Chemistry of coordinated nitroxyl. Reagent-specific protonations of trans-Re(CO)(2)(NO)(PR(3))(2) (R = Ph, Cy) that give the neutral nitroxyl complexes cis,trans-ReCl(CO)(2)(NH=O)(PR(3))(2) or the cationic hydride complex [trans,trans-ReH(CO)(2)(NO)(PPh(3))(2)(+)][SO(3)CF(3)(-)].

The reactions of hydrochloric and triflic acids with the five-coordinate nitrosyl complexes trans-Re(CO)(2)(NO)(PR(3))(2) (2a, R = Ph; 2b, R = Cy) have been investigated. Reaction of anhydrous HCl with 2 results in a formal protonation of the nitrosyl ligand and addition of chloride to the metal, giving the neutral nitroxyl complex cis,trans-ReCl(CO)(2)(NH=O)(PR(3))(2) (3a, R = Ph; 3b, R = Cy). Reaction of Brønsted bases with 3a or 3b results in clean conversion of 3 to 2 when the base is appropriately strong (pK(b) approximately 7). Addition of HOSO(2)CF(3) to solutions of 2a results in protonation at the metal and formation of the cationic rhenium hydride [trans,trans-ReH(CO)(2)(NO)(PPh(3))(2)(+)][SO(3)CF(3)(-)] (4) in 74% yield; the deuteride [trans,trans-Re((2)H)(CO)(2)(NO)(PPh(3))(2)(+)][SO(3)CF(3)(-)] (4-d) was analogously prepared from (2)HOSO(2)CF(3). 4 crystallized from CH(2)Cl(2)/Et(2)O solution in the orthorhombic space group Pnma, with a = 17.2201(2) A, b = 23.6119(3) A, c = 9.2380(2) A, and Z = 4. The least-squares refinement converged to R(F) = 0.039 and R(wF(2)()) = 0.063 for the 4330 unique data with I > 2 sigma(I). The structure of 4 shows that the hydride (Re-H = 1.74 A) occupies the position trans to the linear nitrosyl ligand (Re-N-O = 178.1(4) degrees ) in the pseudooctahedral complex cation. Complex 4 does not react with chloride to give 3a. DFT calculations carried out on free nitroxyl and its model complexes [Re(CO)(5)(NH=O)(+)] (5), [mer,trans-Re(CO)(3)(NH=O)(PH(3))(2)(+)] (6), and cis,trans-ReCl(CO)(2)(NH=O)(PH(3))(2) (7) indicate that coordinated nitroxyl acts as both a sigma-donor and pi-acceptor ligand, consistent with the observed trend for nu(NO) in free HN=O (1563 cm(-1)), [mer,trans-Re(CO)(3)(NH=O)(PPh(3))(2)(+)] (1, 1391 cm(-1)), 3a (1376 cm(-1)), and 3b (1335 cm(-1)).