Synthesis, Characterization, and Structure of [GaCl3(NHC)] Complexes

Synthesis and redox activity of carbene-coordinated group 13 metal radicals

Carbenes are known to stabilize main group element compounds with unusual electronic properties. Herein, we report the synthesis of carbene-stabilized group 13 metal radicals (cAAC)MX2(IPr) (M = Al, X =...

Synthesis, structural characterization, and coordination chemistry of imidazole-based alkylidene ketenes

Alkylidene ketenes typically display high intrinsic reactivity, impeding isolation on a preparative scale. Herein, we report the synthesis of alkylidene ketenes by reaction of imidazole-based diazoolefins with carbon monoxide. The good thermal stability of these heterocumulenes allows for characterization by single crystal X-ray diffraction. N-Heterocyclic alkylidene ketenes can be used as C-donor ligands for transition and main group metals, as evidenced by the isolation of complexes with AuCl, RhCl(CO)₂, PdCl(C₃H₅) and GaCl₃.

The carbene transfer to strong Lewis acids: copper is better than silver

Air-stable copper(i) N-heterocyclic carbene complexes are excellent reagents for carbene transfer to Lewis Acids based on group 13 metals.

N-Heterocyclic carbene and cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene adducts of gallium hydrides, gallium chlorides and gallium hydrochlorides

The synthesis and characterization of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene (cAAC) gallane and chlorogallane adducts of the type (NHC)·GaH3 (NHC = Me2ImMe1, iPr2Im 2, iPr2ImMe3 and Dipp2ImH4; Me2ImMe = 1,3,4,5-tetra-methyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene; R2Im = 1,3-di-organyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene; Dipp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl; Dipp2ImH = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-imidazolidin-2-ylidene), (NHC)·GaH2Cl (NHC = iPr2ImMe9, Dipp2Im 10 and Dipp2ImH11; iPr2ImMe = 1,3 diisopropyl-4,5-dimethyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene), (NHC)·GaHCl2 (NHC = iPr2ImMe12, Dipp2Im 13 and Dipp2ImH14) and (cAACMe)·GaHCl215 is reported. Compounds 1-3 and 9-11 are unstable in solution as heating to the boiling temperature of toluene (110 °C) leads to decomposition into elemental gallium and the corresponding dihydroaminal NHC-H2. The reaction of the mono-NHC adducts with a second equivalent of NHC also afforded decomposition and formation of NHC-H2, whereas the reaction of the NHC-stabilized gallanes with one equivalent cAACMe leads to an insertion of the cAACMe carbene carbon atom into the Ga-H bond. The synthesis and characterization of (NHC)·GaH2(cAACMeH) (NHC = Me2ImMe5, iPr2ImMe6 and Dipp2Im 7), the products of an oxidative addition of (NHC)·GaH3 to cAACMe, are presented. The adduct (Dipp2ImH)·GaH34 reacts with two equivalents of cAACMe under the release of Dipp2ImH and insertion of two cAACMe molecules into the Ga-H bond to give the bisalkylgallane (cAACMeH)2GaH 8. If one or two hydrogen atoms of the NHC gallane adducts are replaced with an electron-withdrawing chloride substituent, a selective insertion of cAACMe into the Ga-H bond occurs only for the adducts of sterically less demanding NHCs such as iPr2ImMe. The reaction of cAACMe with (iPr2ImMe)·GaH2Cl 9 and (iPr2ImMe)·GaHCl212 afforded (iPr2ImMe)·GaHCl(cAACMeH) 16 and (iPr2ImMe)·GaCl2(cAACMeH) 17. The reaction of cAACMe with (NHC)·GaHCl2 and (NHC)·GaH2Cl (NHC = Dipp2Im, Dipp2ImH), adducts of the sterically more demanding NHCs, leads to an extrusion of the NHC to (cAACMe)·GaHCl215 and (cAACMeH)2GaCl 18.

Stable Radical Cation and Dication of an N-Heterocyclic Carbene Stabilized Digallene: Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity

One- and two-electron oxidation of a digallene stabilized by an N-heterocyclic carbene afforded the first stable gallium-based radical cation and dication salts, respectively. Structural analysis and theoretical calculations reveal that the oxidation occurs at the Ga=Ga double bond, leading to removal of π electrons of the double bond and a decrease of the bond order. The spin density of the radical cation mainly locates at the two gallium centers as demonstrated by EPR spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. Moreover, the reactivity of the radical cation salt toward nBu₃ SnH and cyclo-S₈ was studied; a digallium-hydride cation salt containing a Ga-Ga single bond and a gallium sulfide cluster bearing an unprecedented ladder-like Ga₄ S₄ core structure were obtained, respectively.

Group 13 Element Trihalide Complexes of Anionic N-Heterocyclic Carbenes

A series of group 13 complexes of the general type [{(WCA-IDipp)EX3 }Li(solv)] (E=B, Al, Ga, In; X=Cl, Br) that bear an anionic N-heterocyclic carbene ligand with a weakly coordinating borate moiety (WCA-IDipp, WCA=B(C6 F5 )3 and IDipp=1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazolin-2-ylidene) were prepared by the reaction of the respective group 13 trihalides (EX3 ) with the lithium salt [(WCA-IDipp)Li ⋅ toluene]. The molecular structures of the BBr3 , AlCl3 , AlBr3 , GaCl3 and InCl3 adducts were established by X-ray diffraction analyses, revealing the formation of coordination polymers linked by halide-lithium interactions, except for the indium derivative, which consists of isolated [Li(THF)4 ]+ and [(WCA-IDipp)InCl3 ]- ions in the solid state.

NHCs in Main Group Chemistry

Since the discovery of the first stable N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) in the beginning of the 1990s, these divalent carbon species have become a common and available class of compounds, which have found numerous applications in academic and industrial research. Their important role as two-electron donor ligands, especially in transition metal chemistry and catalysis, is difficult to overestimate. In the past decade, there has been tremendous research attention given to the chemistry of low-coordinate main group element compounds. Significant progress has been achieved in stabilization and isolation of such species as Lewis acid/base adducts with highly tunable NHC ligands. This has allowed investigation of numerous novel types of compounds with unique electronic structures and opened new opportunities in the rational design of novel organic catalysts and materials. This Review gives a general overview of this research, basic synthetic approaches, key features of NHC-main group element adducts, and might be useful for the broad research community.

Aryl-NHC-group 13 trimethyl complexes: structural, stability and bonding insights

Treatment of aromatic N-substituted N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) with trimethylgallium and -indium yielded the new Lewis acid–base adducts (as shown in the Figure). The steric and electronic factors affecting the stability of these complexes were quantified using percent buried volume, topographic steric maps and theoretical studies.

Azido- and amido-substituted gallium hydrides supported by N-heterocyclic carbenes

The synthesis of azido- and amido-gallanes supported by hindered N-heterocyclic carbene donors is reported.

Catalytic applications of [IPr·GaX2][SbF6] and related species

The broad applicability of cationic NHC complexes of gallium in molecular catalysis is revealed.

Rational synthesis of normal, abnormal and anionic NHC-gallium alkyl complexes: structural, stability and isomerization insights

Advancing the rational design of main-group N-heterocyclic carbene complexes, this study reports the synthesis, X-ray crystallographic and NMR spectroscopic characterisation of a novel series of Ga complexes containing neutral or anionic NHC ligands using the unsaturated carbene IPr (IPr = 1,3-bis-(2,6-di-isopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene). Starting from normal adduct GaR3·IPr (1) (R = CH2SiMe3), the addition of polar LiR led to the formation of NHC-stabilised gallate species IPr·LiGaR4 (2), resulting from co-complexation of the single-metal species. Contrastingly, reversing the order of addition of these organometallic reagents, by treating unsaturated free IPr, first with LiR followed by GaR3, furnished novel heteroleptic gallate (THF)2Li[:C{[N(2,6-iPr2C6H3)]2CHCGa(CH2SiMe3)3}] (3), which contains an anionic NHC ligand acting as an unsymmetrical bridge between the two metals, coordinating through its abnormal C4 position to Ga and through its normal C2 position to Li. Electrophilic interception studies of 3 using methyl triflate (MeOTf), methanol and imidazolium salt (IMes·HCl) led to the isolation and structural elucidation of the two novel neutral abnormal NHC (aNHC) complexes [CH3C{[N(2,6-iPr2C6H3)]2CHCGa(CH2SiMe3)3}] (4) and aIPr·GaR3 (5) (aIPr = HC{[N(2,6-iPr2C6H3)]2CHC}). These studies disclose the preference of the anionic IPr ligand present in 3 to react with electrophiles via its C2 position, leaving its Ga-C4 bond intact. Abnormal complex 5 can also be accessed by a thermally induced rearrangement of its normal isomer 1. Combining NMR spectroscopic and kinetic studies with DFT calculations, new light has been shed on this intriguing transformation, which suggests that it occurs via a dissociative mechanism, highlighting the importance of the donor ability of the solvent used in these thermal isomerizations as well as the steric bulk of the substituents on the NHC and the Ga reagent. These findings intimate that relief of the steric hindrance around Ga by forming an abnormal complex is a key driving force behind these rearrangements.

Synthesis, structural studies and ligand influence on the stability of aryl-NHC stabilised trimethylaluminium complexes

Treatment of a series of aromatic NHCs with trimethylaluminium produced their corresponding NHC·AlMe₃ adducts displaying different stabilities. Their stabilities are rationalized using topographic steric maps and NHC % V Bur.

Gallium-assisted transfer hydrogenation of alkenes

We report a rare case of alkene transfer hydrogenation using a main-group compound instead of a transition-metal complex as catalyst. We disclosed that 1,4-cyclohexadiene can be used as H2 surrogate towards olefin reduction in the presence of [IPrGaCl2 ][SbF6 ]. Hydrogenative cyclizations have also been carried out because this cationic gallium complex is also a potent hydroarylation catalyst.

Wet chemical functionalization of III-V semiconductor surfaces: alkylation of gallium arsenide and gallium nitride by a Grignard reaction sequence

Crystalline gallium arsenide (GaAs) (111)A and gallium nitride (GaN) (0001) surfaces have been functionalized with alkyl groups via a sequential wet chemical chlorine activation, Grignard reaction process. For GaAs(111)A, etching in HCl in diethyl ether effected both oxide removal and surface-bound Cl. X-ray photoelectron (XP) spectra demonstrated selective surface chlorination after exposure to 2 M HCl in diethyl ether for freshly etched GaAs(111)A but not GaAs(111)B surfaces. GaN(0001) surfaces exposed to PCl(5) in chlorobenzene showed reproducible XP spectroscopic evidence for Cl-termination. The Cl-activated GaAs(111)A and GaN(0001) surfaces were both reactive toward alkyl Grignard reagents, with pronounced decreases in detectable Cl signal as measured by XP spectroscopy. Sessile contact angle measurements between water and GaAs(111)A interfaces after various levels of treatment showed that GaAs(111)A surfaces became significantly more hydrophobic following reaction with C(n)H(2n-1)MgCl (n = 1, 2, 4, 8, 14, 18). High-resolution As 3d XP spectra taken at various times during prolonged direct exposure to ambient lab air indicated that the resistance of GaAs(111)A to surface oxidation was greatly enhanced after reaction with Grignard reagents. GaAs(111)A surfaces terminated with C(18)H(37) groups were also used in Schottky heterojunctions with Hg. These heterojunctions exhibited better stability over repeated cycling than heterojunctions based on GaAs(111)A modified with C(18)H(37)S groups. Raman spectra were separately collected that suggested electronic passivation by surficial Ga-C bonds at GaAs(111)A. Specifically, GaAs(111)A surfaces reacted with alkyl Grignard reagents exhibited Raman signatures comparable to those of samples treated with 10% Na(2)S in tert-butanol. For GaN(0001), high-resolution C 1s spectra exhibited the characteristic low binding energy shoulder demonstrative of surface Ga-C bonds following reaction with CH(3)MgCl. In addition, 4-fluorophenyl groups were attached and detected after reaction with C(6)H(4)FMgBr, further confirming the susceptibility of Cl-terminated GaN(0001) to surface alkylation. However, the measured hydrophobicities of alkyl-terminated GaAs(111)A and GaN(0001) were markedly distinct, indicating differences in the resultant surface layers. The results presented here, in conjunction with previous studies on GaP, show that atop Ga atoms at these crystallographically related surfaces can be deliberately functionalized and protected through Ga-C surface bonds that do not involve thiol/sulfide chemistry or gas-phase pretreatments.

A gallium-catalyzed cycloisomerization/Friedel-Crafts tandem

Under noble (Au, Pt, Ru) and group 13 (Ga, In) metals catalysis, 1,6-arenynes rearrange to give 1,2-dihydronaphthalenes in a high yielding, regiocontrolled fashion. When the reaction is carried out in the presence of electron-rich arenes (anisole, phenol, indole derivatives), Friedel-Crafts addition may follow the cycloisomerization step. Only GaX(3) salts proved able to catalyze these two C-C bond formation events. This specificity of gallium has been exploited for the synthesis of valuable polycyclic compounds that would be very difficult to prepare otherwise. For instance, tetrahydroisoquinolines and tetrahydrobenzoazepines have been obtained by selective 6-exo-dig or 7-endo-dig cyclization of N-tethered 1,6-arenynes. DFT calculations were carried out to shed light on the mechanism and provide a rationale for this regiodivergency. Computations also reveal the fundamental role of the tether in the stabilization of carbocationic species. Differential reactivities of other types of substrates in gallium- and gold-catalyzed cascades are also exposed, showing that the two approaches are complementary. In particular, bimolecular Friedel-Crafts additions are facilitated under gallium catalysis.

Wet chemical functionalization of III-V semiconductor surfaces: alkylation of gallium phosphide using a Grignard reaction sequence

Single-crystalline gallium phosphide (GaP) surfaces have been functionalized with alkyl groups via a sequential Cl-activation, Grignard reaction process. X-ray photoelectron (XP) spectra of freshly etched GaP(111)A surfaces demonstrated reproducible signals for surficial Cl after treatment with PCl(5) in chlorobenzene. The measured Cl content consistently corresponded to approximately a monolayer of coverage on GaP(111)A. In contrast, GaP(111)B surfaces treated with the same PCl(5) solution under the same conditions exhibited macroscale roughening and yielded XP spectra that showed irreproducible Cl surface content often below the limit of detection of the spectrometer. The Cl-activated GaP(111)A surfaces were reactive toward alkyl Grignard reagents. Sessile contact angle measurements between water and GaP(111)A after various levels of treatment showed that GaP(111)A surfaces became significantly more hydrophobic following reaction with either CH(3)MgCl or C(18)H(37)MgCl. GaP(111)A surfaces reacted with C(18)H(37)MgCl demonstrated wetting properties consistent with surfaces modified with a dense layer of long alkyl chains. High-resolution C 1s XP spectra indicated that the carbonaceous species at GaP(111)A surfaces treated with Grignard reagents could not be ascribed solely to adventitious carbon. A shoulder in the C 1s XP spectra occurred at slightly lower binding energies for these samples, commensurate with the formation of Ga-C bonds. High-resolution P 2p XP spectra taken at various times during prolonged direct exposure to ambient laboratory air indicated that the resistance of GaP(111)A to surface oxidation was greatly enhanced after surface modification with alkyl groups. GaP(111)A samples that had been functionalized with C(18)H(37)- groups exhibited less than 0.1 nm of surface oxide after 7 weeks of continuous exposure to ambient air. GaP(111)A surfaces terminated with C(18)H(37)- groups were also used as platforms in Schottky heterojunctions with Hg. In comparison to freshly etched GaP(111)A, the alkyl-terminated GaP(111)A samples yielded current-voltage responses that were in accord with metal-insulator-semiconductor devices and indicated that this reaction strategy could be used to alter rates of heterogeneous charge transfer controllably. The wet chemical surface functionalization strategy described herein does not involve thiol/sulfide chemistry or gas-phase pretreatments and represents a new synthetic methodology for controlling the interfacial properties of GaP and related Ga-based III-V semiconductors.