New insights into the reactivity of the tantalocene hydride Cp′2TaH3 (Cp′=η5-tBuC5H4). Synthesis and characterisation of cationic Ta(V) complexes with 0,0 and S,N chelating ligands

Reaction of various neutral LXH bidentate ligands (2-aminobenzoı̈c acid, acetylacetone, dibenzoylmethan and 2-aminobenzenethiol) with [Cp′2TaH2]+, obtained in situ from Cp′2TaH3 treated with triphenylmethan cation, affords after dihydrogen elimination the corresponding cationic species [Cp′2Ta(H)(LX)]+ in BF4 or PF6 salts. Complexes [Cp′2TaH(η2-O2CC6H4-o-NH2O,O′)]PF6 (3), {Cp′2Ta[η2-OC(Me)CHC(Me)OO,O′]}BF4 (4a), {Cp′2TaH[η2-OC(Ph)CHC(Ph)OO,O′]}BF4 (4b) and [Cp′2TaH(η2-SC6H4-o-NH2S,N)]PF6 (5) are characterised by analytical and spectroscopic methods. With thiopyridine, the kinetic (6) and the thermodynamic (6′) isomers [Cp′2TaH(η2-2-SC5H4NS,N)]PF6 are identified. Crystal structures are reported for complexes 3, 5 and 6′.