Unusual ligand transformations initiated by dppm deprotonation in methylene-bridged Rh/Os complexes

The reaction of [RhOs(CO)(3)(μ-CH(2))(dppm)(2)][CF(3)SO(3)] (dppm = μ-Ph(2)PCH(2)PPh(2)) with 1,3,4,5-tetramethylimidazol-2-ylidene (IMe(4)) results in competing substitution of the Rh-bound carbonyl by IMe(4) and dppm deprotonation by IMe(4) to give the two products [RhOs(IMe(4))(CO)(2)(μ-CH(2))(dppm)(2)][CF(3)SO(3)] and [RhOs(CO)(3)(μ-CH(2))(μ-κ(1):η(2)-dppm-H)(dppm)] [3; dppm-H = bis(diphenylphosphino)methanide], respectively. In the latter product, the dppm-H group is P-bound to Os while bound to Rh by the other PPh(2) group and the adjacent methanide C. The reaction of the tetracarbonyl species [RhOs(CO)(4)(μ-CH(2))(dppm)(2)][CF(3)SO(3)] with IMe(4) results in the exclusive deprotonation of a dppm ligand to give [RhOs(CO)(4)(μ-CH(2))(μ-κ(1):κ(1)-dppm-H)(dppm)] (4) in which dppm-H is P-bound to both metals. Both deprotonated products are cleanly prepared by the reaction of their respective precursors with potassium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide. Reversible conversion of the μ-κ(1):η(2)-dppm-H complex to the μ-κ(1):κ(1)-dppm-H complex is achieved by the addition or removal of CO, respectively. In the absence of CO, compound 3 slowly converts in solution to [RhOs(CO)(3)(μ-κ(1):κ(1):κ(1)-Ph(2)PCHPPh(2)CH(2))(dppm)] (5) as a result of dissociation of the Rh-bound PPh(2) moiety of the dppm-H group and its attack at the bridging CH(2) group. Compound 4 is also unstable, yielding the ketenyl- and ketenylidene/hydride tautomers [RhOs(CO)(3)(μ-κ(1):η(2)-CHCO)(dppm)(2)] (6a) and [RhOs(H)(CO)(3)(μ-κ(1):κ(1)-CCO)(dppm)(2)] (6b), initiated by proton transfer from μ-CH(2) to dppm-H. Slow conversion of these tautomers to a pair of isomers of [RhOs(H)(CO)(3)(μ-κ(1):κ(1):κ(1)-Ph(2)PCH(COCH)PPh(2))(dppm)] (7a and 7b) subsequently occurs in which proton transfer from a dppm group to the ketenylidene fragment gives rise to coupling of the resulting dppm-H methanide C and the ketenyl unit. Attempts to couple the ketenyl- or ketenylidene-bridged fragments in 6a/6b with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) yield [RhOs(κ(1)-CHCO)(CO)(3)(μ-DMAD)(dppm)(2)], in which the ketenyl group is terminally bound to Os.