Heterolytic activation of hydrogen using frustrated Lewis pairs containing tris(2,2',2'-perfluorobiphenyl)borane

The extremely sterically hindered borane tris(2,2',2'-perfluorobiphenyl)borane (PBB) has been structurally characterised. In combination with bulky nitrogen bases, it forms the 'frustrated Lewis pairs' (FLPs) PBB/2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (TMP) (1), PBB/1,4-diazobicyclo2.2.2]-octane (DABCO) (2) and PBB/2,6-lutidine (lut) (3). These novel, unquenched acid-base pairs have been shown to effect facile room temperature heterolytic cleavage of dihydrogen to form the ammonium borate salts 2,2,6,6-Me(4)C(5)H(6)NH(2)]HB(C(12)F(9))(3)] (4) and N(C(2)H(4))(3)NH]HB(C(12)F(9))(3)] (5), and lutidinium borate 2,6-Me(2)C(5)H(3)NH]HB(C(12)F(9))(3)] (6). Although these reactions are equilibria, the reverse reaction and release of hydrogen gas was not apparent at temperatures up to 120 °C. The relative Lewis acidity of PBB has been determined using the Gutmann-Beckett method.