Synthesis of Dinuclear Mo-Fe Hydride Complexes and Catalytic Silylation of N2.

Two transition-metal atoms bridged by hydrides may represent a useful structural motif for N2 activation by molecular complexes and the enzyme active site. In this study, dinuclear MoIV -FeII complexes with bridging hydrides, CpR Mo(PMe3 )(H)(µ-H)3 FeCp* (2 a; CpR =Cp*=C5 Me5 , 2 b; CpR =C5 Me4 H), were synthesized via deprotonation of CpR Mo(PMe3 )H5 (1 a; CpR =Cp*, 1 b; CpR =C5 Me4 H) by Cp*FeN(SiMe3 )2 , and they were characterized by spectroscopy and crystallography. These Mo-Fe complexes reveal the shortest Mo-Fe distances ever reported (2.4005(3) Šfor 2 a and 2.3952(3) Šfor 2 b), and the Mo-Fe interactions were analyzed by computational studies. Removal of the terminal Mo-H hydride in 2 a-2 b by [Ph3 C]+ in THF led to the formation of cationic THF adducts [CpR Mo(PMe3 )(THF)(µ-H)3 FeCp*]+ (3 a; CpR =Cp*, 3 b; CpR =C5 Me4 H). Further reaction of 3 a with LiPPh2 gave rise to a phosphido-bridged complex Cp*Mo(PMe3 )(µ-H)(µ-PPh2 )FeCp* (4). A series of Mo-Fe complexes were subjected to catalytic silylation of N2 in the presence of Na and Me3 SiCl, furnishing up to 129±20 equiv of N(SiMe3 )3 per molecule of 2 b. Mechanism of the catalytic cycle was analyzed by DFT calculations.

Synthesis and Characterization of Bioinspired [Mo2 Fe2 ]-Hydride Cluster Complexes and Their Application in the Catalytic Silylation of N2.

The hydride-supported [Mo2 Fe2 ] cluster complex {Cp*Mo(PMe3 )}2 {FeN(SiMe3 )2 }2 (H)8 (2 a; Cp*=η5 -C5 Me5 ) and its [Mo2 Mn2 ] congener 2 b were synthesized from the reactions of Cp*Mo(PMe3 )(H)5 (1) with M{N(SiMe3 )2 }2 (M=Fe, Mn). The amide-to-thiolate ligand-exchange reactions of complex 2 a with bulky thiol reagents (HSR; R=2,4,6-iPr3 C6 H2 (Tip), 2,6-(SiMe3 )2 C6 H3 (Btp)) furnished the corresponding hydride-supported [Mo2 Fe2 ](SR)2 cluster complexes. The [Mo2 Fe2 ] clusters served as catalyst precursors for the reductive silylation of N2 and yielded ≈65-69 equivalents of N(SiMe3 )3 relative to the [Mo2 Fe2 ] clusters. Treatment of complexes 2 a and b with an excess of CNtBu resulted in the formation of dinuclear Mo-Fe and Mo-Mn complexes, which indicated that the [Mo2 M2 ] cores (M=Fe, Mn) split into two dinuclear species upon accommodation of substrates.