The first technetium
complexes containing anionic alkynido ligands
in an end-on coordination mode have been prepared by using the nonprotic,
cationic precursor mer,trans-[Tc(SMe2)(CO)3(PPh3)2]+. This cation acts as a functional analogue of the highly reactive
16-electron metallo Lewis acid {Tc(CO)3(PPh3)2}+ in reactions with alkynes, acetylides,
and other organometallic reagents. Such reactions give a variety of
organometallic technetium complexes in excellent yields and enable
the preparation of [Tc(CH3)(CO)3(PPh3)2], [Tc(Ph)(CO)3(PPh3)2], [Tc(Cp)(CO)2(PPh3)], [Tc(CCH2CH2CH2O)(CO)3(PPh3)2]+, [Tc(CCH2CH2CH2CH2O)(CO)3(PPh3)2]+, [Tc(CC–H)(CO)3(PPh3)2], [Tc(CC–Ph)(CO)3(PPh3)2], [Tc(CC–
t
Bu)(CO)3(PPh3)2], [Tc(CC–
n
Bu)(CO)3(PPh3)2], [Tc(CC–SiMe3)(CO)3(PPh3)2], and [Tc{CC–C6H3(CF3)2}(CO)3(PPh3)2]. The bonding situation in the alkynyl complexes
is compared to that in corresponding alkyl- and arylnitrile and -isonitrile
complexes. [Tc(NC–Ph)(CO)3(PPh3)2](BF4), [Tc(CN–Ph)(CO)3(PPh3)2](BF4), [Tc(NC–
t
Bu)(CO)3(PPh3)2](BF4), and [Tc(CN–
t
Bu)(CO)3(PPh3)2](BF4) were prepared in high yields by ligand exchange reactions
starting from mer,trans-[Tc(OH2)(CO)3(PPh3)2](BF4). The novel complexes were characterized by single-crystal X-ray
diffraction and spectroscopic methods. In particular, 99Tc nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy proved to be an invaluable
and sensitive tool for the characterization of the complexes. Density
functional theory calculations strongly suggest similar bonding situations
for the related alkynyl, nitrile, and isonitrile complexes of technetium.