Osmium phosphiniminato complexes: synthesis, protonation, structure, and redox-coupled hydrolytic scission of N-p bonds.

The osmium(VI) nitrido complex TpOs(N)Cl(2) [1, Tp = hydrotris(1-pyrazolyl)borate] reacts with triarylphosphines to afford the Os(IV) phosphiniminato complexes TpOs(NPAr(3))Cl(2) [Ar = p-tolyl (tol) (2a), phenyl (2b), p-CF(3)C(6)H(4) (2c)] in nearly quantitative yield. Protonation of 2a-c with 1 equiv of HOTf in MeCN occurs at the phosphiniminato nitrogen to give [TpOs(IV)(NHPAr(3))Cl(2)]OTf (3a-c) in 68-80% yield. Solutions of 2a-c in CH(2)Cl(2) react with excess H(2)O over 1 week to form the disproportionation products 1 (28%), TpOs(III)(NHPAr(3))Cl(2) (4a-c) (60%), and OPAr(3) (35%). Treatment of solutions of 3a-c with H(2)O also affords 1, 4a-c, and OPAr(3). X-ray structures of 2b, 3b, and 4b are presented. Cyclic voltammograms of compounds 2a-c exhibit Os(V)/Os(IV) and Os(IV)/Os(III) couples at approximately 0.3 and -1 V versus Cp(2)Fe(+/0). Protonation to give 3 makes reduction easier by approximately 1.2 V, so that these compounds show Os(IV)/Os(III) and Os(III)/Os(II) couples. In the hydrolytic disproportionation of 2a-c, labeling studies using (18)O-enriched O(2) and H(2)O establish water as the source of the oxygen atom in the OPAr(3) product. The conversions are accelerated by HOTf and inhibited by NaOD. The relative rates of hydrolytic disproportionation of 2a-c vary in the order tol > Ph > p-CF(3)C(6)H(4). The data indicate that protonation of the phosphiniminato nitrogen is required for hydrolysis. The mechanism of the hydrolytic disproportionation is compared to that of the related reaction of the osmium(IV) acetonitrile complex [TpOs(NCMe)Cl(2)](+).