Halide Effects in Reductive Splitting of Dinitrogen with Rhenium Pincer Complexes.

Transition metal halide complexes are used as precursors for reductive N2 activation up to full splitting into nitride complexes. Distinct halide effects on the redox properties and yields are frequently observed yet not well understood. Here, an electrochemical and computational examination of reductive N2 splitting with the rhenium(III) complexes [ReX2(PNP)] (PNP = N(CH2CH2PtBu2)2 and X = Cl, Br, I) is presented. As previously reported for the chloride precursor ( J. Am. Chem. Soc.2018, 140, 7922), the heavier halides give rhenium(V) nitrides upon (electro-)chemical reduction in good yields yet with significantly anodically shifted electrolysis potentials along the halide series. Dinuclear, end-on N2-bridged complexes, [{ReX(PNP)}2(µ-N2)], were identified as key intermediates in all cases. However, while the chloride complex is exclusively formed via 2-electron reduction and ReIII/ReI comproportionation, the iodide system also reacts via an alternative ReII/ReII-dimerization mechanism at less negative potentials. This alternative pathway relies on the absence of the potential inversion after reduction and N2 activation that was observed for the chloride precursor. Computational analysis of the relevant ReIII/II and ReII/I redox couples by energy decomposition analysis attributes the halide-induced trends of the potentials to the dominating electrostatic Re-X bonding interactions over contributions from charge transfer.

The Metaphosphite (PO2 - ) Anion as a Ligand.

The utilization of monomeric, lower phosphorous oxides and oxoanions, such as metaphosphite (PO2 - ), which is the heavier homologue of the common nitrite anion but previously only observed in the gas phase and by matrix isolation, requires new synthetic strategies. Herein, a series of rhenium(I-III) complexes with PO2 - as ligand is reported. Synthetic access was enabled by selective oxygenation of a terminal phosphide complex. Spectroscopic and computational examination revealed slightly stronger σ-donor and comparable π-acceptor properties of PO2 - compared to homologous NO2 - , which is one of the archetypal ligands in coordination chemistry.

Examination of Protonation-Induced Dinitrogen Splitting by in Situ EXAFS Spectroscopy.

The splitting of dinitrogen into nitride complexes emerged as a key reaction for nitrogen fixation strategies at ambient conditions. However, the impact of auxiliary ligands or accessible spin states on the thermodynamics and kinetics of N-N cleavage is yet to be examined in detail. We recently reported N-N bond splitting of a {Mo(µ2:η1:η1-N2)Mo}-complex upon protonation of the diphosphinoamide auxiliary ligands. The reactivity was associated with a low-spin to high-spin transition that was induced by the protonation reaction in the coordination periphery, mainly based on computational results. Here, this proposal is evaluated by an XAS study of a series of linearly N2 bridged Mo pincer complexes. Structural characterization of the transient protonation product by EXAFS spectroscopy confirms the proposed spin transition prior to N-N bond cleavage.

Selectivity of tungsten mediated dinitrogen splitting vs. proton reduction.

Mo complexes are currently the most active catalysts for nitrogen fixation under ambient conditions. In comparison, tungsten platforms are scarcely examined. For active catalysts, the control of N2 vs. proton reduction selectivities remains a difficult task. We here present N2 splitting using a tungsten pincer platform, which has been proposed as the key reaction for catalytic nitrogen fixation. Starting from [WCl3(PNP)] (PNP = N(CH2CH2PtBu2)2), the activation of N2 enabled the isolation of the dinitrogen bridged redox series [(N2){WCl(PNP)}2]0/+/2+. Protonation of the neutral complex results either in the formation of a nitride [W(N)Cl(HPNP)]+ or H2 evolution and oxidation of the W2N2 core, respectively, depending on the acid and reaction conditions. Examination of the nitrogen splitting vs. proton reduction selectivity emphasizes the role of hydrogen bonding of the conjugate base with the protonated intermediates and provides guidelines for nitrogen fixation.

Metal-Ligand Cooperative Synthesis of Benzonitrile by Electrochemical Reduction and Photolytic Splitting of Dinitrogen.

Thermal nitrogen fixation relies on strong reductants to overcome the extraordinarily large N-N bond energy. Photochemical strategies that drive N2 fixation are scarcely developed. Here, the synthesis of a dinuclear N2 -bridged complex is presented upon reduction of a rhenium(III) pincer platform. Photochemical splitting into terminal nitride complexes is triggered by visible light. Clean nitrogen transfer with benzoyl chloride to free benzamide and benzonitrile is enabled by cooperative 2 H+ /2 e- transfer of the pincer ligand. A three-step cycle is demonstrated for N2 to nitrile fixation that relies on electrochemical reduction, photochemical N2 -splitting and thermal nitrogen transfer.

Mechanism of Chemical and Electrochemical N2 Splitting by a Rhenium Pincer Complex.

A comprehensive mechanistic study of N2 activation and splitting into terminal nitride ligands upon reduction of the rhenium dichloride complex [ReCl2(PNP)] is presented (PNP- = N(CH2CH2P tBu2)2-). Low-temperature studies using chemical reductants enabled full characterization of the N2-bridged intermediate [{(PNP)ClRe}2(N2)] and kinetic analysis of the N-N bond scission process. Controlled potential electrolysis at room temperature also resulted in formation of the nitride product [Re(N)Cl(PNP)]. This first example of molecular electrochemical N2 splitting into nitride complexes enabled the use of cyclic voltammetry (CV) methods to establish the mechanism of reductive N2 activation to form the N2-bridged intermediate. CV data was acquired under Ar and N2, and with varying chloride concentration, rhenium concentration, and N2 pressure. A series of kinetic models was vetted against the CV data using digital simulations, leading to the assignment of an ECCEC mechanism (where "E" is an electrochemical step and "C" is a chemical step) for N2 activation that proceeds via initial reduction to ReII, N2 binding, chloride dissociation, and further reduction to ReI before formation of the N2-bridged, dinuclear intermediate by comproportionation with the ReIII precursor. Experimental kinetic data for all individual steps could be obtained. The mechanism is supported by density functional theory computations, which provide further insight into the electronic structure requirements for N2 splitting in the tetragonal frameworks enforced by rigid pincer ligands.

Photochemically Driven Reverse Water-Gas Shift at Ambient Conditions mediated by a Nickel Pincer Complex.

The endothermic reverse water-gas shift reaction (rWGS) for direct CO2 hydrogenation to CO is an attractive approach to carbon utilization. However, direct CO2 hydrogenation with molecular catalysts generally gives formic acid instead of CO as a result of the selectivity of CO2 insertion into M-H bonds. Based on the photochemical inversion of this selectivity, several synthetic pathways are presented for CO selective CO2 reduction with a nickel pincer platform including the first example of a photodriven rWGS cycle at ambient conditions.

The elusive abnormal CO2 insertion enabled by metal-ligand cooperative photochemical selectivity inversion.

Direct hydrogenation of CO2 to CO, the reverse water-gas shift reaction, is an attractive route to CO2 utilization. However, the use of molecular catalysts is impeded by the general reactivity of metal hydrides with CO2. Insertion into M-H bonds results in formates (MO(O)CH), whereas the abnormal insertion to the hydroxycarbonyl isomer (MC(O)OH), which is the key intermediate for CO-selective catalysis, has never been directly observed. We here report that the selectivity of CO2 insertion into a Ni-H bond can be inverted from normal to abnormal insertion upon switching from thermal to photochemical conditions. Mechanistic examination for abnormal insertion indicates photochemical N-H reductive elimination as the pivotal step that leads to an umpolung of the hydride ligand. This study conceptually introduces metal-ligand cooperation for selectivity control in photochemical transformations.

Chemical Non-Innocence of an Aliphatic PNP Pincer Ligand.

The synthesis of the divinylamido PNP nickel(II) complex [NiBr{N(CHCHPtBu2 )2 }] is reported. This compound exhibits reversible, ligand-centered oxidation and protonation reactions. The resulting pincer chemical non-innocence can be utilized for benzylic C-H hydrogen atom abstraction. The thermochemistry and kinetics of hydrogen atom transfer were examined.

A Terminal Osmium(IV) Nitride: Ammonia Formation and Ambiphilic Reactivity.

Low-valent osmium nitrides are discussed as intermediates in nitrogen fixation schemes. However, rational synthetic routes that lead to isolable examples are currently unknown. Here, the synthesis of the square-planar osmium(IV) nitride [OsN(PNP)] (PNP=N(CH2 CH2 P(tBu)2 )2 ) is reported upon reversible deprotonation of osmium(VI) hydride [Os(N)H(PNP)](+) . The Os(IV) complex shows ambiphilic nitride reactivity with SiMe3 Br and PMe3 , respectively. Importantly, the hydrogenolysis with H2 gives ammonia and the polyhydride complex [OsH4 (HPNP)] in 80 % yield. Hence, our results directly demonstrate the role of low-valent osmium nitrides and of heterolytic H2 activation for ammonia synthesis with H2 under basic conditions.

Conversion of Dinitrogen into Acetonitrile under Ambient Conditions.

About 20% of the ammonia production is used as the chemical feedstock for nitrogen-containing chemicals. However, while synthetic nitrogen fixation at ambient conditions has had some groundbreaking contributions in recent years, progress for the direct conversion of N2 into organic products remains limited and catalytic reactions are unknown. Herein, the rhenium-mediated synthesis of acetonitrile using dinitrogen and ethyl triflate is presented. A synthetic cycle in three reaction steps with high individual isolated yields and recovery of the rhenium pincer starting complex is shown. The cycle comprises alkylation of a nitride that arises from N2 splitting and subsequent imido ligand centered oxidation to nitrile via a 1-azavinylidene (ketimido) intermediate. Different synthetic strategies for intra- and intermolecular imido ligand oxidation and associated metal reduction were evaluated that rely on simple proton, electron, and hydrogen-atom transfer steps.

Dinitrogen splitting and functionalization in the coordination sphere of rhenium.

[ReCl3(PPh3)2(NCMe)] reacts with pincer ligand HN(CH2CH2PtBu2)2 (HPNP) to five coordinate rhenium(III) complex [ReCl2(PNP)]. This compound cleaves N2 upon reduction to give rhenium(V) nitride [Re(N)Cl(PNP)], as the first example in the coordination sphere of Re. Functionalization of the nitride ligand derived from N2 is demonstrated by selective C-N bond formation with MeOTf.

Amplified vibrational circular dichroism as a probe of local biomolecular structure.

We show that the VCD signal intensities of amino acids and oligopeptides can be enhanced by up to 2 orders of magnitude by coupling them to a paramagnetic metal ion. If the redox state of the metal ion is changed from paramagnetic to diamagnetic the VCD amplification vanishes completely. From this observation and from complementary quantum-chemical calculations we conclude that the observed VCD amplification finds its origin in vibronic coupling with low-lying electronic states. We find that the enhancement factor is strongly mode dependent and that it is determined by the distance between the oscillator and the paramagnetic metal ion. This localized character of the VCD amplification provides a unique tool to specifically probe the local structure surrounding a paramagnetic ion and to zoom in on such local structure within larger biomolecular systems.

Propagation and termination steps in Rh-mediated carbene polymerisation using diazomethane.

Rh-mediated carbene (co)polymerisation of diazomethane works best in the presence of Rh(III) catalyst precursors, the use of which leads to a significant increase in polymer yield and molecular weight. Chain termination via ß-hydride elimination is severely suppressed for these species, although this process does still occur leading to unsaturated chain ends. Subsequent chain walking leading to the formation of branched polymers seems not to occur. Computational studies describing pathways for both chain propagation and chain termination using a (cycloocta-2,5-dien-1-yl)Rh(III)(alkyl) species as a representative model for the active species revealed that chain propagation is favoured for these species, although ß-hydride elimination is still viable at the applied reaction temperatures. The computational studies are in excellent agreement with all experimental results, and further reveal that chain propagation via carbene insertion (leading to linear poly-methylene) occurs with a much lower energy barrier than insertion of 1-alkenes into either the Rh-H bond after ß-hydride elimination or into the Rh-C bond of the growing polymer chain (leading to branched polymers). These energetic differences conveniently explain why experimentally the formation of branches is not observed in (co)polymerisation reactions employing diazomethane. The formation of substantial amounts of low-M(w) oligomers and dimers in the experimental reactions can be ascribed to the presence of (1,5-cyclooctadiene)Rh(I) species in the reaction mixture, for which chain termination via ß-hydride elimination is clearly favoured over chain propagation. These two species stem from a non-selective catalyst activation process during which the catalyst precursors are in situ activated towards carbene polymerisation, and as such the results in this paper might contribute to further improvements of this reaction.

Multiple reaction pathways in rhodium-catalyzed hydrosilylations of ketones.

A detailed density functional theory (DFT) computational study (using the BP86/SV(P) and B3LYP/TZVP//BP86/SV(P) level of theory) of the rhodium-catalyzed hydrosilylation of ketones has shown three mechanistic pathways to be viable. They all involve the generation of a cationic complex [L(n)Rh(I)]+ stabilized by the coordination of two ketone molecules and the subsequent oxidative addition of the silane, which results in the Rh-silyl intermediates [L(n)Rh(III)(H)SiHMe2]+. However, they differ in the following reaction steps: in two of them, insertion of the ketone into the Rh-Si bond occurs, as previously proposed by Ojima et al., or into the Si-H bond, as proposed by Chan et al. for dihydrosilanes. The latter in particular is characterized by a very high activation barrier associated with the insertion of the ketone into the Si-H bond, thereby making a new, third mechanistic pathway that involves the formation of a silylene intermediate more likely. This "silylene mechanism" was found to have the lowest activation barrier for the rate-determining step, the migration of a rhodium-bonded hydride to the ketone that is coordinated to the silylene ligand. This explains the previously reported rate enhancement for R2SiH2 compared to R3SiH as well as the inverse kinetic isotope effect (KIE) observed experimentally for the overall catalytic cycle because deuterium prefers to be located in the stronger bond, that is, C-D versus M-D.

Metal silylenes generated by double silicon-hydrogen activation: key intermediates in the rhodium-catalyzed hydrosilylation of ketones.

Rhodium silylenes, which are generated by double Si-H activation at the metal, are involved in a low-activation-barrier mechanism of the hydrosilylation of ketones with R(2)SiH(2). A DFT-based study of reaction mechanisms accounts for the experimental observations, notably the rate enhancement for R(2)SiH(2) over R(3)SiH and an inverse kinetic isotope effect.

Reactivity of cyclooligophosphanes: synthesis and structural characterisation of cyclo-1,4-(BH3)2(P4Ph4CH2) and cyclo-1,2-(BH3)2(P5Ph5).

The borane complexes cyclo-1,4-(BH3)2(P4Ph4CH2) (3) and cyclo-1,2-(BH3)2(P5Ph5) (4) were prepared by reaction of cyclo-(P4Ph4CH2) and cyclo-(P5Ph5) with BH3(SMe2). Only the 2:1 complexes 3 and 4 were isolated, even when an excess of the borane source was used. In solution, 3 exists as a mixture of the two diastereomers (R(P)*,S(P)*,S(P)*,R(P)*)-(+/-)-3 and (R(P)*,R(P)*,R(P)*,R(P)*)-(+/-)-3. However, in the solid state the (R(P)*,S(P)*,S(P)*,R(P)*)-(+/-) diastereomer is the major stereoisomer. Similarly, while only one isomer of 4 is observed in its X-ray structure, NMR spectroscopic investigations reveal that it forms a complex mixture of isomers in solution. 3 may be deprotonated with tBuLi to give the lithium salt cyclo-1,4-(BH3)2(P4Ph4CHLi) (3 x Li), though this could not be isolated in pure form.

Orbital contributions to the molecular charge and energy density distributions in Co2(CO)8.

For Co2(CO)8, the representative of a whole class of bridged cobalt complexes, the 18-electron rule predicts a direct metal-metal bond in addition to the metal-bridge bonds. By intuition, this bond should have bent-bond character. However, it is well-known from charge density analyses that no bond critical point exists in the corresponding spatial region. Otherwise, the energy density distribution points to a certain stabilizing contribution of this local area to the total molecular energy. It is shown that a partitioning of the total charge and energy densities into orbital contributions can lead to a deeper insight into complex bonding properties.

Energy density distribution in bridged cobalt complexes.

In the theory of atoms in molecules (AIM), the charge density is usually a suitable tool for bonding analyses. However, problems arise in some cases. So, no direct Co-Co bond is found in Co2(CO)8. It is shown that the energy density gives deeper insight into the bonding properties. This is demonstrated for Co2(CO)8, Co4(CO)12, and Co2(CO)6(InMe)2. The strategy is not restricted to transition metal compounds; it should be useful to identify any weak bonding or antibonding interactions.