A Highly Active Bidentate Magnesium Catalyst for Amine-Borane Dehydrocoupling: Kinetic and Mechanistic Studies

Barium phosphidoboranes and related calcium complexes

The attempted synthesis of [{Carb}BaPPh2] (1) showed this barium-phosphide and its thf adducts, 1·thf and 1·(thf)2, to be unstable in solution. Our strategy to circumvent the fragility of these compounds involved the use of phosphinoboranes HPPh2·BH3 and HPPh2·B(C6F5)3 instead of HPPh2. This allowed for the synthesis of [{Carb}Ae{PPh2·BH3}] (Ae = Ba, 2; Ca, 3), [{Carb}Ca{(H3B)2PPh2}·(thf)] (4), [{Carb}Ba{PPh2·B(C6F5)3}] (5), [{Carb}Ba{O(B(C6F5)3)CH2CH2CH2CH2PPh2}·thf] (6), [Ba{O(B(C6F5)3)CH2CH2CH2CH2PPh2}2·(thf)1.5] (7) and [Ba{PPh2·B(C6F5)3}2·(thp)2] (8) that were characterised by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (thp = tetrahydropyran). The molecular structures of 4, 6 and 8 were validated by X-ray diffraction crystallography, which revealed the presence of Ba⋯F stabilizing interactions (ca. 9 kcal mol-1) in the fluorine-containing compounds. Compounds 6 and 7 were obtained upon ring-opening of thf by their respective precursors, 5 and the in situ prepared [Ba{PPh2·B(C6F5)3}2]n. By contrast, thp does not undergo ring-opening under the same conditions but affords clean formation of 8. DFT analysis did not highlight any specific weakness of the Ba-P bond in 1·(thf)2. The instability of this compound is instead thought to stem from the high energy of its HOMO, which contains the non-conjugated P lone pair and features significant nucleophilic reactivity.

Different Reaction Modes Operating in ansa-Half-Sandwich Magnesium Catalysts

Magnesium-based catalysts are becoming popular for hydroelementation reactions specially using p-block reagents. Based on the seminal report from Schäfer's group (ChemCatChem 2022, 14, e202201007), our study demonstrates that the reaction mechanisms exhibit a far greater degree of complexity than originally presumed. Magnesium has a variety of coordination modes (and access to different hybridizations) which allows this electron-deficient centre to modulate its catalytic power depending on the σ-donor properties of the reagent. DFT calculations demonstrate several reaction channels closely operating in these versatile catalysts. In addition, variations in limiting energy barriers resulting from catalyst modifications were examined as a function of the Hammett constant, thereby predicting enhanced efficiency in reaction conversions.

Two active species from a single metal halide precursor: a case study of highly productive Mn-catalyzed dehydrogenation of amine-boranes via intermolecular bimetallic cooperation

Metal-metal cooperation for inert bond activation is a ubiquitous concept in coordination chemistry and catalysis. While the great majority of such transformations proceed via intramolecular mode in binuclear complexes, to date only a few examples of intermolecular small molecule activation using usually bimetallic frustrated Lewis pairs (Mδ+⋯M'δ-) have been reported. We introduce herein an alternative approach for the intermolecular bimetallic cooperativity observed in the catalytic dehydrogenation of amine-boranes, in which the concomitant activation of N-H and B-H bonds of the substrate via the synergetic action of Lewis acidic (M+) and basic hydride (M-H) metal species derived from the same mononuclear complex (M-Br). It was also demonstrated that this system generated in situ from the air-stable Mn(i) complex fac-[(CO)3(bis(NHC))MnBr] and NaBPh4 shows high activity for H2 production from several substrates (Me2NHBH3, tBuNH2BH3, MeNH2BH3, NH3BH3) at low catalyst loading (0.1% to 50 ppm), providing outstanding efficiency for Me2NHBH3 (TON up to 18 200) that is largely superior to all known 3d-, s-, p-, f-block metal derivatives and frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs). These results represent a step forward towards more extensive use of intermolecular bimetallic cooperation concepts in modern homogeneous catalysis.

Molecular Main Group Metal Hydrides

This review serves to document advances in the synthesis, versatile bonding, and reactivity of molecular main group metal hydrides within Groups 1, 2, and 12-16. Particular attention will be given to the emerging use of said hydrides in the rapidly expanding field of Main Group element-mediated catalysis. While this review is comprehensive in nature, focus will be given to research appearing in the open literature since 2001.

Hydrotalcite framework stabilized ruthenium nanoparticles (Ru/HTaL): efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the methanolysis of ammonia-borane

Ruthenium nanoparticles stabilized by a hydrotalcite framework (Ru/HTaL) were prepared by following a 2-step procedure comprising a wet-impregnation of ruthenium(III) chloride precatalyst on the surface of HTaL followed by an ammonia-borane (NH₃BH₃) reduction of precatalyst on the HTaL surface all at room temperature. The characterization of Ru/HTaL was done by using various spectroscopic and visualization methods including ICP-OES, P-XRD, FTIR, ¹¹B NMR, XPS, BFTEM, and HRTEM. The sum of the results gained from these analyses has revealed the formation of well-dispersed and highly crystalline ruthenium nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 1.27 ±0.8 nm on HTaL surface. The catalytic performance of Ru/HTaL in terms of activity, selectivity, and stability was investigated in the methanolysis of ammonia-borane (NH₃BH₃ , AB), which has been considered as one of the most promising chemical hydrogen storage materials. It was found that Ru/HTaL can catalyse methanolysis of AB effectively with an initial turnover frequency (TOF) value of 392.77 min^-1 at conversion (>95%) even at room temperature. Moreover, the catalytic stability tests of Ru/HTaL in AB methanolysis showed that Ru/HTaL acts as a highly stable and reusable heterogeneous catalyst in this reaction by preserving more than 95% of its initial activity even at the 5th recycle.

Bifunctional activation of amine-boranes by the W/Pd bimetallic analogs of "frustrated Lewis pairs"

The reaction between basic [(PCP)Pd(H)] (PCP = 2,6-(CH2P(t-C4H9)2)2C6H4) and acidic [LWH(CO)3] (L = Cp (1a), Tp (1b); Cp = η5-cyclopentadienyl, Tp = κ3-hydridotris(pyrazolyl)borate) leads to the formation of bimolecular complexes [LW(CO)2(μ-CO)⋯Pd(PCP)] (4a, 4b), which catalyze amine-borane (Me2NHBH3, t BuNH2BH3) dehydrogenation. The combination of variable-temperature (1H, 31P{1H}, 11B NMR and IR) spectroscopies and computational (ωB97XD/def2-TZVP) studies reveal the formation of an η1-borane complex [(PCP)Pd(Me2NHBH3)]+[LW(CO3)]- (5) in the first step, where a BH bond strongly binds palladium and an amine group is hydrogen-bonded to tungsten. The subsequent intracomplex proton transfer is the rate-determining step, followed by an almost barrierless hydride transfer. Bimetallic species 4 are easily regenerated through hydrogen evolution in the reaction between two hydrides.

Synthesis and reactivity of alkaline-earth stannanide complexes by hydride-mediated distannane metathesis and organostannane dehydrogenation

The synthesis of heteroleptic complexes with calcium- and magnesium-tin bonds is described. The dimeric β-diketiminato calcium hydride complex, [(BDI)Ca(μ-H)]2 (ICa) reacts with Ph3Sn-SnPh3 to provide the previously reported μ2-H bridged calcium stannanide dimer, [(BDI)2Ca2(SnPh3)(μ-H)] (3). Computational assessment of this reaction supports a mechanism involving a hypervalent stannate intermediate formed by nucleophilic attack of hydride on the distannane. Monomeric calcium stannanides, [(BDI)Ca(SnPh3)·OPPh3] (8·OPPh3) and [(BDI)Ca(SnPh3)·TMTHF] (8·TMTHF, TMTHF = 2,2,5,5-tetramethyltetrahydrofuran) were obtained from ICa and Ph3Sn-SnPh3, after addition OPPh3 or TMTHF. Both complexes were also synthesised by deprotonation of Ph3SnH by ICa in the presence of the Lewis base. The calcium and magnesium THF adducts, [(BDI)Ca(SnPh3)·THF2] (8·THF2) and [(BDI)Mg(SnPh3)·THF] (9·THF), were similarly prepared from [(BDI)Ca(μ-H)·(THF)]2 (ICa·THF2) or [(BDI)Mg(μ-H)]2 (IMg) and Ph3SnH. An excess of THF or TMTHF was essential in order to obtain 8·TMTHF, 8·THF2 and 9·THF in high yields whilst avoiding redistribution of the phenyl-tin ligand. The resulting Ae-Sn complexes were used as a source of [Ph3Sn]- in salt metathesis, to provide the known tristannane Ph3Sn-Sn(t-Bu)2-SnPh3 (11). Nucleophilic addition or insertion with N,N'-di-iso-propylcarbodiimide provided the stannyl-amidinate complexes, [(BDI)Mg{(iPrN)2CSnPh3}] (12) and [(BDI)Ca{(iPrN)2CSnPh3}·L] (13·TMTHF, 13·THF, L = TMTHF, THF). The reactions and products were monitored and characterised by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, whilst for compounds 8, 9, 12, and 13·THF, the X-ray crystal structures are presented and discussed.

Low temperature dehydrogenation properties of ammonia borane within carbon nanotube arrays: a synergistic effect of nanoconfinement and alane

Ammonia borane (AB, NH3BH3) is considered as one of the most promising hydrogen storage materials for proton exchange membrane fuel cells due to its high theoretical hydrogen capacity under moderate temperatures. Unfortunately, its on-board application is hampered by the sluggish kinetics, volatile byproducts and harsh conditions for reversibility. In this work, AB and AlH3 were simultaneously infiltrated into a carbon nanotube array (CMK-5) to combine the synergistic effect of alane with nanoconfinement for improving the dehydrogenation properties of AB. Results showed that the transformation from AB to DADB started at room temperature, which promoted AB to release 9.4 wt% H2 within 10 min at a low temperature of 95 °C. Moreover, the entire suppression of all harmful byproducts was observed.

Magnesocenophane-Catalyzed Amine Borane Dehydrocoupling

The Lewis acidities of a series of [n]magnesocenophanes (1 a–d) have been investigated computationally and found to be a function of the tilt of the cyclopentadienyl moieties. Their catalytic abilities in amine borane dehydrogenation/dehydrocoupling reactions have been probed, and C[1]magnesocenophane (1 a) has been shown to effectively catalyze the dehydrogenation/dehydrocoupling of dimethylamine borane (2 a) and diisopropylamine borane (2 b) under ambient conditions. Furthermore, the mechanism of the reaction with 2 a has been investigated experimentally and computationally, and the results imply a ligand‐assisted mechanism involving stepwise proton and hydride transfer, with dimethylaminoborane as the key intermediate.

A Highly Active Bidentate Magnesium Catalyst for Amine-Borane Dehydrocoupling: Kinetic and Mechanistic Studies

A magnesium complex (1) featuring a bidentate aminopyridinato ligand is a remarkably selective catalyst for the dehydrocoupling of amine-boranes. This reaction proceeds to completion with low catalyst loadings (1 mol %) under mild conditions (60 °C), exceeding previously reported s-block systems in terms of selectivity, rate, and turnover number (TON). Mechanistic studies by in situ NMR analysis reveals the reaction to be first order in both catalyst and substrate. A reaction mechanism is proposed to account for these findings, with the high TON of the catalyst attributed to the bidentate nature of the ligand, which allows for reversible deprotonation of the substrate and regeneration of 1 as a stable resting state.