Role of the metal, ligand, and alkyl/aryl group in the hydrolysis reactions of group 10 organometallic cations [(L)M(R)]

Abstract

The reactions of water with the coordinatively unsaturated group 10 organometallic cations [(L)M(R)]+ (4; where L = 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), neocuproine (neo); M = nickel, palladium, platinum; R = CH3, C6H5, CH2C6H5), formed via decarboxylation of the carboxylate complexes [(L)M(O2CR)] +, were examined in the gas phase using a combination of multistage mass spectrometry experiments and DFT calculations at the M06/SDD6-31+G(d) level of theory. Two main types of primary product ions were observed: the aqua adduct [(L)M(R)(H2O)]+ (5) and the hydroxide [(L)M(OH)]+ (7), formed via a hydrolysis reaction. A secondary product ion, arising from formation of the adduct [(L)M(OH)(H 2O)]+, was also o..