The Ir(I)-butadiene co
mplex Tp
Me2Ir(
![](/i<font color=)
mages/gifchars/eta.gif" BORDER=0 >
4-CH
2=C(Me)C(Me)=CH
2) (
1) (Tp
Me2 = hydrotris(3,5-di
methylpyrazolyl)borate) reacts with
![](/i<font color=)
mages/entities/ge.gif">3 equiv of DMAD (RC
![](/i<font color=)
mages/entities/tbd1.gif">CR, R = CO
2Me) in CH
2Cl
2 at 60
![](/i<font color=)
mages/entities/deg.gif">C,in the presence of adventitious water, with for
mation of the iridacycloheptatriene
m061036oa10001">TpMe2m061036o00000">Ir(C(R)=C(R)C(R)=C(R)C(R)=C(R))(H2O) (
2), by the oxidative coupling of three
molecules of DMAD in the
metalcoordination sphere. In a related process, Tp
Me2IrPh
2(N
2) (
4) gives two benzoannelated iridacycloheptatrienes, the sy
mmetrical species
m061036oa10002">TpMe2m061036o00000">Ir(C(R)=C(R)-o-C6H4C(R)=C(R))(H2O) (
5)
and the unsy
mmetricalone
m061036oa10003">TpMe2m061036o00000">Ir(C(R)=C(R)C(R)=C(R)-o-C6H4)(H2O) (
6). The water lig
and in these co
mplexes is labile,
and derivatives substituted with CO, PMe
3,
and NCMe have been obtained.
2,
5,
and 6 react, at 25
![](/i<font color=)
mages/entities/deg.gif">C,with oxo-transfer oxidizing reagents such as
tBuOOH with for
mation of the keto-
metallabicyclic products
7-
9, which result fro
m the selective oxo attack to the
![](/i<font color=)
mages/gifchars/ga
mma.gif" BORDER=0 >,
![](/i<font color=)
mages/gifchars/delta.gif" BORDER=0 >-C=C double bond, irrespective of this beingof the benzo or the (R)C=C(R) type. In the latter case, further oxidation takes place with
tBuOOH, ata
mbient te
mperature, with for
mation of an iridabenzene (
11)
and an iridanaphthalene (
12) (with five
andthree electron-withdrawing CO
2Me substituents, respectively) in which the carboxylate MeO
2CCO
2- lig
andco
mpletes the
metal coordination sphere. Interestingly, substitution of this group by OH
- or MeO
- allowsthe for
mation of Jackson-Meisenhei
mer co
mplexes, reflecting the inherent aro
maticity of these electron-deficient
metalloaro
matics. Finally, the hydrogenation of the iridacycloheptatrienes has been studied. Allnew co
mpounds have been fully characterized by
microanalysis, IR
and NMR spectroscopies,
and, inso
me cases, single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies.