Reactions of Osmium-Pinacolboryl Complexes: Preparation of the First Vinylideneboronate Esters Miguel A. Esteruelas,* Ana M. Ló pez,* Malka Mora, and Enrique Oñ ate Departamento de Química Inorga ́ nica-Instituto de Síntesis Química y Cata ́ lisis Homoge ́ nea (ISQCH), Universidad de Zaragoza-CSIC, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain * S Supporting Information ABSTRACT: The reactions of OsHCl(CO)(PR 3 ) 2 (PR 3 =P i Pr 3 (1a), PCy 3 (1b)) with pinacolborane (HBpin) afford the boryl-dihydrogen derivatives Os(Bpin)Cl(η 2 -H 2 )(CO)(PR 3 ) 2 (PR 3 =P i Pr 3 (2a), PCy 3 (2b)), which lose the H 2 ligand to give the five-coordinate boryl complexes Os(Bpin)Cl(CO)(PR 3 ) 2 (PR 3 =P i Pr 3 (3a), PCy 3 (3b)). Treatment of 3a,b with LiCCPh leads to the five-coordinate alkynyl-boryl derivatives Os(Bpin)(CCPh)(CO)(PR 3 ) 2 (PR 3 =P i Pr 3 (4a), PCy 3 (4b)), which under a carbon monoxide atmosphere evolve into the vinylideneboronate esters Os{CC(Bpin)Ph}(CO) 2 (PR 3 ) 2 (PR 3 = P i Pr 3 (5a), PCy 3 (5b)). Complex 5a is also prepared by stirring of a toluene solution of 3a under CO and subsequent reaction of the resulting cis-dicarbonyl compound Os(Bpin)Cl(CO) 2 (P i Pr 3 ) 2 (6) with LiCCPh. The X-ray structures of 3a, 4a, and 5b are also reported. INTRODUCTION Organoboronate esters are useful synthetic intermediates, due to the myriad reactions that can be performed with these compounds. 1 They can be prepared by transition-metal- promoted boron additions to organic fragments. 2 Among the complexes with metal-boron bonds, boryl derivatives exhibit the strongest potential for this aim. 3 The use of pinacolborane has given access to a large number of handy species for organic chemists. 4 Transition-metal-vinylidene complexes 5 are also intermedi- ates in a number of synthetically important transformations. 6 Borylvinylidenes are a promising new type of transition-metal compound that should join the advantages of both organo- boronate reagents and vinylidene complexes. The first derivatives of this type were reported a few months ago. 7 They are diaminoboryl- and fluoroaminoborylvinylidene species. The key boryl ligands are generated on the metal center coordination sphere, by the reactions of an osmium- tetrahydroborate complex with anilines. Now, we have developed an easy procedure to prepare vinylideneboronate esters, starting from the commercially available pinacolborane. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION An efficient method to prepare boryl complexes is the addition of hydroboranes to transition metals in low oxidation states. 8 In agreement with this, at room temperature, the monohydride complexes OsHCl(CO)(PR 3 ) 2 (PR 3 =P i Pr 3 (1a), PCy 3 (1b)) react with pinacolborane to give the boryl -dihydrogen derivatives Os(Bpin)Cl(η 2 -H 2 )(CO)(PR 3 ) 2 (PR 3 =P i Pr 3 (2a), PCy 3 (2b)), which lose molecular hydrogen. The five- coordinate boryl complexes Os(Bpin)Cl(CO)(P i Pr 3 ) 2 (PR 3 = P i Pr 3 (3a), PCy 3 (3b)) are isolated as yellow solids in high yields, 93% (3a) and 68% (3b), according to Scheme 1. The related triphenylphosphine compound Os(Bcat)Cl(CO)- (PPh 3 ) 2 has been previously prepared by reaction of the aryl complex Os(Ph)Cl(CO)(PPh 3 ) 2 with cathecolborane. 9 The formation of the dihydrogen compounds 2a,b probably involves the oxidative addition of the H-B bond of the borane to the osmium atom of 1a,b and the subsequent dihydride- dihydrogen tautomerization of the resulting dihydride. The nonclassical character of the OsH 2 units is supported by the 1 H NMR resonances in toluene-d 8 , which at 298 K have a 300 MHz T 1 (min) value of 13 ± 1 ms. This value corresponds to a Received: June 7, 2011 Published: November 22, 2011 Scheme 1 Article pubs.acs.org/Organometallics © 2011 American Chemical Society 2965 dx.doi.org/10.1021/om200485k | Organometallics 2012, 31, 2965-2970