Synthesis Reactivity And Multi Electron Redox Behavior Of A Bisphenoxyamide Ligand Coordinated To A Tantalum Metal Center

This dissertation describes the synthesis and reactivity of tantalum metal complexes containing a tridentate redox-active ligand. Fundamental studies have focused on utilizing the redox-active ligand to store multiple electron equivalents for oxidative addition and reductive elimination reactions. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the characteristics of redox-active ligands and provides an overview of group transfer reactions involving redox-active ligands. The previous published results of bidentate redox-active ligands coordinated to Group IV d0 metals are discussed in terms of their decomposition side reactions. Chapter 2 describes the coordination of a known tridentate redox-active bis(phenoxy)amide ligand, (ONO), to a d0 tantalum(V) metal center and the examination of the redox properties of the resulting chloro oxidation products by electrochemical and spectroscopic methods. Chapter 3 examines the reactivity of the (ONO)TaR2 complexes in the general context of organometallic chemistry with a focus on protonolysis and reactivity with aryl azides, a known source of nitrene fragments upon oxidation. Chapter 4 examines the reactivity of the (ONO)TaX2 (X = Me, Cl) compounds with bulky diazoalkanes, a known carbene transfer reagent. The (ONO)TaCl2 complex proved to be a competent catalyst to generate cyclopropanes from styrene and the corresponding diazoalkane. Chapter 5 explores the utilization of the (ONO) ligand to store electron equivalents for the catalytic nitrene-nitrene coupling reactions with organoazides to afford organodiazenes. Finally, Chapter 6 addresses the electronic considerations of a related redox-active triamido ligand in an effort to tune the ligand's redox potentials.