NH3 Synthesis in the N2/H2 Reaction System using Cooperative Molecular Tungsten/Rhodium Catalysis in Ionic Hydrogenation: A DFT Study

The ionic hydrogenation of N₂ with H₂ to give NH₃ is investigated by means of density functional theory (DFT) computations using a cooperatively acting catalyst system. In this system, N₂ binds to a neutral tungsten pincer complex of the type [(PNP)W(N₂)₃] (PNP=pincer ligand) and is reduced to NH₃. The protons and hydride centers necessary for the reduction are delivered by heterolytic cleavage of H₂ between the N₂–tungsten complex and the cationic rhodium complex [Cp*Rh{2‐(2‐pyridyl)phenyl}(CH₃CN)]⁺. Successive transfer of protons and hydrides to the bound N₂, as well as all N_xH_y units that occur during the reaction, enable the computation of closed catalytic cycles in the gas and in the solvent phase. By optimizing the pincer ligands of the tungsten complex, energy spans as low as 39.3 kcal mol^?1 could be obtained, which is unprecedented in molecular catalysis for the N₂/H₂ reaction system.     

Kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation of 4‐methyl‐3‐thiosemicarbazide by acidic bromate

The oxidation of 4‐methyl‐3‐thiosemicarbazide (MTSC) by bromate and bromine was studied in acidic medium. The stoichiometry of the reaction is extremely complex, and is dependent on the ratio of the initial concentrations of the oxidant to reductant. In excess MTSC and after prolonged standing, the stoichiometry was determined to be H₃CN(H)CSN(H)NH₂ + 3BrO₃^? → 2CO₂ + NH₄⁺ + SO₄^2? + N₂ + 3Br^? + H⁺ (A). An interim stoichiometry is also obtained in which one of the CO₂ molecules is replaced by HCOOH with an overall stoichiometry of 3H₃CN(H)CSN(H)NH₂ + 8BrO₃^? → CO₂ + NH₄⁺ + SO₄^2? + HCOOH + N₂ + 3Br^? + 3H⁺ (B). Stoichiometry A and B are not very different, and so mixtures of the two were obtained. Compared to other oxidations of thiourea‐based compounds, this reaction is moderately fast and is first order in both bromate and substrate. It is autocatalytic in HOBr. The reaction is characterized by an autocatalytic sigmoidal decay in the consumption of MTSC, while in excess bromate conditions the reaction shows an induction period before autocatalytic formation of bromine. In both cases, oxybromine chemistry, which involves the initial formation of the reactive species HOBr and Br₂, is dominant. The reactions of MTSC with both HOBr and Br₂ are fast, and so the overall rate of oxidation is dependent upon the rates of formation of these reactive species from bromate. Our proposed mechanism involves the initial cleavage of the C? N bond on the azo‐side of the molecule to release nitrogen and an activated sulfur species that quickly and rapidly rearranges to give a series of thiourea acids. These thiourea acids are then oxidized to the sulfonic acid before cleavage of the C? S bond to give SO₄^2?, CO₂, and NH₄⁺. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 34: 237–247, 2002     

The Feasibility of Electrochemical Ammonia Synthesis in Molten LiCl–KCl Eutectics

Molten LiCl and related eutectic electrolytes are known to permit direct electrochemical reduction of N₂ to N^3? with high efficiency. It had been proposed that this could be coupled with H₂ oxidation in an electrolytic cell to produce NH₃ at ambient pressure. Here, this proposal is tested in a LiCl–KCl–Li₃N cell and is found not to be the case, as the previous assumption of the direct electrochemical oxidation of N^3? to NH₃ is grossly over‐simplified. We find that Li₃N added to the molten electrolyte promotes the spontaneous and simultaneous chemical disproportionation of H₂ (H oxidation state 0) into H^? (H oxidation state ?1) and H⁺ in the form of NH^2?/NH₂^?/NH₃ (H oxidation state +1) in the absence of applied current, resulting in non‐Faradaic release of NH₃. It is further observed that NH^2? and NH₂^? possess their own redox chemistry. However, these spontaneous reactions allow us to propose an alternative, truly catalytic cycle. By adding LiH, rather than Li₃N, N₂ can be reduced to N^3? while stoichiometric amounts of H^? are oxidised to H₂. The H₂ can then react spontaneously with N^3? to form NH₃, regenerating H^? and closing the catalytic cycle. Initial tests show a peak NH₃ synthesis rate of 2.4×10^?8 mol cm^?2 s^?1 at a maximum current efficiency of 4.2 %. Isotopic labelling with ¹⁵N₂ confirms the resulting NH₃ is from catalytic N₂ reduction.     

Understanding the Mechanisms of Unusually Fast HH,CH,and CC Bond Reductive Eliminations from Gold(III) Complexes

Carbon–carbon bond reductive elimination from gold(III) complexes are known to be very slow and require high temperatures. Recently, Toste and co‐workers have demonstrated extremely rapid C?C reductive elimination from cis‐[AuPPh₃(4‐F‐C₆H₄)₂Cl] even at low temperatures. We have performed DFT calculations to understand the mechanistic pathway for these novel reductive elimination reactions. Direct dynamics calculations inclusive of quantum mechanical tunneling showed significant contribution of heavy‐atom tunneling (>25 %) at the experimental reaction temperatures. In the absence of any competing side reactions, such as phosphine exchange/dissociation, the complex cis‐[Au(PPh₃)₂(4‐F‐C₆H₄)₂]⁺ was shown to undergo ultrafast reductive elimination. Calculations also revealed very facile, concerted mechanisms for H?H, C?H, and C?C bond reductive elimination from a range of neutral and cationic gold(III) centers, except for the coupling of sp³ carbon atoms. Metal–carbon bond strengths in the transition states that originate from attractive orbital interactions control the feasibility of a concerted reductive elimination mechanism. Calculations for the formation of methane from complex cis‐[AuPPh₃(H)CH₃]⁺ predict that at ?52 °C, about 82 % of the reaction occurs by hydrogen‐atom tunneling. Tunneling leads to subtle effects on the reaction rates, such as large primary kinetic isotope effects (KIE) and a strong violation of the rule of the geometric mean of the primary and secondary KIEs.     

Catalytic Ammonia Oxidation to Dinitrogen by Hydrogen Atom Abstraction

Catalysts for the oxidation of NH₃ are critical for the utilization of NH₃ as a large‐scale energy carrier. Molecular catalysts capable of oxidizing NH₃ to N₂ are rare. This report describes the use of [Cp*Ru(P^tBu₂N^Ph₂)(¹⁵NH₃)][BAr^F₄], (P^tBu₂N^Ph₂=1,5‐di(phenylaza)‐3,7‐di(tert‐butylphospha)cyclooctane; Ar^F=3,5‐(CF₃)₂C₆H₃), to catalytically oxidize NH₃ to dinitrogen under ambient conditions. The cleavage of six N?H bonds and the formation of an N≡N bond was achieved by coupling H⁺ and e^? transfers as net hydrogen atom abstraction (HAA) steps using the 2,4,6‐tri‐tert‐butylphenoxyl radical (^tBu₃ArO^.) as the H atom acceptor. Employing an excess of ^tBu₃ArO^. under 1 atm of NH₃ gas at 23 °C resulted in up to ten turnovers. Nitrogen isotopic (¹⁵N) labeling studies provide initial mechanistic information suggesting a monometallic pathway during the N???N bond‐forming step in the catalytic cycle.     

Ruthenium bidentate phosphine complexes for the coordination and catalytic dehydrogenation of amine- and phosphine-boranes

Addition of the amine–boranes H₃B ? NH₂tBu, H₃B ? NHMe₂ and H₃B ? NH₃ to the cationic ruthenium fragment [Ru(xantphos)(PPh₃)(OH₂)H][BAr^F₄] ( 2 ; xantphos=4,5‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐9,9‐dimethylxanthene; BAr^F₄=[B{3,5‐(CF₃)₂C₆H₃}₄]^?) affords the η¹‐B? H bound amine–borane complexes [Ru(xantphos)(PPh₃)(H₃B ? NH₂tBu)H][BAr^F₄] ( 5 ), [Ru(xantphos)(PPh₃)(H₃B ? NHMe₂)H][BAr^F₄] ( 6 ) and [Ru(xantphos)(PPh₃)(H₃B ? NH₃)H][BAr^F₄] ( 7 ). The X‐ray crystal structures of 5 and 7 have been determined with [BAr^F₄] and [BPh₄] anions, respectively. Treatment of 2 with H₃B ? PHPh₂ resulted in quite different behaviour, with cleavage of the B? P interaction taking place to generate the structurally characterised bis‐secondary phosphine complex [Ru(xantphos)(PHPh₂)₂H][BPh₄] ( 9 ). The xantphos complexes 2 , 5 and 9 proved to be poor precursors for the catalytic dehydrogenation of H₃B ? NHMe₂. While the dppf species (dppf=1,1′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene) [Ru(dppf)(PPh₃)HCl] ( 3 ) and [Ru(dppf)(η⁶‐C₆H₅PPh₂)H][BAr^F₄] ( 4 ) showed better, but still moderate activity, the agostic‐stabilised N‐heterocyclic carbene derivative [Ru(dppf)(ICy)HCl] ( 12 ; ICy=1,3‐dicyclohexylimidazol‐2‐ylidene) proved to be the most efficient catalyst with a turnover number of 76 h^?1 at room temperature.     

Synthesis,crystal structure,and fluorescence of an unexpected dialkoxo-bridged dinuclear copper(II) complex with bis(salen)-type tetraoxime

An unexpected dinuclear Cu(II) complex, [Cu₂(L²)₂] (H₂L^2?=?3-methoxysalicylaldehyde O-(2-hydroxyethyl)oxime), has been synthesized via complexation of Cu(II) acetate monohydrate with H₄L¹. Catalysis by Cu(II) results in unexpected cleavage of two N–O bonds in H₄L¹, giving a dialkoxo-bridged dinuclear Cu(II) complex possessing a Cu–O–Cu–O four-membered ring core instead of the usual bis(salen)-type tetraoxime Cu₃–N₄O₄ complex. Every complex links six other molecules into an infinite-layered supramolecular structure via 12 intermolecular C–H?···?O hydrogen bonds. Furthermore, Cu(II) complex exhibits purple emission with maximum emission wavelength λ_max?=?417?nm when excited with 312?nm.     

Controlled Aggregation of Multiple Guanidinium Ions through a Hydrogen‐Bonded Network Assembly with Deprotonated Forms of Kemp’s Triacid

A series of five complexes that incorporate the guanidinium ion and various deprotonated forms of Kemp’s triacid (H₃KTA) have been synthesized and characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis. The complex [C(NH₂)₃⁺] ? [H₂KTA^?] ( 1 ) exhibits a sinusoidal layer structure with a centrosymmetric pseudo‐rosette motif composed of two ion pairs. The fully deprotonated Kemp’s triacid moiety in 3 [C(NH₂)₃⁺] ? [KTA^3?] ( 2 ) forms a record number of eighteen acceptor hydrogen bonds, thus leading to a closely knit three‐dimensional network. The KTA^3? anion adopts an uncommon twist conformation in [(CH₃)₄N⁺] ? 2 [C(NH₂)₃⁺] ? [KTA^3?] ? 2 H₂O ( 3 ). The crystal structure of [(nC₃H₇)₄N⁺] ? 2 [C(NH₂)₃⁺] ? [KTA^3?] ( 4 ) features a tetrahedral aggregate of four guanidinium ions stabilized by an outer shell that comprises six equatorial carboxylate groups that belong to separate [KTA^3?] anions. In 3 [(C₂H₅)₄N⁺] ? 20 [C(NH₂)₃⁺] ? 11 [HKTA^2?] ? [H₂KTA^?] ? 17 H₂O ( 5 ), an even larger centrosymmetric inner core composed of eight guanidinium ions and six bridging water molecules is enclosed by a crust composed of eighteen axial carboxyl/carboxylate groups from six HKTA^2? anions.     

Two inclusion compounds of guanylthiourea and 1,3,5-thiadiazole-5-amido-2-carbamate

In the crystal structure of [(n-C₄H₉)₄N]⁺·[NH₂(C₂N₂S)NHCOO^?]·NH₂CSNC(NH₂)₂ (1), guanylthiourea molecules and 1,3,5-thiadiazole-5-amido-2-carbamate ions are joined together by intermolecular N–H…O, N–H…N, and weak N–H…S hydrogen bonds to generate stacked host layers corresponding to the (110) family of planes, between which the tetra-n-butylammonium guest cations are orderly arranged in a sandwich-like manner. In the crystal structure of [(n-C₃H₇)₄N]⁺·[NH₂(C₂N₂S)NHCOO^?]·NH₂CSNC(NH₂)₂·H₂O (2), the tetrapropyl ammonium cations are stacked within channels each composed of hydrogen bonded ribbons of guanylthiourea molecules, 1,3,5-thiadiazole-5-amido-2-carbamate ions and water molecules.     

Facile conversion of ammonia to a nitride in a rhenium system that cleaves dinitrogen

Rhenium complexes with aliphatic PNP pincer ligands have been shown to be capable of reductive N₂ splitting to nitride complexes. However, the conversion of the resulting nitride to ammonia has not been observed. Here, the thermodynamics and mechanism of the hypothetical N–H bond forming steps are evaluated through the reverse reaction, conversion of ammonia to the nitride complex. Depending on the conditions, treatment of a rhenium(iii) precursor with ammonia gives either a bis(amine) complex [(PNP)Re(NH₂)₂Cl]⁺, or results in dehydrohalogenation to the rhenium(iii) amido complex, (PNP)Re(NH₂)Cl. The N–H hydrogen atoms in this amido complex can be abstracted by PCET reagents which implies that they are quite weak. Calorimetric measurements show that the average bond dissociation enthalpy of the two amido N–H bonds is 57 kcal mol⁻¹, while DFT computations indicate a substantially weaker N–H bond of the putative rhenium(iv)-imide intermediate (BDE = 38 kcal mol⁻¹). Our analysis demonstrates that addition of the first H atom to the nitride complex is a thermochemical bottleneck for NH₃ generation.

Rhenium–PNP complexes split N₂ to nitrides, but the nitrides do not give ammonia. Here, the thermodynamics of the hypothetical N–H bond forming steps are evaluated through the reverse reaction, showing that the first H addition is the bottleneck.     

Diagnostic cyclisation reactions which follow phosphate transfer to carboxylate anion centres for energised [M-H]- anions of pTyr-containing peptides

The low‐energy negative ion phosphoTyr to C‐terminal ‐CO₂PO₃H₂ rearrangement occurs for energised peptide [M–H]^– anions even when there are seven amino acid residues between the pTyr and C‐terminal amino acid residues. The rearranged C‐terminal ‐CO₂PO₂H(O^–) group effects characteristic S_Ni cyclisation/cleavage reactions. The most pronounced of these involves the electrophilic central backbone carbon of the penultimate amino acid residue. This reaction is aided by the intermediacy of an H‐bonded intermediate in which the nucleophilic and electrophilic reaction centres are held in proximity in order for the S_Ni cyclisation/cleavage to proceed. The ΔG_reaction is +184 kJ mol^?1 with the barrier to the S_Ni transition state being +240 kJ mol^?1 at the HF/6‐31 + G(d)//AM1 level of theory. A similar phosphate rearrangement from pTyr to side chain CO₂^– (of Asp or Glu) may also occur for energised peptide [M–H]^– anions. The reaction is favourable: ΔG_reaction is ?44 kJ mol^?1 with a maximum barrier of +21 kJ mol^?1 (to the initial transition state) when Asp and Tyr are adjacent. The rearranged species R¹‐Tyr‐NHCH(CH₂CO₂PO₃H^–)COR² (R¹ = CHO; R² = OCH₃) may undergo an S_Ni six‐centred cyclisation/cleavage reaction to form the product anion R¹‐Tyr(NH^–). This process has a high energy requirement [ΔG_reaction = +224 kJ mol^?1, with the barrier to the S_Ni transition state being +299 kJ mol^?1]. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ir(PCy3)2(H)2(H2B-NMe2)]+ as a latent source of aminoborane: probing the role of metal in the dehydrocoupling of H3B⋅NMe2H and retrodimerisation of [H2BNMe2]2

The Ir^III fragment {Ir(PCy₃)₂(H)₂}⁺ has been used to probe the role of the metal centre in the catalytic dehydrocoupling of H₃B?NMe₂H ( A ) to ultimately give dimeric aminoborane [H₂BNMe₂]₂ ( D ). Addition of A to [Ir(PCy₃)₂(H)₂(H₂)₂][BAr^F₄] ( 1 ; Ar^F=(C₆H₃(CF₃)₂), gives the amine‐borane complex [Ir(PCy₃)₂(H)₂(H₃B?NMe₂H)][BAr^F₄] ( 2 a ), which slowly dehydrogenates to afford the aminoborane complex [Ir(PCy₃)₂(H)₂(H₂B? NMe₂)][BAr^F₄] ( 3 ). DFT calculations have been used to probe the mechanism of dehydrogenation and show a pathway featuring sequential BH activation/H₂ loss/NH activation. Addition of D to 1 results in retrodimerisation of D to afford 3 . DFT calculations indicate that this involves metal trapping of the monomer–dimer equilibrium, 2 H₂BNMe₂ ? [H₂BNMe₂]₂. Ruthenium and rhodium analogues also promote this reaction. Addition of MeCN to 3 affords [Ir(PCy₃)₂(H)₂(NCMe)₂][BAr^F₄] ( 6 ) liberating H₂B? NMe₂ ( B ), which then dimerises to give D . This is shown to be a second‐order process. It also allows on‐ and off‐metal coupling processes to be probed. Addition of MeCN to 3 followed by A gives D with no amine‐borane intermediates observed. Addition of A to 3 results in the formation of significant amounts of oligomeric H₃B?NMe₂BH₂?NMe₂H ( C ), which ultimately was converted to D . These results indicate that the metal is involved in both the dehydrogenation of A , to give B , and the oligomerisation reaction to afford C . A mechanism is suggested for this latter process. The reactivity of oligomer C with the Ir complexes is also reported. Addition of excess C to 1 promotes its transformation into D , with 3 observed as the final organometallic product, suggesting a B? N bond cleavage mechanism. Complex 6 does not react with C , but in combination with B oligomer C is consumed to eventually give D , suggesting an additional role for free aminoborane in the formation of D from C .     

Reactivity of TpMe2‐Supported Yttrium Alkyl Complexes toward Aromatic N‐Heterocycles: Ring‐Opening or CC Bond Formation Directed by CH Activation

Unusual chemical transformations such as three‐component combination and ring‐opening of N‐heterocycles or formation of a carbon–carbon double bond through multiple C–H activation were observed in the reactions of Tp^Me2‐supported yttrium alkyl complexes with aromatic N‐heterocycles. The scorpionate‐anchored yttrium dialkyl complex [Tp^Me2Y(CH₂Ph)₂(THF)] reacted with 1‐methylimidazole in 1:2 molar ratio to give a rare hexanuclear 24‐membered rare‐earth metallomacrocyclic compound [Tp^Me2Y(μ‐N,C‐Im)(η²‐N,C‐Im)]₆ ( 1 ; Im=1‐methylimidazolyl) through two kinds of C–H activations at the C2‐ and C5‐positions of the imidazole ring. However, [Tp^Me2Y(CH₂Ph)₂(THF)] reacted with two equivalents of 1‐methylbenzimidazole to afford a C–C coupling/ring‐opening/C–C coupling product [Tp^Me2Y{η³‐(N,N,N)‐N(CH₃)C₆H₄NHCH?C(Ph)CN(CH₃)C₆H₄NH}] ( 2 ). Further investigations indicated that [Tp^Me2Y(CH₂Ph)₂(THF)] reacted with benzothiazole in 1:1 or 1:2 molar ratio to produce a C–C coupling/ring‐opening product {(Tp^Me2)Y[μ‐η²:η¹‐SC₆H₄N(CH?CHPh)](THF)}₂ ( 3 ). Moreover, the mixed Tp^Me2/Cp yttrium monoalkyl complex [(Tp^Me2)CpYCH₂Ph(THF)] reacted with two equivalents of 1‐methylimidazole in THF at room temperature to afford a trinuclear yttrium complex [Tp^Me2CpY(μ‐N,C‐Im)]₃ ( 5 ), whereas when the above reaction was carried out at 55 °C for two days, two structurally characterized metal complexes [Tp^Me2Y(Im‐Tp^Me2)] ( 7 ; Im‐Tp^Me2=1‐methyl‐imidazolyl‐Tp^Me2) and [Cp₃Y(HIm)] ( 8 ; HIm=1‐methylimidazole) were obtained in 26 and 17 % isolated yields, respectively, accompanied by some unidentified materials. The formation of 7 reveals an uncommon example of construction of a C?C bond through multiple C–H activations.     

Ion–molecule reaction in the gas phase 3—nucleophilic substitution of 17ξ-R-5α,14β-androstane-14,17ξ-diols under [NH4]+ chemical ionization conditions1

Under Ammonia chemical Ionization conditions the source decompositions of [M + NH₄]⁺ ions formed from epimeric tertiary steroid alchols 14 OH_β, 17OH_α or 17 OH_β substituted at position 17 have been studied. They give rise to formation of [M + NH₄? H₂O]⁺ dentoed as [MH_sH]⁺, [M_sH? H₂O]⁺, [M_sH? NH₃]⁺ and [M_sH? NH₃? H₂O]⁺ ions. Stereochemical effects are observed in the ratios [M_sH? H₂O]⁺/[M_sH? NH₃]⁺. These effects are significant among metastable ions. In particular, only the [M_sH]⁺ ions produced from trans-diol isomers lose a water molecule. The favoured loss of water can be accounted for by an S_N2 mechanism in which the insertion of NH₃ gives [M_sH]⁺ with Walden inversion occurring during the ion-molecule reaction between [M + NH₄]⁺ + NH₃. The S_N1 and S_Ni pathways have been rejected.     

Reductive Nitric Oxide Coupling at a Dinickel Core: Isolation of a Key cis‐Hyponitrite Intermediate en route to N2O Formation

Reductive coupling of nitric oxide (NO) to give N₂O is an important reaction in the global nitrogen cycle. Here, a dinickel(II) dihydride complex 1 that releases H₂ upon substrate binding and serves as a masked dinickel(I) scaffold is shown to reductively couple two molecules of NO within the bimetallic cleft. The resulting hyponitrite complex 2 features an unprecedented cis‐[N₂O₂]^2? binding mode that has been computationally proposed as a key intermediate in flavodiiron nitric oxide reductases (FNORs). NMR and DFT evidence indicate facile rotational fluxionality of the [N₂O₂]^2? unit, which allows to access an isomer that is prone to N₂O release. Protonation of 2 is now found to trigger rapid N₂O evolution and formation of a hydroxido bridged complex, reminiscent of FNOR reactivity. This work provides fundamental insight into the biologically relevant reductive coupling of two NO molecules and the subsequent trajectory towards N₂O formation at bimetallic sites.     

Iron–dinitrogen coordination chemistry: Dinitrogen activation and reactivity

Understanding the coordination of dinitrogen to iron is important for understanding biological nitrogen fixation as well as for designing synthetic systems that are capable of reducing N₂ to NH₃ under mild conditions. This review discusses recent advances in iron–dinitrogen coordination complexes and describes the factors that contribute to the degree of activation of the coordinated N₂. The reactivity of the N₂ ligand is also reviewed, with an emphasis on protonation reactions that yield ammonia and/or hydrazine. Coordination complexes containing N₂ reduction intermediates such as diazene (N₂H₂), hydrazido (N₂H₂^2?), hydrazine (N₂H₄), nitride (N^3?), imide (NH^2?), and amide (NH₂^?) are also discussed in the context of the mechanism of N₂ reduction to NH₃ mediated by iron coordination complexes.     

A perchlorate-promoted electrochemically induced nitride coupling reaction

The osmium nitride complex [Os^VI(NH₃)₄N]³⁺ undergoes a one-electron reduction in acetonitrile to give [Os^V(N)(NH₃)₄]²⁺, which further reacts by nitride coupling to give the μ-dinitrogen osmium complex [(CH₃CN)(NH₃)₄Os^II(N₂)Os^II(NH₃)₄(CH₃CN)]⁴⁺. The formation of the μ-dinitrogen osmium complex is promoted by the presence of perchlorate anion, which causes the deposition of [(CH₃CN)(NH₃)₄Os^II(N₂)Os^II(NH₃)₄(CH₃CN)](ClO₄)₄ on the electrode surface upon repetitive voltammetric scans.     

<Superscript>1</Superscript>H NMR spectra and crystal structure of the nickel(II) complex with ethyl 5,5-dimethyl-2,4-dioxohexanoate aroylhydrazones

Nickel(II) complexes NiL ⁿ ? NH₃ (n = 1–5) with the products of condensation of ethyl 5,5-dimethyl-2,4-dioxohexanoate with aromatic acid hydrazides (H₂L¹–H₂L⁵) were synthesized. The complexes were studied by elemental analysis and IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The structure of the complex NiL₁ ? NH₃ was determined by X-ray diffraction (CIF file CCDC no. 1057268).     

Magnesium(I) Dimers Bearing Tripodal Diimine–Enolate Ligands: Proficient Reagents for the Controlled Reductive Activation of CO2 and SO2

The first examples of magnesium(I) dimers bearing tripodal ligands, [(Mg{κ³‐N,N′,O‐(ArNCMe)₂(OCCPh₂)CH})₂] [Ar=2,6‐iPr₂C₆H₃ (Dip) 7 , 2,6‐Et₂C₆H₃ (Dep) 8 , or mesityl (Mes) 9 ] have been prepared by post‐synthetic modification of the β‐diketiminato ligands of previously reported magnesium(I) systems, using diphenylketene, O?C?CPh₂. In contrast, related reactions between β‐diketiminato magnesium(I) dimers and the isoelectronic ketenimine, MesN?C?CPh₂, resulted in reductive insertion of the substrate into the Mg?Mg bond of the magnesium(I) reactant, and formation of [{(Nacnac)Mg}₂{μ‐κ²‐N,C‐(Mes)NCCPh₂}] (Nacnac=[(ArNCMe)₂CH]^?; Ar=Dep 10 or Mes 11 ). Reactions of the four‐coordinate magnesium(I) dimer 8 with excess CO₂ are readily controlled, and cleanly give carbonate [(LMg)₂(μ‐κ²:κ²‐CO₃)] 12 (L=[κ³‐N,N′,O‐(DepNCMe)₂(OCCPh₂)CH]^?; thermodynamic product), or oxalate [(LMg)₂(μ‐κ²:κ²‐C₂O₄)] 13 (kinetic product), depending on the reaction temperature. Compound 12 and CO are formed by reductive disproportionation of CO₂, whereas 13 results from reductive coupling of two molecules of the gas. Treatment of 8 with an excess of N₂O cleanly gives the μ‐oxo complex [(LMg)₂(μ‐O)] 14 , which reacts facilely with CO₂ to give 12 . This result presents the possibility that 14 is an intermediate in the formation of 12 from the reaction of 8 and CO₂. In contrast to its reactions with CO₂, 8 reacts with SO₂ over a wide temperature range to give only one product; the first example of a magnesium dithionite complex, [(LMg)₂(μ‐κ²:κ²‐S₂O₄)] 16 , which is formed by reductive coupling of two molecules of SO₂, and is closely related to f‐block metal dithionite complexes derived from similar SO₂ reductive coupling processes. On the whole, this study strengthens previously proposed analogies between the reactivities of magnesium(I) systems and low‐valent f‐block metal complexes, especially with respect to small molecule activations.     

Nitride protonation and NH3 binding versus N–H bond cleavage in uranium nitrides

The conversion of metal nitrides to NH₃ is an essential step in dinitrogen fixation, but there is limited knowledge of the reactivity of nitrides with protons (H⁺). Herein, we report comparative studies for the reactions of H⁺ and NH₃ with uranium nitrides, containing different types of ancillary ligands. We show that the differences in ancillary ligands, leads to dramatically different reactivity. The nitride group, in nitride-bridged cationic and anionic diuranium(iv) complexes supported by –N(SiMe₃)₂ ligands, is resistant toward protonation by weak acids, while stronger acids result in ligand loss by protonolysis. Moreover, the basic –N(SiMe₃)₂ ligands promote the N–H heterolytic bond cleavage of NH₃, yielding a “naked” diuranium complex containing three bridging ligands, a nitride (N³⁻) and two NH₂ ligands. Conversely, in the nitride-bridged diuranium(iv) complex supported by –OSi(O^tBu)₃ ligands, the nitride group is easily protonated to afford NH₃, which binds the U(iv) ion strongly, resulting in a mononuclear U–NH₃ complex, where NH₃ can be displaced by addition of strong acids. Furthermore, the U–OSi(O^tBu)₃ bonds were found to be stable, even in the presence of stronger acids, such as NH₄BPh₄, therefore indicating that –OSi(O^tBu)₃ supporting ligands are well suited to be used when acidic conditions are required, such as in the H⁺/e⁻ mediated catalytic conversion of N₂ to NH₃.

Ancillary ligands alter the reactivity of U-nitrides with H⁺, relevant to N₂ conversion to NH₃. The amides lead to complete ligand loss and NH₃ activation, while for siloxides, the nitride is protonated to NH₃ leaving the ancillary ligands intact.