Deprotonation of Coordinated Phosphanes in a Rhenium Complex: CC Coupling with Diimine Coligands

The reaction of fac ‐[Re(bipy)(CO) 3 (PMe 3 )][OTf] (bipy=2,2′‐bipyridine) with KN(SiMe 3 ) 2 affords two neutral products: cis , trans ‐[Re(bipy)(CO) 2 (CN)(PMe 3 )], and a thermally unstable compound, which features a new CC bond between a P‐bonded methylene group (from methyl group deprotonation) and the C6 position of bipy. The solid‐state structures of more stable 1,2‐bis[(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imino]acenaphthene analogs, resulting from the deprotonation of PMe 3 , PPhMe 2 , and PPh 2 Me ligands, are determined by X‐ray diffraction.