Investigations on the catalytic behaviour of titanium complexes formed in situ from Ti(OPri)4 and a variety of Schiff bases, mainly the binaphthyl derivatives 2,2’-bis(3-R1-5-R2-2-hydroxybenzylideneamino)-1,1’-binaphthyl, toward the asymmetric trimethylsilylcyanation of some aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes demonstrated that the titanium complex of the binaphthyl Schiff base with R1=R2=But is one of the best catalysts for such a process, with an enantiomeric excess (e.e.) as high as 96% obtained for m-tolualdehyde. Crystal structure determination of a nitrosylruthenium complex, [RuII(L)(NO)Cl] (L is the dianion of the binaphthyl Schiff base with R1=R2=Cl), revealed that the complex assumes a cis-β configuration with the binaphthyl moiety having a dihedral angle of 70.2. After treatment with AgPF6, the ruthenium complex also exhibited a good catalytic property for the trimethylsilylcyanation of benzaldehyde albeit with a lower e.e. (24%).

The chiral mononuclear complex of Re(I)-NOBIN Schiff base (NOBIN=1-amino-10-hydroxylbinaphthyl) was synthesized via the reaction of Re(CO)5Cl and corresponding tridentate ligand in methanol. The structure analysis reveals that the central metal coordinates with nitrogen atom of imine and oxygen atom of salicylaldehyde form a six-membered ring, while the left uncoordinated phenol group adjacent to the binaphthyl backbone forms a hydrogen bonding with water molecule coordinated with the Re(I) ion. This mononuclear complex shows some catalytic ability in asymmetric epoxidation and aziridination with moderate results

2, 3, 11, 12-Tetramethoxy-3b, 4, 5, 6-tetrahydro-8H-7a-aza-benzo [fg] naphthacen-7-one 7 was synthesized via N-acyliminium ion cyclization of 6-hydroxy-1-(2, 3, 6, 7-tetramethoxyphenanthren- 9-yl-methyl)-piperidin-2-one 6 catalyzed by BF3⋅OEt2. The stereostructure of the intermediate, 1-(2, 3, 6, 7-tetramethoxy-phenanthren-9-yl-methyl)-piperidine-2, 6-dione 5, was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Compound 7 showed no cytotoxicity.

The reaction of [{m-h2-C(R1) CHR2}(m-CO)Fe2(CO)6] with (m-S2)Fe2(CO)6 forms (m3-S)2Fe3(CO)9 (1) and:or anionic intermediates [{m-h2-C(R1) CHR2}(m-S){Fe2(CO)6}2(m4-S)] (2) depending on the substituents R1 and R2. The actions of the anionic complexes 2 with alkyl halides, PhN2BF4 and acid chlorides give [m-h2-C(R1) CHR2](m-RS)[Fe2(CO)6]2(m4-S) (R alkyl, Ph or acyl). The structures of (m-h2-CH CHPh](m-CH2 CHCH2S)[Fe2(CO)6]2(m4-S)

The reaction of [Et3NH] [(m-RE)(m-CO)Fe2(CO)6] (E S, Se) (1) with aryl azides gives bridging triazenido complexes (m-RE)(mp-R1C6H4N3H)Fe2(CO)6 (2-8) (2, RE ButS, R1 H; 3, RE PhS, R1 H; 4, RE ButS, R1 Cl; 5, RE ButS, R1 MeO; 6, RE PhS, R1 MeO; 7, RE PhSe, R1 H; 8, RE PhSe, R1 Cl). These complexes were characterized by elemental analyses and 1H-NMR and IR spectroscopy. The structure of complex 2, established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, shows that the triazenido ligand binds to two iron centers in a bridging bidentate fashion.