Electrochemical and computational study of tungsten(0) ferrocene complexes: observation of the mono-oxidized tungsten(0) ferrocenium species and intramolecular electronic interactions
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Date
Authors
Bezuidenhout, Daniela Ina
Fernandez, Israel
Van der Westhuizen, Belinda
Swarts, Pieter J.
Swarts, Jannie C.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Abstract
The series [(CO)5W=C(XR)Fc], 1 (XR = OEt) and 3 (XR = NHBu) as well as
[(CO)5W=C(XR)-Fc'-(XR)C=W(CO)5], 2 (XR = OEt) and 4 (XR = NHBu) of mono- and
biscarbene tungsten(0) complexes with Fc = FeII(C5H5)(C5H4) for monosubstituted derivatives
and Fc¢ = FeII(C5H4)2 for disubstituted derivatives were synthesized and characterized
spectroscopically. The oxidized ferrocenium complex [1+]•PF6 was also synthesized and
characterized. Electrochemical and computational studies were mutually consistent in confirming
the sequence of redox events for the carbene derivatives 1 - 4 as first a carbene double bond reduction to a radical anion, -W-C•, at peak cathodic potentials smaller than -2 V, then a
ferrocenyl group oxidation in the range 0.206 < Eo' < 0.540 V and finally an electrochemically
irreversible three-electron W(0) oxidation at Epa > 0.540 V vs. FcH/FcH+ in CH2Cl2 /
[(nBu4)N][PF6]. This contrasts the sequence of oxidation events in ferrocenylcarbene complexes
of chromium where Cr(0) is first oxidised in a one electron transfer process, then the ferrocenyl
group, and finally formation of a Cr(II) species. The unpaired electron of the reductively formed
radical anion is mainly located on the carbene carbon atom. Electronic interactions between two
carbene double bonds (for biscarbenes 2 and 4) as well as between two W centers (for 4) were
evident. Differences in redox potentials between the “a” and “b” components of the threeelectron
W oxidation of 4 in CH2Cl2 or CH3CN / [(nBu4)N][PF6] are DEo' = Epa W(0) oxd 1b – Epa W(0)
oxd 1a = ca. 51 and 337 mV respectively. Tungsten oxidation was restricted to a W0/II couple in
CH2Cl2 / [(nBu4)N][B(C6F5)4]. From the computational results, the short-lived W(II) species
were observed to be stabilized by agostic CH···W interactions.
Description
Keywords
Electrochemical, Computational study, Observation, Intramolecular electronic, Interactions
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
Bezuidenhout, DI, Fernandez, I, Van der Westhuizen, B, Swarts, PJ & Swarts, JC 2013, 'Electrochemical and computational study of tungsten(0) ferrocene complexes: observation of the mono-oxidized tungsten(0) ferrocenium species and intramolecular electronic interactions', Organometallics, vol. 32, no. 24, pp. 7334-7344.