Synthesis of Cyclic Vinylidene Complexes and Azavinylidene Complexes by Formal [4+2] Cyclization Reactions

Reactions of the hydrido-butenylcarbyne complex [OsHCl2(CC(PPh3)=CHEt)(PPh3)(2)]BF4 (1) with nitriles RCN (R=2-cyclopropyl-2-oxopropyl, 3-amino-2-oxobutyl) lead to six-membered cyclic vinylidene complexes 3 and azavinylidene complexes 4, that is, iso-osmapyridiniums. Treatment of 1 with excess 2-formylbenzonitrile at reflux temperature in CHCl3 in the presence of air produces a fused osmapyridinium 8, which is first oxidized to the tricyclic iso-osmapyridinium derivative 7, then to iso-osmapyridinium 9, which contains a fused naphthalenone fragment. The conversion of iso-osmapyridinium 9 (with a vinylidene segment) to the iso-osmapyridinium compounds 10 and 11 (with azavinylidene segments) was achieved in the presence of a hydrogen halide, such as HCl or HI. The molecular structures of the complexes synthesized were confirmed by X-ray studies. Moreover, the aromatic stabilization energy and nucleus-independent chemical-shift values of the osmapyridiniums and the strain in the iso-osmapyridinium rings were investigated by DFT calculations.