A series of thermally stable, easily isolable, monomeric, and isoleptic coinage metal alkyne complexes have been reported. Treatment of [N{(C(3)F(7))C(Dipp)N}(2)]Li (the lithium salt of the 1,3,5-triazapentadiene [N{(C(3)F(7))C(Dipp)N}(2)]H) with AuCl, CF(3)SO(3)Ag or CF(3)SO(3)Cu in the presence of 3-hexyne led to the corresponding coinage metal alkyne complex [N{(C(3)F(7))C(Dipp)N}(2)]M(EtC[triple bond]CEt) in good yield (M = Au, Ag, Cu; Dipp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl). X-ray crystal structures of the three coinage metal alkynes are remarkably similar, and show the presence of trigonal-planar metal sites with eta(2)-bonded 3-hexyne. The M-C and M-N bond distances vary in the order Cu < Au < Ag. The bending of the C-C[triple bond]C bond angle is largest for the gold, followed by Cu and Ag adducts. The gold adduct also shows the largest decrease in C[triple bond]C stretching frequency in Raman, while the Ag adduct shows the smallest change compared to that of the uncoordinated alkyne. DFT calculations on [N{(CF(3))C(Ph)N}(2)]M(EtC[triple bond]CEt) and the related ClM(EtC[triple bond]CEt) predict that the M-alkyne bond energy varies in the order Ag < Cu < Au. The gold adducts are also predicted to have the longest C[triple bond]C, largest deviation of C-C[triple bond]C bond angle from linearity, and smallest C[triple bond]C stretching frequency, followed by the Cu and Ag adducts. In these triazapentadienyl coinage metal adducts, the sigma-donation from alkyne --> M dominates over the M --> alkyne pi-back-donation.

We demonstrate that a titanium-carbon multiple bond, specifically an alkylidyne ligand in the transient complex, (

A rare gold(I) ethylene complex and the closely related copper(I) ethylene adduct have been isolated using [N{(C3F7)C(2,6-Cl2C6H3)N}2]- as the supporting ligand. [N{(C3F7)C(2,6-Cl2C6H3)N}2]Au(C2H4) (1) is an air-stable solid. It features a U-shaped triazapentadienyl ligand backbone and a three-coordinate, trigonal-planar gold center. The copper(I) adduct [N{(C3F7)C(2,6-Cl2C6H3)N}2]Cu(C2H4) (2) also has a similar structure. The 13C NMR signal corresponding to the ethylene carbons of 1 appears at about 64 ppm upfield from the free ethylene, while the ethylene carbons of 2 show a relatively smaller (39 ppm) upfield shift. [N{(C3F7)C(2,6-Cl2C6H3)N}2]M(C2H4) (M=Cu, Au) mediate carbene-transfer reactions from ethyl diazoacetate to saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons.

The argentate trinuclear cluster Ag3(μ2-3,5-(CF3)2PyrPy)3 (3,5-(CF3)2PyrPy = 2,2′-pyridylpyrrolide– ligand) catalytically promotes the insertion of the carbene of ethyl diazoacetate at room temperature into the C–H bond of a series of alkanes ranging from ethane to hexane, as well as branched and cyclic hydrocarbons. In addition to experimental studies, we also present theoretical studies elucidating the mechanism to C–H activation and functionalization by the transient silver carbene monomer (3,5-(CF3)2PyrPy)Ag(CHCO2Et). On the basis of DFT studies, formation of the silver carbene complex was found to be rate-determining for alkane substrates such as ethane and propane. On the other hand, DFT studies on methane, a substrate that we failed to activate, revealed that carbene insertion into the C–H bond was overall rate-determining. Theoretical analysis of charge flow also shows that the change from separated reagents to the TS involves charge flow from alkane to the silver carbene carbon with the bridging H behaving as a conduit. KIE studies using cyclohexane as a substrate suggest that the product-determining step involves only modest C–H bond lengthening, which can be also represented as a very early transition state with respect to C–H insertion of the carbene.

Fully fluorinated triazapentadienyl ligand [N{(C3F7)C(C6F5)N}2]- and the related [N{(C3F7)C(2-F,6-(CF3)C6H3)N}2]- have been synthesized in good yield via a convenient route and used in the isolation of three- and four-coordinate copper(I)-carbon monoxide complexes. They show fairly high nu(CO) values (>2100 cm(-1)), indicating the presence of electron-poor Cu sites. The copper(I)-ethylene adduct [N{(C3F7)C(C6F5)N}2]Cu(C2H4), featuring a three-coordinate Cu site, has also been synthesized using [N{(C3F7)C(C6F5)N}2]CuNCCH3 and C2H4.