Synthesis and characterization of half-sandwich N-heterocyclic carbene complexes of cobalt and rhodium.

A series of novel half-sandwich M(I) and M(III) complexes (M = Co, Rh) bearing the N-heterocyclic carbene ligand 1,3-dimesitylimidazol-2-ylidene (IMes) have been prepared and characterized. Thus, (eta5-C(5)R(5))M(IMes)(C(2)H(4))(M = Co, Rh; R = H, Me) were obtained from the corresponding bis(ethene) complexes (eta5-C(5)R(5))M(C(2)H(4))(2), except for CpRh(IMes)(C(2)H(4)) which was prepared via the novel 16-electron Rh(I) compound Rh(IMes)(C(2)H(4))(2)Cl. The carbonyl compounds (eta5-C(5)R(5))Co(IMes)(CO)(R = H, Me) were synthesized by thermal CO substitution of (eta5-C(5)R(5))Co(CO)(2). A diamagnetic, apparently 16-electron Co(III) compound [CpCo(IMes)I](+)[I(3)(-)] was obtained from CpCo(IMes)(CO) and I(2). Finally, Co(III) and Rh(III) complexes CpCo(IMes)Me(2) and Cp*Rh(IMes)Me(2) were prepared by methylation of [CpCo(IMes)I](+)[I(3)(-)], and ligand exchange at Cp*Rh(Me(2)SO)Me(2), respectively. The molecular structures of CpCo(IMes)(CO), CpRh(IMes)(C(2)H(4)), Cp*Rh(IMes)(C(2)H(4)), and Cp*Rh(IMes)Me(2) were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Steric and electronic factors imposed by the strongly donating and sterically demanding IMes ligand are discussed on the basis of X-ray crystallographic, NMR, and IR spectroscopic analyses. Very poor correlations are found between values for (1)J(Rh-C(carbene)) and dRh-C(carbene) data for Rh(i) N,N-heterocyclic carbene complexes including literature data and this work.