Reported here is
the synthesis and characterization of the tetrakis(m-terphenyl isocyanide)cobalt hydride HCo(CNArMes2)4 (1; ArMes2 = 2,6-(2,4,6-Me3C6H2)2C6H3). Monohydride 1 serves as a well-defined isocyano
analogue of the tetracarbonyl hydride HCo(CO)4. While tetrakis-phosphine
analogues of HCo(CO)4 have been reported previously, these
compounds have failed to exhibit a reactivity profile that can be
compared and contrasted with HCo(CO)4 in a systematic fashion.
Herein, HCo(CNArMes2)4 (1) is shown
to be a readily accessed and reactive complex that allows for this
comparison. For example, HCo(CNArMes2)4 (1) is found to decompose smoothly to the κ1
-C-iminoformyl complex Co(η6-(Mes)-κ1
C-C(H)NArMes2)(CNArMes2) (2). Kinetic analysis of this decomposition and that
of the d
1-isotopomer DCo(CNArMes2)4 (1-d
1) revealed
a unimolecular process characterized by a large primary k
H/
k
D isotope effect (3.2(6))
and no dependence on the presence of free CNArMes2. These
data point to rate-limiting hydride α-migration and formation
of the κ1-C-iminoformyl species
[Co(κ1-C-C(H)NArMes2)(CNArMes2)3] as a critical intermediate. Indeed,
ligand substitution reactions of HCo(CNArMes2)4 (1), as well as 13C-labeling experiments
of the decomposition product 2, demonstrate that hydride
α-migration is the dominant mechanistic feature of this system.
Most notably, this behavior is in contrast with that of HCo(CO)4, for which it has been established that CO ligand dissociation
is the initial mechanistic feature. Additional support for the critical
role of hydride α-migration in HCo(CNArMes2)4 (1) was obtained by the development of catalytic
CNArMes2 1,1-hydrogenation to form a stable and isolable
methylenimine.