Metal-Ligand Tautomerism, Electron-Transfer, and C(sp3)-H Activation by a 4 Pyridinyl-Pincer Iridium Hydride Complex

The para-N-pyridyl-based PCP pincer ligand 3,5-bis(di-tert-butylphosphinomethyl)-2,6-dimethylpyridine (pN-tBuPCP-H) was synthesized and metalated to give the iridium complex (pN tBuPCP)IrHCl (2-H). In marked contrast with its phenyl-based congeners (tBuPCP)IrHCl and derivatives, 2-H is highly air sensitive and reacts with oxidants such as ferrocenium, trityl cation, and benzoquinone. These oxidations ultimately lead to intramolecular activation of a phosphino-t-butyl C(sp3)-H bond and cyclometalation. Considering the greater electronegativity of N than C, 2-H is expected to be less easily oxidized than simple PCP derivatives; DFT calculations of direct one-electron oxidations are in good agreement with this expectation. However, 2-H is calculated to undergo metal-ligand-proton tautomerism (MLPT) to give an N-protonated complex that can be described with resonance forms representing a zwitterionic complex (negative charge on Ir) and a p-N-pyridylidene (remote NHC) Ir(I) complex. One-electron oxidation of this tautomer is calculated to be dramatically more favorable than direct oxidation of 2-H (G° = 31.3 kcal/mol). The resulting Ir(II) oxidation product is easily deprotonated to give metalloradical 2• which is observed by NMR spectroscopy. 2• can be further oxidized to give cationic Ir(III) complex, 2+, which can oxidatively add a phosphino-t butyl C-H bond, and undergo deprotonation to give the observed cyclometalated product. DFT calculations indicate that less sterically hindered complexes would preferentially undergo intermolecular addition of C(sp3)-H bonds, for example, of n alkanes. The resulting iridium alkyl complexes could undergo facile -H elimination to afford olefin, thereby completing a catalytic cycle for alkane dehydrogenation that is driven by one-electron oxidation and deprotonation, enabled by MLPT.