PNNL

Abstract

Absolute rate constants for hydrogen atom abstraction by benzyl radical from Os3(m-H)2 (CO)9PPh3(1), Os3 (m-H)(H)(CO)10PPh3(2), Os3(m-H)(CO)9(m3-h2-C9H6N)(3), Os3(m-H)(CO)9(m-h2-C9H6N)PPh3 (5) and Os3(m-H)(CO)10(m-h2-C9H6N) (4) were determined in benzene by competition of the abstraction reaction with the self termination of benzyl radical. Thus, experimental values of kabs/kt1/2 were combined with rate constants for self-termination of benzyl radical in benzene from the expression ln(2kt/M-1s-1 = 27.23 - 2952.4/RT), RT in cal/mol, to give absolute rate constants for abstraction, kabs: for Os3(m-H)2 (CO)9PPh3(1) in benzene, log (kabs/M-1s-1) = (8.86 ± .20) - (6.90 ± .31)/q; for Os3 (m-H)(H)(CO)10PPh3) (2) log (kabs/M-1s-1) = (8.15 ± .49) - (4.41 ± .72)/q; for Os3(m-H)(CO)9(m3-h2-C9H6N) (3) log (kabs/M-1s-1) = (8.9 ± 2) ¿ (8.8 ± 3)/q; value for 4 and for Os3(m-H)(CO9)(m-h2-C9H6N)(PPh3) (5) log (kabs/M-1s-1) = (7.0 ± .38) - (4.15 ± .56)/q, q = 2.303RT kcal/mol. The terminal hydride on the Os3 cluster 2 is about 10 times more reactive than bridging hydride in 1. The results show that while m-H bridging retards the rate of hydrogen abstraction relative to terminal hydrogen, the bridging hydrogen remains appreciably reactive in the m-H form. In fact, the highest rate observed was for the bridging hydride in 4, Os3(m-H)(CO)10(m-h2-C9H6N). Temperature dependent kinetics for compound 4 were not determined because of significant CO loss above room temperature. However at 293 K the rate constant of hydrogen atom abstraction from this electron-rich cluster, 5 ± 2 x 104 M-1s-1, is at least twice as fast as that for the terminal hydrogen atom cluster, 2, Os3 (m-H)(H)(CO)10PPh3, kabs (298 K) = 1.8 x 104 M-1s-1. The rate constants for hydrogen atom abstraction by benzyl radical from these osmium clusters increase with increasing electron density on the osmium cluster and decrease with increasing steric bulk of the ligands.