Synthesis, Spectroscopic, and Structural Investigation of the Cyclic [N(PR2E)2]+ Cations (E = Se, Te; R = iPr, Ph): the Effect of Anion and R-Group Exchange

Strong σ-Hole Activation on Icosahedral Carborane Derivatives for a Directional Halide Recognition

Crystal engineering based on σ-hole interactions is an emerging approach for realization of new materials with higher complexity. Neutral inorganic clusters derived from 1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane, substituted with -SeMe, -TeMe, and -I moieties on both skeletal carbon vertices are experimentally demonstrated herein as outstanding chalcogen- and halogen-bond donors. In particular, these new molecules strongly interact with halide anions in the solid-state. The halide ions are coordinated by one or two donor groups (μ₁ - and μ₂ -coordinations), to stabilize a discrete monomer or dimer motifs to 1D supramolecular zig-zag chains. Crucially, the observed chalcogen bond and halogen bond interactions feature remarkably short distances and high directionality. Electrostatic potential calculations further demonstrate the efficiency of the carborane derivatives, with V_s,max being similar or even superior to that of reference organic halogen-bond donors, such as iodopentafluorobenzene.

Organophosphorus-selenium/tellurium reagents: from synthesis to applications

Organic selenium- and tellurium-phosphorus compounds have found wide application as reagents in synthetic inorganic and organic chemistry, such as oxygen/chalcogen exchange, oxidation/reduction, nucleophilic/electrophilic substitution, nucleophilic addition, free radical addition, Diels–Alder reaction, cycloadditions, coordination, and so on. This chapter covers the main classes of phosphorus-selenium/tellurium reagents, including binary phosphorus-selenium/tellurium species, organophosphorus(III)-selenium/tellurium compounds, phosphorus(V)-selenides/tellurides, diselenophosphinates/ditellurophopshinates, diselenaphosphetane diselenides, Woollins’ reagent, phosphorus-selenium/tellurium amides, and imides. Given the huge amount of literature up to mid-2017, this overview is inevitably selective and will focus particularly on their synthesis, reactivity, and applications in synthetic and coordination chemistry.

Reversible Oxidative Se-Se Coupling of Phosphine Selenides by Ph3 Sb(OTf)2

Salts of diphosphoniumdiselenide dications ([R₃ PSeSePR₃ ][OTf]₂ ) have been isolated from reactions of trialkylphosphine selenides with triphenylantimony bistriflate. The redox process is speculated to proceed via a cationic coordination complex [Ph₃ SbL₂ ][OTf]₂ (L=Me₃ PSe, iPr₃ PSe), which is also formed in the reaction of [R₃ PSeSePR₃ ][OTf]₂ with Ph₃ Sb. The observations indicate that the reductive elimination of [R₃ PSeSePR₃ ]²⁺ from [Ph₃ Sb(SePR₃ )₂ ]²⁺ is reversible through the oxidative addition of [R₃ PSeSePR₃ ]²⁺ to Ph₃ Sb.

New insights into the chemistry of imidodiphosphinates from investigations of tellurium-centered systems

Dichalcogenido-imidodiphosphinates, [N(PR(2)E)(2)](-) (R = alkyl, aryl), are chelating ligands that readily form cyclic complexes with main group metals, transition metals, lanthanides, and actinides. Since their discovery in the early 1960s, researchers have studied the structural chemistry of the resulting metal complexes (where E = O, S, Se) extensively and identified a variety of potential applications, including as NMR shift reagents, luminescent complexes in photonic devices, or single-source precursors for metal sulfides or selenides. In 2002, a suitable synthesis of the tellurium analogs [N(PR(2)Te)(2)](-) was developed. In this Account, we describe comprehensive investigations of the chemistry of these tellurium-centered anions, and related mixed chalcogen systems, which have revealed unanticipated features of their fundamental structure and reactivity. An exhaustive examination of previously unrecognized redox behavior has uncovered a variety of novel dimeric arrangements of these ligands, as well as an extensive series of cyclic cations. In combination with calculations using density functional theory, these new structural frameworks have provided new insights into the nature of chalcogen-chalcogen bonding. Studies of metal complexes of the ditellurido ligands [N(PR(2)Te)(2)](-) have revealed unprecedented structural and reaction chemistry. The large tellurium donor sites confer greater flexibility, which can lead to unique structures in which the tellurium-centered ligand bridges two metal centers. The relatively weak P-Te bonds facilitate metal-insertion reactions (intramolecular oxidative-addition) to give new metal-tellurium ring systems for some group 11 and 13 metals. Metal tellurides have potential applications as low band gap semiconductor materials in solar cells, thermoelectric devices, and in telecommunications. Practically, some of these telluride ligands could be applied in these industries. For example, certain metal complexes of the isopropyl-substituted anion [N(P(i)Pr(2)Te)(2)](-) serve as suitable single-source precursors for pure metal telluride thin films or novel nanomaterials, for example, CdTe, PbTe, In(2)Te(3), and Sb(2)Te(3).

Palladium and platinum complexes of tellurium-containing imidodiphosphinate ligands: nucleophilic attack of Li[(P(i)Pr2)(TeP(i)Pr2)N] on coordinated 1,5-cyclooctadiene

Homoleptic group 10 complexes of ditellurido PNP (PNP = imidodiphosphinate), heterodichalcogenido PNP and monotellurido PNP ligands, M[(TeP(i)Pr2)2N]2 (1: M = Pd; 2: M = Pt), M[(EP(i)Pr2)(TeP(i)Pr2)N]2 (3: M = Pd, E = Se; 4: M = Pt, E = Se; 5: M = Pd, E = S; 6: M = Pt, E = S) and M[(P(i)Pr2)(TeP(i)Pr2)N]2 (7: M = Pd; 8: M = Pt), respectively, were prepared by metathesis between alkali-metal derivatives of the appropriate ligand and MCl2(COD) in THF. Complexes 1-8 were characterised in solution by multinuclear (31P, 77Se, 125Te and 195Pt) NMR spectroscopy and, in the case of 1, 2, trans-7, cis-7 and trans-8, in the solid state by X-ray crystallography. The square-planar complexes 3-6 are formed as a mixture of cis- and trans-isomers on the basis of NMR data. The cis and trans isomers of 7 were separated by crystallisation from different solvents. In addition to trans-8, the reaction of Li[(P(i)Pr2)(TeP(i)Pr2)N] with MCl2(COD) produced the heteroleptic complex Pt[(P(i)Pr2)(TeP(i)Pr2)N][sigma:eta2-C8H12(P(i)Pr2NP(i)Pr2Te)] (9) resulting from nucleophilic attack on coordinated 1,5-cyclooctadiene. Complex 9 was identified by multinuclear (13C, 31P, 125Te and 195Pt) NMR spectroscopy, which revealed a mixture of geometric isomers, and by X-ray crystallography.

Experimental and theoretical investigations of the contact ion pairs formed by reactions of the anions [(EPR2)2N]- (R = (i)Pr, (t)Bu; E = S, Se) with the cations [(TePR2)2N]+ (R = (i)Pr, (t)Bu)

Reactions of the sodium salts [(EPR(2))(2)N]Na(TMEDA) (R = (i)Pr, (t)Bu; E = S, Se) with the iodide salts [(TePR(2))(2)N]I (R = (i)Pr, (t)Bu) in toluene produce the mixed-chalcogen systems [(EPR(2))(2)N][(TePR(2))(2)N] (6b, E = Se, R = (t)Bu; 6c, E = S, R = (t)Bu; 7b, E = Se, R = (i)Pr; 7c, E = S, R = (i)Pr). Compounds 6b, 6c, 7b, and 7c have been characterized in solution by variable-temperature multinuclear ((31)P, (77)Se, and (125)Te) NMR spectroscopy and in the solid state by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The structures are comprised of contact ion pairs linked by bonds between Te and S or Se atoms. For the tert-butyl derivatives 6b and 6c, the anionic half of the molecule is coordinated in a bidentate (E,E') fashion to one Te atom of the cationic half to give a spirocycle, whereas in the isopropyl derivatives 7b and 7c, the anion acts as a monodentate ligand with only one E-Te bond and the second S or Se atom pointing away from the cation. A comparison of the chalcogen-chalcogen bond orders in 6b, 6c, and the all-tellurium system 6a (E = Te), as determined from the experimental bond lengths, shows that the Te-Te bond order in the cations decreases as the strength of the E-Te interaction increases. This trend is attributed to increased electron donation from the anion into the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital [sigma*(Te-Te)] of the cation along the series S < Se < Te. A similar trend is observed for the monodentate contact ion pairs 7b and 7c. Density functional theory calculations provided information about the relative energies of bidentate and monodentate contact ion pair structures and the extent of intramolecular electron transfer in these systems.

Synthesis, NMR characterisation and X-ray structures of mixed chalcogenido PNP ligands containing tellurium: crystal structures of SeiPr2PNP(H)iPr2 and [NaN(EPiPr2)2]infinity (E = Se, Te)

Reaction of HN(PiPr2)2 with one equivalent of selenium in hexane at room temperature yields the monoselenide as the P-H tautomer Se=PiPr2-N=P(H)iPr2 (2b). Deprotonation of 2b with n butyllithium in the presence of TMEDA at -78 degrees C followed by addition of tellurium produces the air-sensitive, mixed chalcogenido complex [(TMEDA)Li(SePiPr2)(TePiPr2)N] (8Li) in >97% purity after recrystallisation. Similarly, deprotonation of Te=PiPr2-N=P(H)iPr2 (2c), followed by addition of sulfur, gives the sulfur analogue [(TMEDA)Li(SPiPr2)(TePiPr2)N] (7Li) in >99% purity. The symmetrical complexes [(TMEDA)Li(SePiPr2)2N] (4Li) and [(TMEDA)Li(TePiPr2)2N] (5Li) are produced by similar methods. Compounds 2b, 4Li, 5Li, 7Li and 8Li were characterised in solution by multinuclear (1H, 31P, 77Se and 125Te) NMR spectroscopy and their solid-state structures were determined by X-ray crystallography. The X-ray crystal structures of the polymeric chains [NaN(EPiPr2)2]infinity (4Na, E = Se and 5Na, E = Te) are also reported.

Experimental and Theoretical Investigations of Structural Isomers of Dichalcogenoimidodiphosphinate Dimers: Dichalcogenides or Spirocyclic Contact Ion Pairs?

A synthetic protocol for the tert-butyl-substituted dichalcogenoimidodiphosphinates [Na(tmeda){(EPtBu(2))(2)N}] (3 a, E=S; 3 b, E=Se; 3 c, E=Te) has been developed. The one-electron oxidation of the sodium complexes [Na(tmeda){(EPR(2))(2)N}] with iodine produces a series of neutral dimers (EPR(2)NPR(2)E--)(2) (4 b, E=Se, R=iPr; 4 c, E=Te, R=iPr; 5 a, E=S, R=tBu; 5 b, E=Se, R=tBu; 5 c, E=Te, R=tBu). Attempts to prepare 4 a (E=S, R=iPr) in a similar manner produced a mixture including HN(SPiPr(2)). Compounds 4 b, 4 c and 5 a-c were characterised by multinuclear NMR spectra and by X-ray crystallography, which revealed two alternative structures for these dimeric molecules. The derivatives 4 b, 4 c, 5 a and 5 b exhibit acyclic structures with a central chalcogen-chalcogen linkage that is elongated by approximately 2 % (E=S), 6 % (E=Se) and 8 % (E=Te) compared to typical single-bond values. By contrast, 5 c adopts an unique spirocyclic contact ion-pair structure in which a [(TePtBu(2))(2)N](-) ion is Te,Te' chelated to an incipient [(TePtBu(2))(2)N](+) cyclic ion. DFT calculations of the relative energies of the two structural isomers indicate a trend towards increasing stability for the contact ion pair relative to the corresponding dichalcogenide on going from S to Se to Te for both the isopropyl and tert-butyl series. The two-electron oxidation of [Na(tmeda){(EPtBu(2))(2)N}] (E=S, Se, Te) with iodine produced the salts [(EPtBu(2))(2)N](+)X(-) (7 a, E=S, X=I(3); 7 b, E=Se, X=I; 7 c, E=Te, X=I), which were characterised by X-ray crystallography. Compound 7 a exists as a monomeric, ion-separated complex with [d(S--S)=2.084(2) A]; 7 b and 7 c are dimeric [d(Se--Se)=2.502(1) A; d(Te--Te)=2.884(1) A].