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Reactivity of 17-electron organometallic tungsten and molybdenum radicals: A laser flash photolysis study

Journal Article · · Journal of the American Chemical Society; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ja00058a025· OSTI ID:6215217

Visible (460--490 nm) laser flash photolysis of [CpW(CO)[sub 3]][sub 2] or [CpMo(CO)[sub 3]][sub 2] induces homolysis of the metal-metal bond with formation of 17-electron radicals, CpM(CO)[sub 3]. Radical dimerization results in quantitative recovery of the parent dimer and can be followed by the time-resolved increase in dimer absorbance. The reaction follows clean second-order kinetics, -d[CpM(CO)[sub 3]]/dt = 2k[sub c][CpM(CO)[sub 3]][sup 2]; k[sub c](W) = 6.2 [times] 10[sup 9] and k[sub c](Mo) = 3.9 [times] 10[sup 9] L mol[sup [minus]1] s[sup [minus]1] in CH[sub 3]CN at 23[degrees]C. The CpM(CO)[sub 3] radicals react with organic and inorganic halides and pseudohalides by an atom-transfer mechanism. In the presence of a large excess of the halide-containing substrate, the rate of loss of the radical, -d[CpM(CO)[sub 3]]/dt, proceeds according to a mixed first- and second-order rate law. The pseudo-first-order rate constants for reactions with organic halides vary linearly with the concentration of the organic halide; bimolecular rate constants for CpW(CO)[sub 3] range from 3.9 [times] 10[sup 2] L mol[sup [minus]1] s[sup [minus]1] with CH[sub 2]Br[sub 2] to 1.34 [times] 10[sup 9] L mol[sup [minus]1] s[sup [minus]1] for CBr[sub 4]. The reactivity trends (RI > RBr > RCl) and (benzyl > allyl > 3[degrees] > 2[degrees] > 1[degrees] > CH[sub 3]) are observed. The 7 orders of magnitude variation in bimolecular rate constants is attributed to a highly selective atom abstraction process. The range of rate constants for atom abstraction from halo- and pseudohalopentaamminecobalt(III) and halobis(dimethylglyoximato)cobalt(III) complexes is smaller (2 orders of magnitude, from 1.6 1.6 [times] 10[sup 7] mol[sup [minus]1] s[sup [minus]1] for NCCo(NH[sub 3])[sub 5][sup 2+] to > 2 [times] 10[sup 9] L mol[sup [minus]1] s[sup [minus]1] for BrCo(dmgH)[sub 2]py), because of the upper limit imposed by diffusion. 97 refs., 6 figs., 3 tabs.

DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-82
OSTI ID:
6215217
Journal Information:
Journal of the American Chemical Society; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of the American Chemical Society; (United States) Vol. 115:5; ISSN JACSAT; ISSN 0002-7863
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English