title: Increased reactivity of the *Cr(CO)3(C5Me5) radical with thiones versus thiols: a theoretical and experimental investigation.
abstract: 2-pyridinethione (2-mercaptopyridine, H-2mp) undergoes rapid oxidative addition with 2 mol of the 17-electron organometallic radical *Cr(CO)3Cp (where Cp*=C5Me5), yielding hydride H-Cr(CO)3Cp* and thiolate (eta1-2mp)Cr(CO)3Cp*. In a slower secondary reaction, (eta1-2mp)Cr(CO)3Cp* loses CO generating the N,S-chelate complex (eta2-2mp)Cr(CO)2Cp* for which the crystal structure is reported. The rate of 2-pyridine thione oxidative addition with *Cr(CO)3Cp* (abbreviated *Cr) in toluene best fits rate=kobs[H-2mp][*Cr]; kobs(288 K)=22 +/- 4 M(-1) s(-1); DeltaH++=4 +/- 1 kcal/mol; DeltaS++=- 40 +/- 5 cal/mol K. The rate of reaction is the same under CO or Ar, and the reaction of deuterated 2-pyridine thione (D-2mp) shows a negligible (inverse) kinetic isotope effect (kD/kH=1.06 +/- 0.10). The rate of decarbonylation of (eta1-2mp)Cr(CO)3Cp* forming (eta2-2mp)Cr(CO)2Cp* obeys simple first-order kinetics with kobs (288 K)=3.1x10(-4) s(-1), DeltaH++=23 +/- 1 kcal/mol, and DeltaS++=+ 5.0 +/- 2 cal/mol K. Reaction of 4-pyridine thione (4-mercaptopyridine, H-4mp) with *Cr(CO)3Cp* in THF and CH2Cl2 also follows second-order kinetics and is approximately 2-5 times faster than H-2mp in the same solvents. The relatively rapid nature of the thione versus thiol reactions is attributed to differences in the proposed 19-electron intermediate complexes, [*(S=C5H4N-H)Cr(CO)3Cp*] versus [*(H-S-C6H5)Cr(CO)3Cp*]. In comparison, reactions of pyridyl disulfides occur by a mechanism similar to that followed by aryl disulfides involving direct attack of the sulfur-sulfur bond by the metal radical. Calorimetric data indicate Cr-SR bond strengths for aryl and pyridyl derivatives are similar. The experimental conclusions are supported by B3LYP/6-311+G(3df,2p) calculations, which also provide additional insight into the reaction pathways open to the thione/thiol tautomers. For example, the reaction between H* radical and the 2-pyridine thione S atom yielding a thionyl radical is exothermic by approximately 30 kcal/mol. In contrast, the thiuranyl radical formed from the addition of H* to the 2-pyridine thiol S atom is predicted to be unstable, eliminating either H* or HS* without barrier.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33124, USA.
authors.forename: Kengkaj
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sukcharoenphon
authors.forename: Damian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.forename: Paul v R
authors.initials: Pv
authors.lastname: Schleyer
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: McDonough
authors.forename: Khalil A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Abboud
authors.forename: Carl D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Hoff