Preparation and reactivity with azo-species of hydride and dihydrogen complexes of osmium stabilised by tris(pyrazolyl)borate and phosphite ligands

Mixed-ligand OsCl(Tp)L(PPh3) complexes 1 [Tp = hydridotris(pyrazolyl)borate; L = P(OMe)3, P(OEt)3 and PPh(OEt)2] were prepared by allowing OsCl(Tp)(PPh3)2 to react with an excess of phosphite. Treatment of chlorocomplexes 1 with NaBH4 in ethanol afforded hydride OsH(Tp)L(PPh3) derivatives 2. Stable dihydrogen [Os(η2-H2)(Tp)L(PPh3)]BPh4 derivatives 3 were prepared by protonation of hydrides 2 with HBF4 · Et2O at −80 °C. The presence of the η2-H2 ligand is supported by short T1 min values and JHD measurements on the partially deuterated derivatives. Treatment of the hydride OsH(Tp)[P(OEt)3](PPh3) complex with the aryldiazonium salt [4-CH3C6H4N2]BF4 afforded aryldiazene [Os(4-CH3C6H4Ndouble bond; length as m-dashNH)(Tp){P(OEt)3}(PPh3)]BPh4 derivative 4. Instead, aryldiazenido [Os(4-CH3C6H4N2)(Tp)[P(OEt)3](PPh3)](BF4)2 derivative 5 was obtained by reacting the hydride OsH(Tp)[P(OEt)3](PPh3) first with methyltriflate and then with aryldiazonium [4-CH3C6H4N2]BF4 salt. Spectroscopic characterisation (IR, 15N NMR) by the 15N-labelled derivative strongly supports the presence of a near-linear Os–Ntriple bond; length of mdashN–Ar aryldiazenido group. Imine [Os{η1-NHdouble bond; length as m-dashC(H)Ar}(Tp){P(OEt)3}(PPh3)]BPh4 complexes 6 and 7 (Ar = C6H5, 4-CH3C6H4) were also prepared by allowing the hydride OsH(Tp)[P(OEt)3](PPh3) to react first with methyltriflate and then with alkylazides.