Zhai J, Filatov AS, Hillhouse GL, Hopkins MD. Synthesis, structure, and reactions of a copper-sulfido cluster comprised of the parent Cu
2S unit: {(NHC)Cu}
2(μ-S).
Chem Sci 2016;
7:589-595. [PMID:
28791108 PMCID:
PMC5523119 DOI:
10.1039/c5sc03258j]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The first CuI2(μ-S) complex, {(IPr*)Cu}2(μ-S) (IPr* = 1,3-bis(2,6-(diphenylmethyl)-4-methylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene), has been synthesized, and its structure has been characterized crystallographically.
The synthesis of the first CuI2(μ-S) complex, {(IPr*)Cu}2(μ-S) (IPr* = 1,3-bis(2,6-(diphenylmethyl)-4-methylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene; 1), has been accomplished via three synthetic routes: (1) salt metathesis between (IPr*)CuCl and Na2S; (2) silyl-deprotection reaction between (IPr*)Cu(SSiMe3) and (IPr*)CuF; and (3) acid–base reaction between (IPr*)Cu(SH) and (IPr*)Cu(OtBu). The X-ray crystal structure of 1 exhibits two two-coordinate copper centers connected by a bent Cu–S–Cu linkage. Application of these synthetic routes to analogous precursors containing the sterically smaller ligand IPr (1,3-bis(2,6-di-isopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene), in place of IPr*, resulted in the formation of a transient product proposed as {(IPr)Cu}2(μ-S) (2), which decomposes quickly in solution. The instability of 2 probably results from the insufficient steric protection provided by IPr ligands to the unsaturated Cu2(μ-S) core; in contrast, 1 is stable both in solution and solid state for weeks. The nucleophilic sulfido ligand in 1 reacts with haloalkyl electrophiles (benzyl halides and dibromoalkanes) with formation of C–S bonds, affording (IPr*)Cu(SCH2Ph) and cyclic thioethers, respectively.
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