CREATED USING THE RSC COMMUNICATION TEMPLATE (VER. 3.1) - SEE WWW.RSC.ORG/ELECTRONICFILES FOR DETAILS COMMUNICATION www.rsc.org/dalton | Dalton Transactions A new binding geometry for an ortho-xylylene-linked bis(NHC)cyclophane: a ruthenium(II) complex with a chelating (η1- 6 NHC)2:η -arene ligand Murray V. Baker,*a David H. Brown,a,b Rosenani A. Haque,a Brian W. Skeltona and Allan H. Whitea 5 Received (in XXX, XXX) Xth XXXXXXXXX 200X, Accepted Xth XXXXXXXXX 200X First published on the web Xth XXXXXXXXX 200X DOI: 10.1039/b000000x Using two different reaction procedures, a Ru(II) complex has groups (e.g. 512) and in some cases there are close metal-arene been isolated that contains an ortho-xylylene-linked contacts dictated by the cyclophane structure but which are 10 10 bis(NHC)cyclophane (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) that binds not "bonding" interactions (e.g. 6 and a related Hg complex to the Ru centre through two carbene carbons and one of the 40 incorporating a 9,10-bis(imidazolylmethyl)anthracene-based 13 arene rings in a η6-mode. ligand ). Here we report the first case where two NHCs and an arene, Cyclophanes have been of interest since the studies of Cram which constitute part of a single cyclophane macrocyclic and Steinberg in the 1950s.1 Azolium-cyclophanes are a sub- structure, simultaneously bind to one metal centre (Scheme 1). 15 set of this class of macrocyclic compounds, containing 45 The ruthenium(II) complex 7·PF6 was prepared using two azolium groups as part of the macrocyclic structure, and have distinct synthetic pathways. The reaction of the silver 2 been of interest in more recent times. Like cyclophanes complex 8·2PF6 with RuCl2(PPh3)3 in dichloromethane, with generally, azolium-cyclophanes have been of interest for the unusual reaction conditions of heating at 100 °C in a diverse reasons, including their synthetic challenges, potential sealed flask, afforded C·PF6 in 85% yield after 4 days 3 ‡ 20 for host-guest chemistry (in particular anion recognition), 50 (Scheme 1). Alternatively, the reaction of the imidazolium 4 dynamic conformational behaviour, and, for cyclophanes salt 9·2PF6 with RuCl2(PPh3)3 and DBU (1,8- involving imidazolium- or benzimiazolium-components, their diazabicycloundec-7-ene) in dichloromethane at 100 °C in a 5-10 potential to act as precursors to NHC metal complexes. sealed flask for 4 days afforded 7·PF6 in 53% yield (Scheme 1). Importantly, the complex 7 is not formed if the reaction 2+ 55 mixtures are not heated to 100 °C. For example, when a NMe2 2+ N mixture of 8·2PF6 and RuCl2(PPh3)3 was heated in N N N N N N N Ag dichloromethan at reflux for 6 days, a mixture of unidentified N Me N Pt NMe N N N Pt Cl 2 2 products was obtained, but complex 7 was not present (as Cl N N N N 1 N indicated by H NMR spectroscopy). "Free carbene" methods N N Ag N N 60 commonly used for the synthesis of ruthenium complexes NMe N 2 proved unsuccessful for synthesis of 7. For example, reaction 1 2 3 4+ 2+ 2+ 2 N L N + N 2PF Hg N N N 6 N N L N N N L Ni Hg Hg N N N N N N N N N N L N Ag 2PF 1/2 N N 6 N N N N L = DMSO Ag 4 5 6 N N 25 NHC-cyclophane ligands display a broad range of 9!2PF6 8!2PF6 coordination modes. The most common metal binding mode involves coordination via only the carbene carbons of the RuCl (PPh ) RuCl2(PPh3)3 2 3 3 NHC component of the macrocycle. In such cases the + 2 equiv. DBU CH Cl 2 2 CH Cl cyclophanes can chelate a single metal with two or more 100 °C, 4d 2 2 N 100 °C, 4d 7 8 30 NHCs (e.g. 1 and 2 respectively) or form dinuclear PF 85 % 6 9 10 Ru 53 % complexes (e.g. 3 and 4 ). In examples where the N N Cl cyclophane structure consists of ortho-xylylene linked NHCs N (e.g. 1 and 4), the xylylene groups are invariably directed 5, 7, 10, 11 away from the metal centre. The inclusion of 7!PF 6 35 additional donor groups in the cyclophane structure can result Scheme 1 Synthesis of 7·PF6 in binding modes involving the NHCs and the additional This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry [year] Dalton Trans., [year], [vol], 00–00 | 1 of the imidazolium cation 9 with a strong base [NaH/t- benzylic carbon atoms, those 'within' the tridentate ligand at BuOK(cat.)] followed by the addition of RuCl2(PPh3)3 60 C(2,3) being 106.3(2)º (x2), those 'without' (at C(1,4)) being afforded only complex mixtures of products. 112.7(2), 111.4(2)º. Further, (d), very considerable The salt 7·PF6 was isolated as a red-brown solid, which asymmetries are found in the exocyclic angles at the 5 precipitated from the reaction mixtures. The coordinated carbene atoms, Ru-C-N 'within' the ligand being hexafluorophosphate salt is soluble in polar organic solvents 115.7(1), 115.4(1)º, cf. those 'without' 140.0(2)º (x2). Despite such as acetonitrile, DMSO and DMF but does not 65 this suggestion of considerable strain, the ruthenium atom lies appreciably dissolve in lower polarity organic solvents such as closely coplanar with the C3N2 imidazole planes (δRu dichloromethane, THF or benzene. A by-product from the 0.018(4), 0.031(4) Å). Close Cl...H intermolecular contacts 10 silver-transfer reaction, AgCl(PPh3)3, was isolated as crystals are found, one to a (coordinated) xylylene ring hydrogen ‡ from the filtrate. It is common in silver-NHC transfer (Cl...H(35)(2–x, 1–y, 1–z) 2.73 Å) and one to an imidazole reactions for the silver halide by-product to precipitate from 70 hydrogen (Cl...H(44)(x, 1½–y, z–½) 2.64 Å). the reaction mixture, leaving the desired complex in solution. Advantageously in our case, the free triphenylphosphine 15 generated as the reaction proceeds, coordinates to the AgCl forming the soluble by-product AgCl(PPh3)3, and allows facile isolation of the insoluble 7·PF6 in high purity. 1 13 The H and C NMR spectra of solutions of 7·PF6 in d6- DMSO display sharp resonances which are consistent with an 20 ortho-xylylene-linked bis(NHC) cyclophane ligand locked in a single conformation.5, 7 The signals corresponding to the benzylic protons appear as two pairs of doublets, i.e., two AX patterns. One pair of doublets is due to the exo and endo benzylic protons of the Ru-bound xylylene group, the other 25 pair to the exo and endo benzylic protons of the free xylylene group. The signals attributed to the aryl protons on the xylylene groups appear as two AA'XX' patterns; one set is appreciably upfield from the other (δ 6.10 and 6.84 vs 7.36 and 7.75), the upfield shift being consistent with a xylylene 1 30 ring being π-bound to the ruthenium centre. The H NMR spectra did not change as the sample was heated from room temperature to 125 °C, consistent with the complex remaining Fig. 1 Projection of the cation 7. 50% probability amplitude displacement rigid (i.e., no exchange process, such as interchange of the π- ellipsoids; hydrogen atoms have an arbitrary radius of 0.1 Å. Selected bound and free xylylene environments) over this temperature 75 bond distances (Å) and angles (°): Ru-C(31) 2.091(2), Ru-C(32) 2.094(2), 13 Ru-C(33) 2.274(2), Ru-C(34) 2.330(2), Ru-C(35) 2.333(2), Ru-C(36) 35 range. The C NMR spectrum displayed a signal at δ 181 2.271(2), Ru-X(3) 1.666 [X(3) is the centroid of the ring C(31-36)], Ru- which is attributed to the carbene carbon bound to the Cl 2.4304(5), Ru-C(22) 2.038(2), Ru-C(42) 2.034(2), X(3)-Ru-Cl 122.7, ruthenium centre. X(3)-Ru-C(22) 122.8, X(3)-Ru-C(42) 122.9, Cl-Ru-C(22) 99.71(6), Cl- 80 Ru-C(42) 99.27(6), C(22)-Ru-C(42) 82.56(8), Cl...H(1B) 2.5 , Cl...H(4A) The solid-state structure of 7·PF6 has an asymmetric unit 7 2.5 , H(2B)...H(3A) 2.0 . with a single molecule, devoid of crystallographic symmetry. 6 4 40 The dimensions, however, conform closely to the The structure of 7 represents a unique binding mode for requirements of the quasi-mirror plane which contains X(3) NHC-linked cyclophanes bound to any type of metal. (the centroid of the ring C(31-36)), Ru, Cl and the bisector of 1 6 Amongst the ruthenium literature the chelating (η -NHC)2:η - the ligand 'bite' (Fig. 1).The ruthenium atom is essentially 85 arene binding mode is a rare structure, the only other example four-coordinated by the chlorine atom, the pair of imidazole- 14 having been reported recently (10·PF6). In the case of 10·PF6 45 carbene donors, and the centroid of one of the bridging the chelating (η1-NHC) :η6-arene motif involves a "terminal" 2 2 xylylene aromatic rings: (χ (C6 plane) = 58). The other arene of the ligand and not the xylylene ring that bridges the xylylene ring is folded away from the metal atom in an 'anti' two NHC ligands, as in the case of 7·PF6.