Rhenium(V) complexes with thiolato and dithiolato ligands: synthesis, structures, and monomerization reactions

The new compound {(PhS)(2)ReO(mu-SPh)}(2), 1, was synthesized from Re(2)O(7) and PhSH and then used as the synthon for a number of hitherto unknown oxorhenium(V) compounds. Reactions between dithiols and 1 (2:1 ratio) afford {PhSReO(dt)}(2), where the dithiols, dtH(2), are 1,2-ethanedithiol (edtH(2)), 1,3-propanedithiol (pdtH(2)), 1,3-butanedithiol (pdtMeH(2)), 1,2-benzenedithiol (bdtH(2)), 2-(mercaptomethyl)thiophenol (mtpH(2)), and 2-mercaptoethyl sulfide (mesH(2)). Similar reactions carried out with a 3:1 ratio of dtH(2) to 1 afford [(ReO)(2)(dt)(3)], dt = edt, pdt. When NEt(3) was introduced prior to the 3:1 reaction between edtH(2) and 1, a compound containing an anionic complex was isolated, [PPh(4)][ReO(edt)(2)]. The new compounds were characterized analytically, spectroscopically, and crystallographically. The Re-O groups in two of the compounds, 1 and {ReO(mu-SPh)(bdt)}(2), exist in rare anti orientations; the others adopt the more familiar syn geometry, as discussed. Selected monomerization reactions of {PhSReO(dt)}(2) were also carried out: {PhSReO(dt)}(2) + 2L = 2[PhSReO(dt)L]. The rate for L = 4-phenylpyridine is given by v = {k(a)[L] + k(b)[L](2)} x [{PhSReO(dt)}(2)], as it is for the reactions of {MeReO(dt)}(2); for all of these compounds, the reaction proceeds nearly entirely by the third-order pathway. Values of k(b)/L(2) mol(-2) s(-1) at 25.0 degrees C are 5.8 x 10(2) (mtp), 2.97 x 10(3) (pdt), 4.62 x 10(5) (edt), and 3.87 x 10(5) (bdt). The rate law for the reactions of {PhSReO(dt)}(2) with L = PAr(3) is v = k(a)[L]/{1 + kappa[L]} x [{PhSReO(dt)}(2)]. For PPh(3), values at 25.0 degrees C of k(a)/L mol(-1) s(-1) (kappa/L mol(-1)) for {PhSReO(dt)}(2) are 9.64 x 10(-2) (1.87) for mtp, 3.43 x 10(-2) (0.492) for pdt, 1.91 (1.42) for edt, 1.84 x 10(-2) (0.82) for bdt, and 1.14 x 10(3) (10.6) for 1. Mechanisms are proposed that are consistent with the data obtained and with earlier work.