Reduction of Co(dppf)Cl
2 with 2 equiv of sodium n
aphth
alenide in THF, in the presence of dppf,
affords the homolepticcomplex Co(dppf)
2,
1, isol
ated in 65% yield
as
a brick red solid, extremely
air sensitive. In solution, under inert
atmosphere,
1 slowly decomposes into Co
and dppf, following
a first-order kinetic l
aw (
t1/2 = 21 h
at 22
ages/entities/deg.gif">C).Simil
arly to the Rh
and Ir congeners,
1 undergoes
a one-electron reversible reduction to [Co(dppf)
2]
-. Attempts toobt
ain this d
10 species by chemic
al
as well
as electrochemic
al reduction of
1 le
ad to the hydride HCo(dppf)
2,
2,
asthe only product th
at c
an be isol
ated. Reduction of Ni(dppf)Cl
2 with sodium in the presence of dppf
and c
at
alytic
amounts of n
aphth
alene
affords Ni(dppf)
2,
3, isol
ated in 60% yield
as
a yellow
air st
able solid. The stoichiometricoxid
ation of
3 with [FeCp
2]PF
6 forms the d
9 complex [Ni(dppf)
2]PF
6,
4, which represents the second ex
ample of
astructur
ally ch
ar
acterized Ni(I) complex st
abilized by phosphines. A single-cryst
al X-r
ay
an
alysis shows for themet
al
a distorted tetr
ahedr
al environment with
a dihedr
al
angle defined by the pl
anes cont
aining the
atoms P(1),Ni, P(2)
and P(3), Ni, P(4) of 78.2
ages/entities/deg.gif">
and rem
ark
ably long Ni-P bond dist
ances (2.342(3)-2.394(3) Å). The EPRspectroscopic properties of
1 (
at 106 K in THF)
and
4 (
at 7 K in 2-methyl-THF) h
ave been ex
amined
and
g tensorv
alues me
asured (
1,
gx = 2.008,
gy = 2.182,
gz = 2.326;
4,
gx = 2.098,
gy = 2.113,
gz = 2.332). A line
ardependence between the hyperfine const
ants
and the Ni-P bond dist
ances h
as been evidenced. Fin
ally, the ch
angewith time of the EPR spectrum of
4 indic
ates th
at it very slowly rele
ases dppf.