Access to novel fluorovinylidene ligands via exploitation of outer-sphere electrophilic fluorination: New insights into C-F bond formation and activation

TY - JOUR

T1 - Access to novel fluorovinylidene ligands via exploitation of outer-sphere electrophilic fluorination

T2 - New insights into C-F bond formation and activation

AU - Milner, Lucy M.

AU - Hall, Lewis M.

AU - Pridmore, Natalie E.

AU - Skeats, Matthew K.

AU - Whitwood, Adrian C.

AU - Lynam, Jason M.

AU - Slattery, John M.

N1 - © 2016, The Royal Society of Chemistry.

PY - 2016/1/1

Y1 - 2016/1/1

N2 - Metal vinylidene complexes are widely encountered, or postulated, as intermediates in a range of important metal-mediated transformations of alkynes. However, fluorovinylidene complexes have rarely been described and their reactivity is largely unexplored. By making use of the novel outer-sphere electrophilic fluorination (OSEF) strategy we have developed a rapid, robust and convenient method for the preparation of fluorovinylidene and trifluoromethylvinylidene ruthenium complexes from non-fluorinated alkynes. Spectroscopic investigations (NMR and UV/Vis), coupled with TD-DFT studies, show that fluorine incorporation results in significant changes to the electronic structure of the vinylidene ligand. The reactivity of fluorovinylidene complexes shows many similarities to non-fluorinated analogues, but also some interesting differences, including a propensity to undergo unexpected C-F bond cleavage reactions. Heating fluorovinylidene complex [Ru(η5-C5H5)(PPh3)2(CC{F}R)][BF4] led to C-H activation of a PPh3 ligand to form an orthometallated fluorovinylphosphonium ligand. Reaction with pyridine led to nucleophilic attack at the metal-bound carbon atom of the vinylidene to form a vinyl pyridinium species, which undergoes both C-H and C-F activation to give a novel pyridylidene complex. Addition of water, in the presence of chloride, leads to anti-Markovnikov hydration of a fluorovinylidene complex to form an α-fluoroaldehyde, which slowly rearranges to its acyl fluoride isomer. Therefore, fluorovinylidenes ligands may be viewed as synthetic equivalents of 1-fluoroalkynes providing access to reactivity not possible by other routes.

AB - Metal vinylidene complexes are widely encountered, or postulated, as intermediates in a range of important metal-mediated transformations of alkynes. However, fluorovinylidene complexes have rarely been described and their reactivity is largely unexplored. By making use of the novel outer-sphere electrophilic fluorination (OSEF) strategy we have developed a rapid, robust and convenient method for the preparation of fluorovinylidene and trifluoromethylvinylidene ruthenium complexes from non-fluorinated alkynes. Spectroscopic investigations (NMR and UV/Vis), coupled with TD-DFT studies, show that fluorine incorporation results in significant changes to the electronic structure of the vinylidene ligand. The reactivity of fluorovinylidene complexes shows many similarities to non-fluorinated analogues, but also some interesting differences, including a propensity to undergo unexpected C-F bond cleavage reactions. Heating fluorovinylidene complex [Ru(η5-C5H5)(PPh3)2(CC{F}R)][BF4] led to C-H activation of a PPh3 ligand to form an orthometallated fluorovinylphosphonium ligand. Reaction with pyridine led to nucleophilic attack at the metal-bound carbon atom of the vinylidene to form a vinyl pyridinium species, which undergoes both C-H and C-F activation to give a novel pyridylidene complex. Addition of water, in the presence of chloride, leads to anti-Markovnikov hydration of a fluorovinylidene complex to form an α-fluoroaldehyde, which slowly rearranges to its acyl fluoride isomer. Therefore, fluorovinylidenes ligands may be viewed as synthetic equivalents of 1-fluoroalkynes providing access to reactivity not possible by other routes.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84955455439&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1039/c5dt04596g

DO - 10.1039/c5dt04596g

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84955455439

SN - 1477-9226

VL - 45

SP - 1717

EP - 1726

JO - Dalton Transactions

JF - Dalton Transactions

IS - 4

ER -