Spectroscopic Characterization of a Monomeric, Cyclopentadienyl-Based Rhenium(V) Dioxo Complex

Abstract

Mononuclear, coordinatively unsaturated rhenium(V) dioxo species of the type XReO2 (X = Me, substituted cyclopentadienyl) have long been postulated as intermediates in rhenium-catalyzed deoxydehydration, but their characterization was precluded because of aggregation into dimeric or oligomeric structures. Using the bulky 1,2,4-tri-tert-butylcyclopentadienyl (Cp(ttt)) ligand, the rhenium(V) dioxo species (Cp(ttt))ReO2 could now be observed, in equilibrium with the dimeric form [(Cp(ttt))Re(O)μ-O]2, and characterized by NMR, IR, and UV-vis spectroscopies, as well as electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. (Cp(ttt))ReO2 is shown to be the primary product of reduction of the rhenium(VII) complex (Cp(ttt))ReO3 with PPh3 and demonstrated to react with ethylene glycol significantly faster than its dimeric counterpart, supporting its role as an intermediate in rhenium-catalyzed deoxydehydration reactions.