Ruthenium(II) complexes bearing a tridentate bis(N-heterocyclic carbene) ligand reacted with iminoiodanes (PhI=NR) resulting in the formation of isolable ruthenium(III)-amido intermediates, which underwent cleavage of a C-N bond of the tridentate ligand and formation of an N-substituted imine group. The RuIII -amido intermediates have been characterized by 1 H NMR, UV/Vis, ESI-MS, and X-ray crystallography. DFT calculations were performed to provide insight into the reaction mechanism.
Keywords: C−N bond activation; N ligands; N-heterocyclic carbenes; nitrene transfer reactions; ruthenium.
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