Platinum(II) and palladium(II) complexes [M(CH3)(L)]SbF6 with substituted terpyridine ligands L undergo light-driven oxygen insertion reactions into metal methyl bonds resulting in methylperoxo complexes [M(OOCH3)(L)]SbF6. The oxygen insertion reactions occur readily for complexes with methyl ligands that are activated due to steric interaction with substituents (NH2, NHMe or CH3) at the 6,6″-positions on the terpyridine ligand. All complexes exhibit attractive intermolecular π···π or M···M interactions in the solid state and in solution, which lead to excited triplet dinuclear M-M complexes upon irradiation. A mechanism is proposed whereby a dinuclear intermediate is generated upon irradiation that has a weakened M-C bond in the excited state, resulting in the observed oxygen insertion reactions.

The reactions of [Ag(NH=CMe2)2]ClO4 with cis-[PtCl2L2] in a 1:1 molar ratio give cis-[PtCl(NH=CMe2)(PPh3)2]ClO4 (1cis) or cis-[PtCl(NH=CMe2)2(dmso)]ClO4 (2), and in 2:1 molar ratio, they produce [Pt(NH=CMe2)2L2](ClO4)2 [L = PPh3 (3), L2= tbbpy = 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-dipyridyl (4)]. Complex 2 reacts with PPh3 (1:2) to give trans-[PtCl(NH=CMe2)(PPh3)2]ClO(4) (1trans). The two-step reaction of cis-[PtCl2(dmso)2], [Au(NH=CMe2)(PPh3)]ClO4, and PPh3 (1:1:1) gives [SP-4-3]-[PtCl(NH=CMe2)(dmso)(PPh3)]ClO4 (5). The reactions of complexes 2 and 4 with PhICl2 give the Pt(IV) derivatives [OC-6-13]-[PtCl3(NH=CMe2)(2)(dmso)]ClO4 (6) and [OC-6-13]-[PtCl2(NH=CMe2)2(dtbbpy)](ClO4)2 (7), respectively. Complexes 1cis and 1trans react with NaH and [AuCl(PPh3)] (1:10:1.2) to give cis- and trans-[PtCl{mu-N(AuPPh3)=CMe2}(PPh3)2]ClO4 (8cis and 8trans), respectively. The crystal structures of 4.0.5Et2O.0.5Me2CO and 6 have been determined; both exhibit pseudosymmetry.

MeNH(2) reacts with silver salts AgX (2:1) to give [Ag(NH(2)Me)(2)]X [X = TfO = CF(3)SO(3) (1.TfO) and ClO(4) (1.ClO(4))]. Neutral mono(amino) Rh(III) complexes [Rh(Cp*)Cl(2)(NH(2)R)] [R = Me (2a), To = C(6)H(4)Me-4 (2b)] have been prepared by reacting [Rh(Cp*)Cl(mu-Cl)](2) with RNH(2) (1:2). The following cationic methyl amino complexes have also been prepared: [Rh(Cp*)Cl(NH(2)Me)(PPh(3))]TfO (3.TfO), from [Rh(Cp*)Cl(2)(PPh(3))] and 1.TfO (1:1); [Rh(Cp*)Cl(NH(2)R)2]X, where R = Me, X = Cl, (4a.Cl), from [Rh(Cp*)Cl(mu-Cl)]2 and MeNH2 (1:4), or R = Me, X = ClO4 (4a.ClO4), from 4a.Cl and NaClO4 (1:4.8), or R = To, X = TfO (4b.TfO), from [Rh(Cp*)Cl(mu-Cl)](2), ToNH(2) and TlTfO (1:4:2); [Rh(Cp*)(NH(2)Me)(tBubpy)](TfO)(2) (tBubpy = 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine, 5.TfO), from 2a, TlTfO and tBubpy (1:2:1); [Rh(Cp*)(NH(2)Me)(3)](TfO)2 (6.TfO) from [Rh(Cp*)Cl(mu-Cl)](2) and 1.TfO (1:4). 2-6 constitute the first family of methyl amino complexes of rhodium. 1 and 4a.ClO(4) react with acetone to give, respectively, the methyl imino complexes [Ag{N(Me)=CMe(2)}()]X [X = TfO (7.TfO), ClO(4) (7.ClO(4))], and [Rh(Cp*)Cl(Me-imam)]ClO(4) [8.ClO(4), Me-imam = N,N'-N(Me)=C(Me)CH(2)C(Me)(2)NHMe]. 7.X (X = TfO, ClO(4)) are new members of the small family of methyl acetimino complexes of any metal whereas 8.ClO4 results after a double acetone condensation to give the corresponding bis(methyl acetimino) complex and an aldol-like condensation of the two imino ligands. The acetimino complex [Ag(NH=CMe(2))(2)]ClO(4) reacts with [Rh(Cp*)Cl(imam)]ClO(4) [1:1, imam = N,N'-NH=C(Me)CH(2)C(Me)(2)NH(2)] to give [Rh(Cp*)(imam)(NH=CMe(2))](ClO(4))(2) (9a.ClO(4)). 8.ClO(4) reacts with AgClO(4) (1:1) in MeCN to give [Rh(Cp*)(Me-imam)(NCMe)](ClO(4))2 (9b.ClO(4)), which in turn reacts with XyNC (Xy = C(6)H(3)Me(2)-2,6) or with MeNH(2) (1:1) to give [Rh(Cp*)(Me-imam)L](ClO(4))(2) [L = XyNC (9c.ClO(4)), MeNH(2) (9d.ClO(4))]. 6.TfO reacts with acetophenone to give [Rh(Cp*){C,N-C(6)H(4)C(Me)=N(Me)-2}(NH(2)Me)]TfO (10a.TfO), the first complex resulting from such a condensation and cyclometalation reaction. In turn, 10a.TfO reacts with isocyanides RNC (1:1) at room temperature to give [Rh(Cp*){C,N-C(6)H(4)C(Me)=NMe-2}(CNR)]TfO [R = tBu (10b.TfO), Xy (10c.TfO)], or 1:12 at 60 degrees C to give [Rh(Cp*){C,N-C(=NXy)C(6)H(4)C(Me)=N(Me)-2}(CNXy)]TfO (11.TfO). The crystal structures of 9a.ClO(4).acetone-d6, 9c.ClO(4), and 10a.TfO have been determined.

The reaction of AgClO(4) and NH(3) in acetone gave [Ag(NH=CMe(2))(2)]ClO(4) (1). The reactions of 1 with [RhCl(diolefin)](2) or [RhCl(CO)(2)](2) (2:1) gave the bis(acetimine) complexes [Rh(diolefin)(NH=CMe(2))(2)]ClO(4) [diolefin = 1,5 cyclooctadiene = cod (2), norbornadiene = nbd (3)] or [Rh(CO)(2)(NH=CMe(2))(2)]ClO(4) (4), respectively. Mono(acetimine) complexes [Rh(diolefin)(NH=CMe(2))(PPh(3))]ClO(4) [diolefin = cod (5), nbd (6)] or [RhCl(diolefin)(NH=CMe(2))] [diolefin = cod (7), nbd (8)] were obtained by reacting 2 or 3 with PPh(3) (1:1) or with Me(4)NCl (1:1.1), respectively. The reaction of 4 with PR(3) (R = Ph, To, molar ratio 1:2) led to [Rh(CO)(NH=CMe(2))(PR(3))(2)]ClO(4) [R = Ph (9), C(6)H(4)Me-4 = To (10)] while cis-[Rh(CO)(NH=CMe(2))(2)(PPh(3))]ClO(4) (11) was isolated from the reaction of 1 with [RhCl(CO)(PPh(3))](2) (1:1). The crystal structures of 5 and [Ag[H(2)NC(Me)(2)CH(2)C(O)Me](PTo(3))]ClO(4) (A), a product obtained in a reaction between NH(3), AgClO(4), and PTo(3), have been determined.

Following the reaction sequence i) oxidative addition of RNHC(O)C6H3I2-2,6 (R = Me, Tol) to [Pd2(dba)3]·dba in the presence of chelating ligands N∧N or XyNC (Xy = C6H3Me2-2,6), ii) treatment of the resulting complexes with TlTfO or Tl(acac) (acac = acetylacetonato), and iii) insertion of unsaturated molecules (CO, XyNC, MeO2CCCCO2Me, MeC(O)CHCH2) into one of the Pd–Caryl bonds of the resulting complexes allowed the synthesis of aryldipalladated complexes containing the ligands L1 = μ-C,C-{C6H3C(O)NHR}-2,6, L2 = μ-C,C-{C6H3C(O)NHMe}(CNXy)2-2,6, L3 = μ-C,O,C-{C6H3C(O)NHMe}-2,6, L4 = μ-C,O,C,N-{C6H3C(O)NR}-2,6, L6 = μ-C,N,C,O-{C6H3C(O)NR}-2-(CO)-6, L7 = μ-C,N,C,O-{C6H3C(O)NR}-2-{C(CO2Me)C(CO2Me)}-6, L8 = μ-C,N,C,O-{C6H3C(O)NR}-2-(CNXy)-6 and two arylmonopalladated complexes with the ligands L5 = C,O-{C6H4C(O)NHMe}-2 and L9 = C,N-{C6H3C(O)NTol}-2-{CHCHC(O)Me}-6. The complex with the ligand L7 inserted CO into the second Pd–Caryl bond to give an L10-Pd2 complex (L10 = μ-C,N,C,O-{C6H3C(O)NTol}(CO)-2-{C(CO2Me)C(CO2Me)}-6. The dipalladated species display a different environment for each palladium atom and represent the first systems containing two 5 + 5, 5 + 6, 5 + 7, or 6 + 7-membered palladacycles condensed over the central benzamide group. The two arms of the ligands L4 and L6-L8 and L10 are “akimbo”, and we coin this name both for the ligands and for the dimetallic complexes bearing them. The crystal structure of a [{Pd(N∧N)}2L6]+ complex has been determined.