Abstract

Mercapto (-SH) and isocyano (-N[triple bond, length as m-dash]C) terminated conducting π-linkers are often employed in the ever-growing quest for organoelectronic materials. While such systems typically involve symmetric dimercapto or diisocyano anchoring of the organic bridge, this article introduces the chemistry of a linear azulenic π-linker equipped with one mercapto and one isocyano terminus. The 2-isocyano-6-mercaptoazulene platform was efficiently accessed from 2-amino-6-bromo-1,3-diethoxycarbonylazulene in four steps. The 2-N[triple bond, length as m-dash]C end of this 2,6-azulenic motif was anchrored to the [Cr(CO)5] fragment prior to formation of its 6-SH terminus. Metalation of the 6-SH end of [(OC)5Cr(η1-2-isocyano-1,3-diethoxycarbonyl-6-mercaptoazulene)] (7) with Ph3PAuCl, under basic conditions, afforded X-ray structurally characterized heterobimetallic Cr0/AuI ensemble [(OC)5Cr(μ-η1:η1-2-isocyano-1,3-diethoxycarbonyl-6-azulenylthiolate)AuPPh3] (8). Analysis of the 13C NMR chemical shifts for the [(NC)Cr(CO)5] core in a series of the related complexes [(OC)5Cr(2-isocyano-6-X-1,3-diethoxy-carbonylazulene)] (X = -N[triple bond, length as m-dash]C, Br, H, SH, SCH2CH2CO2CH2CH3, SAuPPh3) unveiled remarkably consistent inverse-linear correlations δ(13COtrans) vs. δ(13CN) and δ(13COcis) vs. δ(13CN) that appear to hold well beyond the above 2-isocyanoazulenic series to include complexes [(OC)5Cr(CNR)] containing strongly electron-withdrawing substituents R, such as CF3, CFClCF2Cl, C2F3, and C6F5. In addition to functioning as a sensitive 13C NMR handle, the essentially C4v-symmetric [(-NC)Cr(CO)5] moiety proved to be an informative, remote, νN[triple bond, length as m-dash]C/νC[triple bond, length as m-dash]O infrared reporter in probing chemisorption of 7 on the Au(111) surface.

Department(s)

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Document Type

Article

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1039/c5sc04017e

Rights Information

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence.

Publication Date

2016

Journal Title

Chemical Science

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