Transition metal–carbon bonds. Part 52. Large ring and cyclometallated complexes formed from Bu^t₂PCH₂CH₂CHRCH₂CH₂PBu^t₂(R H or Me) and IrCl₃, or [Ir₂Cl₄(cyclo-octene)₄] : crystal structures of the cyclometallated hydride, [IrHCl(Bu^t₂PCH₂CH₂CHCH₂CH₂PBu^t₂)], and the carbene complex [IrCl(Bu^t₂PCH₂CH₂CCH₂CH₂PBu^t₂)]

Abstract

Treatment of But2P(CH2)5PBut2, with iridium trichloride gives a mixture of the 16-atom ring dihydride [lr2H2Cl4{But2P(CH2)5PBut2}2], a co-ordinatively saturated cyclometallated hydride, [[graphic omitted]But2)])(1b), which is non-fluxional, and an unidentified complex. A better route to the cyclometallated hydride (1b) is to treat [Ir2Cl2(C8H14)4](C8H14= cyclo-octene) with the diphosphine. Complex (1b) takes up carbon monoxide to give the six-co-ordinate [[graphic omitted]But2)] and loses dihydrogen on heating [ca. 200 °C (15 mmHg)] to give the very dark carbene/ylide complex [[graphic omitted]But2)](3)/(4). This carbene/ylide complex takes up dihydrogen at 20 °C (1 atm) to give back (1b). The diphosphine But2PCH2CH2CHMeCH2CH2PBut2 reacts with IrCl3 to give the 16-atom ring chelate [Ir2H2Cl4(But2PCH2CH2CHMeCH2CH2 PBut2)2], no cyclometallated product being detected. However, the complex [[graphic omitted]But2)], can be prepared from [Ir2Cl2(C8H14)4] and the diphosphine. Hydrogen-1, 13C, and 31P n.m.r. and i.r. data are reported. The crystal structures of (1b) and of the carbene/ylide (3)/(4) have been determined. Cell dimensions are, for (1b), a= 1 231.8(3), b= 1 435.9(3), c= 1 485.4(3) pm, and β= 104.82(2)° and for (3)/(4), a= 1 232.6(3), b= 1 436.2(3), c= 1 480.7(3) pm, and β= 104.87(2)°. The structures are isomorphous, with space group P21/c and Z= 4.