This
work follows a previously published study of high-turnover
aromatic C–H borylation by Ir complexes supported by POCOP-type
ligands incorporating −PiPr2 side donors
(L1–L3) using HBpin in the presence
of olefins. A variety of pincer-supported Ir and Rh complexes have
been tested as precatalysts in the analogous aromatic C–H borylation.
The ligands in this study included a number of aryl/bis(phosphine)
pincers of the PCP type, as well as PCS, PNP, PNSb, PSiP, and PBP
ligands. The syntheses primarily targeted precursors of the (PXL)M(H)(Cl)
type (M = Rh, Ir); exceptions included complexes (L15)Ir(H)(OAc), (L17)Ir(COE), (L18)Ir(H)4, and (L16)Rh(H2). The catalytic competence
was tested using C6D6 as the substrate (and
solvent) with HBpin and 1-hexene as reagents. C–H borylation
and hydroboration of 1-hexene were the two competing catalytic reactions.
None of the Rh complexes tested displayed any C–H borylation
activity. Among the Ir complexes, only those possessing a central
aryl site in the pincer showed significant C–H borylation activity
with C6D6. The most promising precatalysts (L3)Ir(H)(Cl), (L4)Ir(H)(Cl), (L7)Ir(H)(Cl), (L11)Ir(H)(Cl), (L13)Ir(H)(Cl),
and (L15)Ir(H)(OAc) were tested in the C–H borylation
of C6H5F and C6H5CF3. All of these catalysts showed a roughly statistical preference
for the borylation of only meta and para sites in C6H5CF3. For C6H5F borylation of all three sites (ortho, meta, para) was observed. Catalysts
supported by the ligands L3 and L11 showed
the highest rate of reaction and higher selectivity for C–H
borylation vs hydroboration. Borylation of m-ClC6H4Me catalyzed by (L3)Ir(H)(Cl) and
(L11)Ir(H)(Cl) resulted in only the borylation of only
one aromatic C–H site (meta to both substituents),
<10% of borylation of the benzylic site, and no borylation of the
C–Cl moiety.