The first example of Re(IV)-mediated nitrile-hydroxylamine coupling

The metal-mediated coupling between the acetonitriles in cis-[(ReCl4)-Cl-IV(MeCN)(2)] and the N,N-dibenzylhydroxylamines (R2NOH)-N-3 (R-3 = CH2Ph, CH2C6H4Cl-p) proceeds smoothly in CH2Cl2/MeCN at 20-25 degrees C for ca. 15 min to accomplish new imino species cis- [ReCl4{NH=C(Me) ONR23}(2)] (R-3 = CH2Ph, 1, CH2C6H4Cl-p, 2) in ca. 70% yield. The structures of the isolated compounds were based on elemental analyses (C, H, N), IR, FAB(+)-MS and on X-ray data for 1. (C) 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V.