elimination reaction is not always completed
The electrons of the sigma C-H bond interact with the metal but the C-H bond is not broken
The metal can gain two electrons
Can stabalise complexes with low electron counts.
How sytable are agostoc complexes?
α agostoc is known but less stable than the β agostic
What is the bonding in agostic complexes?
2 electrons donated from the sigma MO into the empty metal orbital
Back donation from a full metal orbital into the sigma * orbital
Strengthens the M-C bond
Weakens the C-H bond
How can we characterise agostic complexes?
IR - look at the C-H stretch - normal = 3000 cm-1
agostic = 2750-2350 cm-1
NMR - 1H: Normal: δ = 1-2 ppm Agistic: δ = -5 - -20 ppm
13C-H coupling: Normal: 125 Hz Agostic: 90-70 Hz