Cation-Modulated Reactivity of Iridium Hydride Pincer-Crown Ether Complexes

Complexes of a new multidentate ligand combining a rigid, strongly donating pincer scaffold with a flexible, weakly donating aza-crown ether moiety are reported. The pincer-crown ether ligand exhibits tridentate, tetradentate, and pentadentate coordination modes. The coordination mode can be changed by Lewis base displacement of the chelating ethers, with binding equilibria dramatically altered through lithium and sodium cation–macrocycle interactions. Cation-promoted hydrogen activation was accomplished by an iridium monohydride cation ligated in a pentadentate fashion by the pincer-crown ether ligand. The rate can be controlled on the basis of the choice of cation (with lithium-containing reactions proceeding about 10 times faster than sodium-containing reactions) or on the basis of the concentration of the cation. Up to 250-fold rate enhancements in H/D exchange rates are observed when catalytic amounts of Li+ are added.