Frustrated Lewis Pair Activation of an N‐Sulfinylamine: A Source of Sulfur Monoxide

Inter‐ and intramolecular P/B frustrated Lewis pairs are shown to react with an N‐sulfinylamine to form PNSOB linakages. These species can be regarded as phosphinimine–borane‐stabilized sulfur monoxide complexes, and indeed these species act as sources of SO, effecting the oxidation of PPh₃ and delivering SO to [RhCl(PPh₃)₃] and an N‐heterocyclic carbene.     

Planar N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Diarylborenium Ions: Synthesis by Cationic Borylation and Reactivity with Lewis Bases

The NHC–borane adduct (IBn)BH₃ ( 1 ) (NHC= N‐heterocyclic carbene; IBn=1,3‐dibenzylimidazol‐2ylidene) reacts with [Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄] through sequential hydride abstraction and dehydrogenative cationic borylation(s) to give singly or doubly ring closed NHC–borenium salts 2 and 3 . The planar doubly ring closed product [C₃H₂(NCH₂C₆H₄)₂B][B(C₆F₅)₄] is resistant to quaternization at boron by Et₂O coordination, but forms classical Lewis acid–base adducts with the stronger donors Ph₃P, Et₃PO, or 1,4‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO). Treatment of 3 with tBu₃P selectively yields the unusual oligomeric borenium salt trans‐[(C₃H₂(NCH₂C₆H₄)₂B)₂(C₃H₂(NCHC₆H₄)₂B)][B(C₆F₅)₄] ( 7 ).     

Rational Design of a Carbon‐Boron Frustrated Lewis Pair for Metal‐free Dinitrogen Activation

Molecular nitrogen (N₂) is abundant in the atmosphere and, found in many biomolecules, an essential element of life. The Haber–Bosch process, developed over 100 years ago, requires relatively harsh conditions to activate N₂ on the iron surface and generate ammonia for use as fertilizer or to produce other chemicals, leading to consumption of more than 2 % of the world's annual energy supply. Thus, developing “green” approaches for N₂ activation under mild conditions is particularly important and urgent. Here we demonstrate that a metal‐free N₂ activation could be favorable both thermodynamically and kinetically (with an activation energy as low as 9.1 kcal mol^?1) by using a carbon‐boron formal frustrated Lewis pair, which is supported by high‐level coupled cluster calculations. Mechanistic studies reveal that aromaticity plays a crucial role in stabilizing both the transition state and the product. Our findings highlight the importance of a combination of an N‐heterocyclic carbene with a methyleneborane unit in metal‐free N₂ activation, providing conceptual guidance for experimental realization.     

N‐Methylacridinium Salts: Carbon Lewis Acids in Frustrated Lewis Pairs for σ‐Bond Activation and Catalytic Reductions

N‐methylacridinium salts are Lewis acids with high hydride ion affinity but low oxophilicity. The cation forms a Lewis adduct with 4‐(N,N‐dimethylamino)pyridine but a frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) with the weaker base 2,6‐lutidine which activates H₂, even in the presence of H₂O. Anion effects dominate reactivity, with both solubility and rate of H₂ cleavage showing marked anion dependency. With the optimal anion, a N‐methylacridinium salt catalyzes the reductive transfer hydrogenation and hydrosilylation of aldimines through amine–boranes and silanes, respectively. Furthermore, the same salt is active for the catalytic dehydrosilylation of alcohols (primary, secondary, tertiary, and ArOH) by silanes with no observable over‐reduction to the alkanes.     

Electrophilic Fluorophosphonium Cations in Frustrated Lewis Pair Hydrogen Activation and Catalytic Hydrogenation of Olefins

The combination of phosphorus(V)‐based Lewis acids with diaryl amines and diaryl silylamines promotes reversible activation of dihydrogen and can be further exploited in metal‐free catalytic olefin hydrogenation. Combined experimental and density functional theory (DFT) studies suggest a frustrated Lewis pair type activation mechanism.     

Frustrated Lewis Pair Chemistry of Chiral (+)‐Camphor‐Based Aminoboranes

Dimethylamino‐(+)‐camphorenamine reacted with an equimolar amount of Piers’ borane, HB(C₆F₅)₂, to give the corresponding iminium–hydroborate zwitterionic salt. Being in equilibrium with the parent enamine–HB(C₆F₅)₂ N–B pair, this salt was able to split hydrogen heterolytically, hydrogenating the iminium group in the molecule. Detailed studies revealed that the hydrogen splitting in this reaction proceeded through an intermolecular pathway leading to a bornylamine–HB(C₆F₅)₂ adduct. When the starting enamine is present in excess over HB(C₆F₅)₂, the produced bornylamine–HB(C₆F₅)₂ adduct breaks up, eliminating free bornylamine and forming the initial camphorenamine– HB(C₆F₅)₂ pair. This results in hydrogenation of the camphorenamine framework in a catalytic fashion.     

Activation of Carbon Dioxide by Silyl Triflate‐Based Frustrated Lewis Pairs

Silyl triflates of the form R_4?nSi(OTf)_n (n=1, 2; OTf=OSO₃CF₃) are shown to activate carbon dioxide when paired with bulky alkyl‐substituted Group 15 bases. Combinations of silyl triflates and 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine react with CO₂ to afford silyl carbamates via a frustrated Lewis pair‐type mechanism. With trialkylphosphines, the silyl triflates R₃Si(OTf) reversibly bind CO₂ affording [R′₃P(CO₂)SiR₃][OTf] whereas when Ph₂Si(OTf)₂ is used one or two molecules of CO₂ can be sequestered. The latter bis‐CO₂ product is favoured at low temperatures and by excess phosphine.     

Metal‐Free Dihydrogen Oxidation by a Borenium Cation: A Combined Electrochemical/Frustrated Lewis Pair Approach

In order to use H₂ as a clean source of electricity, prohibitively rare and expensive precious metal electrocatalysts, such as Pt, are often used to overcome the large oxidative voltage required to convert H₂ into 2 H⁺ and 2 e^?. Herein, we report a metal‐free approach to catalyze the oxidation of H₂ by combining the ability of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) to heterolytically cleave H₂ with the in situ electrochemical oxidation of the resulting borohydride. The use of the NHC‐stabilized borenium cation [(IiPr₂)(BC₈H₁₄)]⁺ (IiPr₂=C₃H₂(NiPr)₂, NHC=N‐heterocyclic carbene) as the Lewis acidic component of the FLP is shown to decrease the voltage required for H₂ oxidation by 910 mV at inexpensive carbon electrodes, a significant energy saving equivalent to 175.6 kJ mol^?1. The NHC–borenium Lewis acid also offers improved catalyst recyclability and chemical stability compared to B(C₆F₅)₃, the paradigm Lewis acid originally used to pioneer our combined electrochemical/frustrated Lewis pair approach.     

Insertion Reactions of Neutral Phosphidozirconocene Complexes as a Convenient Entry into Frustrated Lewis Pair Territory

Neutral phosphidozirconocene complexes [Cp₂Zr(PR₂)Me] (Cp=cyclopentadienyl; 1a : R=cyclohexyl (Cy); 1b : R=mesityl (Mes); 1c : R=tBu) undergo insertion into the Zr?P bond by non‐enolisable carbonyl building blocks (O=CR′R′′), such as benzophenone, aldehydes, paraformaldehyde or CO₂, to give [Cp₂Zr(OCR′R′′PR₂)Me] ( 3 – 7 ). Depending on the steric bulk around P, complexes 3 – 7 react with B(C₆F₅)₃ to give O‐bridged cationic zirconocene dimers that display typical frustrated Lewis pair (FLP)/ambiphilic ligand behaviour. Thus, the reaction of {[Cp₂Zr(μ‐OCHPhPCy₂)][MeB(C₆F₅)₃]}₂ ( 10a ) with chalcone results in 1,4 addition of the Zr⁺/P FLP, whereas the reaction of {[Cp₂Zr(μ‐OCHFcPCy₂)][MeB(C₆F₅)₃]}₂ ( 11a ; Fc=(C₅H₄)CpFe) with [Pd(η³‐C₃H₅)Cl]₂ yields the unique Zr?Fe?Pd trimetallic complex 13a , which has been characterised by XRD analysis.     

α‐Hydroxymethylation of Pyridines at a Frustrated Lewis Pair Template

The “η²‐formylborane” moiety formed by CO reduction with HB(C₆F₅)₂ at a P/B frustrated Lewis pair template undergoes a hydroxymethylation reaction at the α‐position to nitrogen in pyridine or isoquinoline. The analogous reaction with pyrimidine revealed a mechanism related to the Tschitschibabin reaction.     

Accessing Frustrated Lewis Pair Chemistry from a Spectroscopically Stable and Classical Lewis Acid‐Base Adduct

B(C₆F₅)₃ and P(MeNCH₂CH₂)₃N form a classical Lewis adduct, (C₆F₅)₃BP(MeNCH₂CH₂)₃N. Although (C₆F₅)₃BP(MeNCH₂CH₂)₃N does not exhibit spectroscopic evidence of dissociation into its constituent acid and base, products of frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) addition reactions are seen with PhNCO, PhCH₂N₃, PhNSO, and CO₂. Computational studies show that thermal access to the dissociated acid and base permits FLP reactivity to proceed. These results demonstrate that FLP reactivity extends across the entire continuum of equilibria governing Lewis acid‐base adducts.     

A P−H Functionalized Al/P Frustrated Lewis Pair: Substrate Activation and Selective Hydrogen Transfer

Hydroalumination of an alkynylphosphine gave an unprecedented P?H functionalized frustrated Lewis pair (FLP). The reactive P?H group does not influence the typical FLP properties, but the activation of substrates follows a new reaction pattern involving hydrogen transfer to yield unusual compounds with phosphaurea, iminophosphine, or phosphanyltriazene structural motifs.     

An Unprecedented Ga/P Frustrated Lewis Pair: Synthesis,Characterization, and Reactivity

Frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) represent a new paradigm of main-group chemistry. The Lewis acidic centers in FLP chemistry are typically B and Al atoms in the studies reported over the past decade, and most of them are tri-coordinated with strong electron-withdrawing groups. Herein, a Ga/P system is reported which contains an unprecedented four-coordinated Lewis acidic Ga center. This Ga/P species performs classical addition reactions toward heterocumulenes, alkyne, diazomethane, and transition metal complex. Regioselective formation of the products can be rationalized by DFT calculations. The penta-coordinated gallium atom center in these products is rare in the FLP chemistry. This study enriches the diversity of FLPs and demonstrates that a four-coordinated Lewis acidic site with a donor-acceptor bond can also be FLP active.     

Facile Modulation of FLP Properties: A Phosphinylvinyl Grignard Reagent and Ga/P‐ and In/P2‐Based Frustrated Lewis Pairs

An Al/P‐based frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) reacted with PhMgCl by an unexpected transmetalation and formation of a phosphinylvinyl Grignard reagent. This compound is well suited for the transfer of the basic FLP component to other Lewis acidic metal atoms and allowed the generation of a Ga/P and an In/P₂ FLP. The Ga FLP showed a behavior different to that of the corresponding Al FLP, the In FLP allowed the chelating coordination of an Au atom by Au−Cl bond activation.     

An Adduct of Sulfur Monoxide to a Frustrated Sn/P Lewis Pair

The geminal frustrated Lewis pair (F₅C₂)₃SnCH₂P(tBu)₂ ( 1 ) reacted with N‐sulfinylaniline PhNSO to afford the first sulfur monoxide adduct of a main group metal, (F₅C₂)₃SnCH₂P(tBu)₂?SO ( 2 ), which contains a SnCPSO ring. The second product is a phenylnitrene adduct of 1 . The surprising stability of 2 was compared with the stabilities of the so far inaccessible O₂ and S₂ adducts of 1 . Attempts to prepare these from 1 and the elemental chalcogens (O₂, S₈, Se_∞, Te_∞) led to four‐membered SnCPE ring systems. Quantum‐chemical investigations of 2 demonstrate the bond polarity of the SO unit to stabilize 2 .     

A Strategy to Control the Reactivation of Frustrated Lewis Pairs from Shelf‐Stable Carbene Borane Complexes

N‐Phosphine oxide substituted imidazolylidenes (PoxIms) have been synthesized and fully characterized. These species can undergo significant changes to the spatial environment surrounding their carbene center through rotation of the phosphine oxide moiety. Either classical Lewis adducts (CLAs) or frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) are thus formed with B(C₆F₅)₃ depending on the orientation of the phosphine oxide group. A strategy to reactivate FLPs from CLAs by exploiting molecular motions that are responsive to external stimuli has therefore been developed. The reactivation conditions were successfully controlled by tuning the strain in the PoxIm–B(C₆F₅)₃ complexes so that reactivation only occurred above ambient temperature.     

Evidence for Genuine Bimetallic Frustrated Lewis Pair Activation of Dihydrogen with Gold(I)/Platinum(0) Systems

A joint experimental/computational effort to elucidate the mechanism of dihydrogen activation by a gold(I)/platinum(0) metal-only frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) is described herein. The drastic effects on H₂ activation derived from subtle ligand modifications have also been investigated. The importance of the balance between bimetallic adduct formation and complete frustration has been interrogated, providing for the first time evidence for genuine metal-only FLP reactivity in solution. The origin of a strong inverse kinetic isotopic effect has also been clarified, offering further support for the proposed bimetallic FLP-type cleavage of dihydrogen.     

Protic N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Versus Pyrazole: Rigorous Comparison of Proton‐ and Electron‐Donating Abilities in a Pincer‐Type Framework

Evaluation of the acidity of proton‐responsive ligands such as protic N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) bearing an NH‐wingtip provides a key to understanding the metal–ligand cooperation in enzymatic and artificial catalysis. Here, we design a CNN pincer‐type ruthenium complex 2 bearing protic NHC and isoelectronic pyrazole units in a symmetrical skeleton, to compare their acidities and electron‐donating abilities. The synthesis is achieved by direct C?H metalation of 2‐(imidazol‐1‐yl)‐6‐(pyrazol‐3‐yl)pyridine with [RuCl₂(PPh₃)₃]. ¹⁵N‐Labeling experiments confirm that deprotonation of 2 occurs first at the pyrazole side, indicating clearly that the protic pyrazole is more acidic than the NHC group. The electrochemical measurements as well as derivatization to carbonyl complexes demonstrate that the protic NHC is more electron‐donating than pyrazole in both protonated and deprotonated forms.