Dinitrogen complexes of sulfur-ligated iron

We report a unique class of dinitrogen complexes of iron featuring sulfur donors in the ancillary ligand. The ligands utilized are related to the recently studied tris(phosphino)silyl ligands (2-R(2)PC(6)H(4))(3)Si (R = Ph, iPr) but have one or two phosphine arms replaced with thioether donors. Depending on the number of phosphine arms replaced, both mononuclear and dinuclear iron complexes with dinitrogen are accessible. These complexes contribute to a desirable class of model complexes that possess both dinitrogen and sulfur ligands in the immediate iron coordination sphere.     

Direct Transformation of Molecular Dinitrogen into Ammonia Catalyzed by Cobalt Dinitrogen Complexes Bearing Anionic PNP Pincer Ligands

The direct formation of ammonia from molecular dinitrogen under mild reaction conditions was achieved by using new cobalt dinitrogen complexes bearing an anionic PNP‐type pincer ligand. Up to 15.9 equivalents of ammonia were produced based on the amount of catalyst together with 1.0 equivalent of hydrazine (17.9 equiv of fixed nitrogen atoms).     

Dinitrogen activation by titanium sandwich complexes

The activation of dinitrogen by titanium sandwich complexes of the general form (eta5-C5Me4R)2Ti (R = CHMe2, CMe3, SiMe3) has been systematically investigated. Low-temperature, in situ, solution infrared spectroscopy has allowed detection of monomeric bis-dinitrogen complexes of titanium that are isostructural with more familiar dicarbonyl derivatives. One example, (eta5-C5Me4CHMe2)2Ti(N2)2, has also been characterized by X-ray diffraction and reveals weakly activated dinitrogen ligands. From the solution IR data, the relative azophilicity of the titanium sandwich complexes has been established and increases with smaller cyclopentadienyl substituents.     

分子氮的电催化还原

对温和条件下分子氮的络合活化已有研究,但用修饰电极法电催化固氮成氨(或肼)尚未见报道,Shilov等曾发现在V(OH)_2-Mg(OH)_2的悬浮液中,V(Ⅱ)可起络合及还原作用,钒固氮酶在缺钼条件下也可活化分子氮,其活性中心可能与钼酶相似,也是通过有机硫配体而定位在蛋白质的肽链上,能否用含有机硫配体的钒表面配合物模拟钒酶,用电催化方法进行电子与能量的偶联从而固氮成氨?本文对此进行了研究。     

Catalytic Dinitrogen Fixation to Form Ammonia at Ambient Reaction Conditions Using Transition Metal‐Dinitrogen Complexes

This paper presents recent progress in catalytic transformation of molecular dinitrogen into ammonia or its equivalents, such as silylamine, especially using transition metal‐dinitrogen complexes under ambient reaction conditions. Several catalytic systems have been recently established using molybdenum‐, iron‐, and cobalt‐dinitrogen complexes or their precursors as catalysts, providing new approaches to the development of novel nitrogen fixation under ambient reaction conditions.     

Probing the Potential of Hitherto Unexplored Base-Stabilized Borylenes in Dinitrogen Binding

Computational investigations were carried out to probe the potential of several dicoordinate, singly base-stabilized borylenes of the form [L→BR] (L=neutral Lewis base) in dinitrogen binding. The calculated reaction free energies and activation barriers associated with the formation of mono- and diborylene-N₂ adducts suggest the presence of thermally surmountable kinetic barriers towards their possible isolation. Our results show that the exergonicity of dinitrogen activation and fixation is linearly dependent on the natural charge at the boron center, which can be tuned to design novel boron-based compounds with potential applications to small-molecule activation. EDA-NOCV analysis reveals strong binding of dinitrogen to these base-stabilized borylenes.     

Dinitrogen functionalization with bis(cyclopentadienyl) complexes of zirconium and hafnium

The rich chemistry of substituted bis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconium and hafnium complexes bearing side-on coordinated dinitrogen ligands is highlighted in this Perspective. Our studies in this area were initially motivated by the desire to understand side-on vs. end-on dinitrogen coordination in bimetallic zirconocene and hafnocene N2 compounds. In the cases where eta2,eta2-dinitrogen compounds were isolated, both structural and computational data have established significant imido character in the metal-nitrogen bonds. This additional bonding interaction, which is diminished in end-on complexes bearing both terminal and bridging N2 ligands, facilitates dinitrogen functionalization by non-polar reagents including dihydrogen, carbon-hydrogen bonds and weak Br?nsted acids such as water and ethanol. In hafnocene chemistry, where unwanted side-on, end-on isomerization is suppressed, cycloaddition of phenylisocyanate to coordinated N2 has also been accomplished. For N-H bond forming reactions involving H2, kinetic measurements, in addition to isotopic labelling and computational studies, are consistent with dinitrogen functionalization by 1,2-addition involving a highly ordered, four-centred transition structure.     

Dinitrogen binding at vanadium in a tris(alkoxide) ligand environment

We report the first tris(alkoxide)V(III) complex to bind dinitrogen. Removal of THF from V(OR)(3)THF furnishes the highly reactive V(OR)(3) fragment, which binds dinitrogen to form [V(OR)(3)](2)(μ-N(2)) in the solid state. Dinitrogen is readily released upon dissolution of the complex. Structural and DFT studies are consistent with significant activation of N(2) when bound by the vanadium tris(alkoxide) platform.     

Predicting Dinitrogen Activation via Transition-Metal-Involved [4+2] Cycloaddition Reaction

As the strongest triple bond in nature, the N≡N triple bond activation has always been a challenging project in chemistry. On the other hand, since the award of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1950, the Diels-Alder reaction has served as a powerful and widely applied tool in the synthesis of natural products and new materials. However, the application of the Diels-Alder reaction to dinitrogen activation remains less developed. Here we first demonstrate that a transition-metal-involved [4+2] Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction could be used to activate dinitrogen without an additional reductant by density functional theory calculations. Further study reveals that such a dinitrogen activation by 1-metalla-1,3-dienes screened out from a series of transition metal complexes (38 species) according to the effects of metal center, ligand, and substituents can become favorable both thermodynamically (with an exergonicity of 28.2 kcal mol⁻¹) and kinetically (with an activation energy as low as 13.8 kcal mol⁻¹). Our findings highlight an important application of the Diels-Alder reaction in dinitrogen activation, inviting experimental chemists’ verification.     

CO-Induced Dinitrogen Fixation and Cleavage Mediated by Boron

The boron atoms react with carbon monoxide and dinitrogen forming the end-on bonded NNBCO complex in solid neon or in nitrogen matrices. The NNBCO complex rearranges to the (η²-N₂)BCO isomer with a more activated side-on bonded dinitrogen ligand upon visible light excitation. (η²-N₂)BCO and its weakly CO-coordinated complexes further isomerize to the NBNCO and B(NCO)₂ molecules with N−N bond being completely cleaved under UV light irradiation. The geometries, energies and vibrational spectra of the molecules are calculated with quantum chemical methods and the electronic structures are analyzed with charge- and energy-partitioning methods.     

固氮酶活性中心FeMo-Cofactor对N2活化方式的探讨

结合实验和理论计算的结果, 讨论了固氮酶的活性中心铁钼辅基(FeMo-co-facto r) 对N₂ 的各种活化方式, 并在此基础上提出了一种新模型, 即N₂ 在FeMo2cofacto r 的内部以“4Fe 端基配位+2Fe 侧基配位”的方式被活化,N₂ 的三重键完全断裂, 断裂产生的两个含N 的碎片分别偏向两侧的“窗口”, 再在H 的进攻下被还原为NH₃, 并分别从两侧的“窗口”离去。     

Trichloro(Dinitrogen)Platinate(II)

Zeise's salt, [PtCl₃(H₂C=CH₂)]⁻_, is the oldest known organometallic complex, featuring ethylene strongly bound to a platinum salt. Many derivatives are known, but none involving dinitrogen, and indeed dinitrogen complexes are unknown for both platinum and palladium. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of K₂[PtCl₄] solutions generate strong ions corresponding to [PtCl₃(N₂)]⁻, the identity of which was confirmed through ion-mobility spectrometry and MS/MS experiments that proved it to be distinct from its isobaric counterparts [PtCl₃(C₂H₄)]⁻ and [PtCl₃(CO)]⁻. Computational analysis established a gas-phase platinum–dinitrogen bond strength of 116 kJ mol⁻¹, substantially weaker than the ethylene and carbon monoxide analogues but stronger than for polar solvents such as water, methanol and dimethylformamide, and strong enough that the calculated N−N bond length of 1.119 Å represents weakening to a degree typical of isolated dinitrogen complexes.     

Catalytic Reduction of Molecular Dinitrogen to Ammonia and Hydrazine Using Vanadium Complexes

Newly designed and prepared vanadium complexes bearing anionic pyrrole‐based PNP‐type pincer and aryloxy ligands were found to work as effective catalysts for the direct conversion of molecular dinitrogen into ammonia and hydrazine under mild reaction conditions. This is the first successful example of vanadium‐catalyzed dinitrogen reduction under mild reaction conditions.     

A Cornucopia of Iridium Nitrogen Compounds Produced from Laser-Ablated Iridium Atoms and Dinitrogen

The reaction of laser-ablated iridium atoms with dinitrogen molecules and nitrogen atoms yield several neutral and ionic iridium dinitrogen complexes such as Ir(N₂), Ir(N₂)⁺, Ir(N₂)₂, Ir(N₂)₂⁻, IrNNIr, as well as the nitrido complexes IrN, Ir(N)₂ and IrIrN. These reaction products were deposited in solid neon, argon and nitrogen matrices and characterized by their infrared spectra. Assignments of vibrational bands are supported by ab initio and first principle calculations as well as ^14/15N isotope substitution experiments. The structural and electronic properties of the new dinitrogen and nitrido iridium complexes are discussed. While the formation of the elusive dinitrido complex Ir(N)₂ was observed in a subsequent reaction of IrN with N atoms within the cryogenic solid matrices, the threefold coordinated iridium trinitride Ir(N)₃ could not be observed so far.     

Dinitrogen and acetylide complexes of low-valent chromium

Reaction of trans-(dmpe) 2CrCl2 (dmpe=1,2-bis(dimethylphosphino)ethane) with one equivalent of LiCCSiMe3 and one equivalent of nBuLi in THF under a dinitrogen atmosphere affords dark orange trans,trans-[(Me 3SiCC)(dmpe)2Cr]2(micro-N2).hexane (1). Under similar conditions but in the absence of acteylide ligand, the reaction of trans-(dmpe)2CrCl2 with 2 equivalents of nBuLi yields the previously characterized complex trans-(dmpe)2Cr(N2)2 (2), while the reaction of trans-(dmpe)2CrCl2 with 2 equivalents of LiCCSiMe3 in THF yields trans-(dmpe)2Cr(CCSiMe3)2 (3). Compound 3 can also be synthesized by irradiating a mixture of trans-(dmpe)2CrMe2 and HCCSiMe3 or by reduction of HCCSiMe3 with compound 2. The magnetic properties, electrochemistry, and crystal structure of trans,trans-[(Me3SiCC)(dmpe)2Cr]2(micro-N2) are consistent with the complex containing two CrI ions bridged by a neutral N2 moiety, with a 1.178(10) A N[TRIPLE BOND]N bond distance. For complex 1 redox processes centered at E1/2=-1.69 V (DeltaEp=185 mV) and -1.43 V (DeltaEp=182 mV) versus Fe(Cp)2/Fe(Cp)2+ are assigned to the CrICrI/CrICrII and CrICrII/CrIICrII couples, respectively. For trans-(dmpe)2Cr(CCSiMe3)2 a reversible couple assigned as the CrII/III couple was observed at -1.59 V (DeltaEp=242 mV) versus Fe(Cp)2/Fe(Cp)2+. The dinuclear CrI-dinitrogen complex 1 has a room temperature magnetic moment of 2.77 microB while compound 3 displays a moment of 2.55 microB. Density-functional theory calculations performed on a model compound of 1, namely, trans,trans-[(HCC)(dpe)2Cr]2(micro-N2) (dpe=diphospinoethane), indicate that oxidation of the molecule should result in weakening of the dinitrogen triple bond.     

Cleavage and Formation of Molecular Dinitrogen in a Single System Assisted by Molybdenum Complexes Bearing Ferrocenyldiphosphine

The N?N bond of molecular dinitrogen bridging two molybdenum atoms in the pentamethylcyclopentadienyl molybdenum complexes that bear ferrocenyldiphosphine as an auxiliary ligand is homolytically cleaved under visible light irradiation at room temperature to afford two molar molybdenum nitride complexes. Conversely, the bridging molecular dinitrogen is reformed by the oxidation of the molybdenum nitride complex at room temperature. This result provides a successful example of the cleavage and formation of molecular dinitrogen induced by a pair of two different external stimuli using a single system assisted by molybdenum complexes bearing ferrocenyldiphosphine under ambient conditions.     

Catalytic Reduction of Dinitrogen into Ammonia and Hydrazine by Using Chromium Complexes Bearing PCP-Type Pincer Ligands**

A series of chromium-halide, -nitride, and -dinitrogen complexes bearing carbene- and phosphine-based PCP-type pincer ligands has been newly prepared, and some of them are found to work as effective catalysts to reduce dinitrogen under atmospheric pressure, whereby up to 11.60 equiv. of ammonia and 2.52 equiv. of hydrazine (16.6 equiv. of fixed N atom) are produced based on the chromium atom. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first successful example of chromium-catalyzed conversion of dinitrogen to ammonia and hydrazine under mild reaction conditions.     

Dinitrogen activation by low-coordinate transition metal complexes

In this article, several avenues in the ongoing computational study of first row transition metal β-diketiminate dinitrogen complexes are discussed. Analysis of monometallic N–N bond length changes reveals that upon complexation of free N₂, side-bound N₂ is 0.018–0.054?Å longer than analogous end-bound N₂. Although the same isomeric preferences across the 3-D series were calculated for bimetallic β-diketiminate N₂ complexes, the N–N bond lengths and hence N₂ activation was found to be greater compared to the monometallic species. This present research demonstrates that a useful starting point for activated dinitrogen complexes is the choice of bimetallic supporting ligands, which unlike monometallic ligands allow both metals to activate N₂ in a concerted fashion.     

Nitrosation of Dimethylamine with Dinitrogen Trioxide

A two-step procedure for preparing N-nitrosodimethylamine by direct nitrosation of aqueous solutions of dialkylamines with dinitrogen dioxide was suggested. The first step involves preparation of dialkylammonium nitrite, and in the second step, on heating to 70–90°С in a weakly acidic solution, it transforms into N-nitrosodialkylamine. The yield of N-nitrosodialkylamines is 95–98% based on the converted dialkylamine. A low-waste process for N-nitrosodimethylamine production was developed.     

Cycling between Molybdenum-Dinitrogen and -Nitride Complexes to Support the Reaction Pathway for Catalytic Formation of Ammonia from Dinitrogen

Cycling between molybdenum(I)-dinitrogen and molybdenum(IV)-nitride complexes was investigated under ambient reaction conditions. A kinetic study of the second-order reaction rate for the conversion of the molybdenum-dinitrogen complex into the molybdenum-nitride complex indicates that the formation of the dinitrogen-bridged dimolybdenum complex is involved in the rate-determining step. DFT calculations indicate that the molybdenum-dinitrogen complex transforms into the molybdenum-nitride complex via direct cleavage of the nitrogen-nitrogen triple bond of the bridging dinitrogen ligand of the dinitrogen-bridged dimolybdenum complex. The corresponding reaction of the molybdenum-nitride complex transforming into the molybdenum-dinitrogen complex proceeds via the ligand exchange of ammonia for dinitrogen at the dinitrogen-bridged dimolybdenum complexes. A new modified reaction pathway has been proposed based on the findings of our experimental and theoretical results.