Organic isocyanide ligands, CNR, are isolobal with carbon monoxide, and offer electronic and steric versatility through changing the nature of the substituent R. The customary approach for significantly enhancing the π-acceptor/σ-donor ability (ratio) of an isocyanide ligand involves polyfluorination of the R group (e.g., C6F5NC, C2F3NC, and F3CNC). In this presentation, we will discuss cyanation and polycyanation of the isocyanoazulenic scaffold to afford very strongly π-acidic organic isocyanide ligands. A remarkably sensitive 13C NMR method for quantitatively assessing the π-acceptor/σ-donor ratio of isocyanide ligands will be highlighted.

Exerting extreme π-acidity of organic isocyanide ligands: A nonfluorinated rival of C6F5NC has been discovered

256th National Meeting (2018)

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