Dinuclear zinc(ii) pyrazolates with different degrees of ring-fluorination and their use in zinc(ii) mediated olefin aziridination

Abstract

Zinc complexes [{(3,5-(CF₃)₂Pz)ZnEt}₂(μ-THF)] (1), [{(3-(CF₃),5-(t-Bu)Pz)ZnEt}₂(μ-THF)] (2), and [{(3,5-(i-Pr)₂Pz)ZnEt}₂(μ-THF)] (3) adopt dinuclear structures with zinc sites bridged by a THF molecule and two pyrazolate ligands. The zinc complex 1 that features the weakest donating pyrazolate is the best catalyst among the three for the aziridination of styrene and cis-cyclooctene with PhINTs.