Niobium Complexes As Lewis Acid and Radical Catalysts

The reaction of lithium pentaphenylcyclopentadiende (Li C{sub 5}Ph{sub 5}) with niobium pentachloride in dichloromethane or toluene produces insoluble red-orange solids whose C/H/Cl analyses are not consistent with C{sub 5}Ph{sub 5}NbCl{sub 4}. Addition of an acetonitrile solution of LiC{sub 5}Ph{sub 5} with NbCl{sub 5} gives C{sub 5}Ph{sub 5}NbCl{sub 4} observed as a transient product by NMR spectroscopy, which then abstracts H from the acetonitrile solvent to give HC{sub 5}Ph{sub 5} and presumably NbCl{sub 4}CH{sub 2}CN. Reversal of the order of addition gives the {center_dot}C{sub 5}Ph{sub 5} radical as characterized by MS and EPR spectroscopy. Attempts to prepare the trimethylsilyl derivative Me{sub 3}SiC{sub 5}Ph{sub 5} (a less reducing cyclopentadienyl group) were unsuccessful. Reaction was observed only in tetrahydrofuran, producing only Me{sub 3}SiO(CH{sub 2}){sub 4}C{sub 5}Ph{sub 4}(m-C{sub 6}H{sub 4}(CH3)) characterized by {sup 1}H, {sup 13}C NMR and mass spectroscopy. The trimethylsilyltetraphenylcyclopentadienyl derivative, Me{sub 3}Si(H)C{sub 5}Ph{sub 4}, was characterized by {sup 1}H, {sup 13}C NMR and mass spectroscopy. This compound reacts with NbCl{sub 5} to give HCl and ClSiMe{sub 3} and a mixture of HC{sub 5}Ph{sub 4}NbCl{sub 4} and Me{sub 3}SiC{sub 5}Ph{sub 4}NbCl{sub 4}