Electrocatalytic Methane Functionalization with d0 Early Transition Metals Under Ambient Conditions

Reactivity of metal dioxo complexes

Metal dioxo chemistry and its diverse reactivity are presented with an emphasis on the mechanisms of reactivity. Work from approximately the last decade is surveyed and organized by metal. In particular, the chemistry of cis-dioxo metal complexes is discussed at length. Reactions are grouped by generic type, including addition across a metal oxo bond, oxygen atom transfer, and radical atom transfer reactions. Attention is given to advances in deoxygenation chemistry, oxidation chemistry, and reductive transformations.

Bisulfate as a redox-active ligand in vanadium-based electrocatalysis for CH4 functionalization

The roles of unforgiving H₂SO₄ solvent in CH₄ activation with molecular catalysts have not been experimentally well-illustrated despite computational predictions. Here, we provide experimental evidence that metal-bound bisulfate ligand introduced by H₂SO₄ solvent is redox-active in vanadium-based electrocatalytic CH₄ activation discovered recently. Replacing one of the two terminal bisulfate ligands with redox-inert dihydrogen phosphate in the pre-catalyst vanadium (V)-oxo dimer completely quenches its activity towards CH₄, which may inspire environmentally benign catalysis with minimal use of H₂SO₄.