[IrCl{N(CHCHPtBu2)2}]−: a versatile source of the IrI(PNP) pincer platform

(Electro-)chemical Splitting of Dinitrogen with a Rhenium Pincer Complex

The splitting of N₂ into well‐defined terminal nitride complexes is a key reaction for nitrogen fixation at ambient conditions. In continuation of our previous work on rhenium pincer mediated N₂ splitting, nitrogen activation and cleavage upon (electro)chemical reduction of [ReCl₂(L2)] {L2 = N(CHCHPtBu₂)₂^–} is reported. The electrochemical characterization of [ReCl₂(L2)] and comparison with our previously reported platform [ReCl₂(L1)] {L1 = N(CH₂CH₂PtBu₂)₂^–} provides mechanistic insight to rationalize the dependence of nitride yield on the reductant. Furthermore, the reactivity of N₂ derived nitride complex [Re(N)Cl(L2)] with electrophiles is presented.

A Terminal Iridium Oxo Complex with a Triplet Ground State

A terminal iridium oxo complex with an open-shell (S=1) ground state was isolated upon hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) from the respective iridium(II) hydroxide. Electronic structure examinations support large spin delocalization to the oxygen atom. Selected oxo transfer reactions indicate the ambiphilic reactivity of the iridium oxo moiety. Calorimetric and computational examinations of the HAT revealed a bond dissociation free energy for the IrO-H bond that is sufficient for hydrogen atom abstraction towards C-H bonds and small contributions from entropy and spin-orbit coupling to the HAT thermochemistry.

An iridium(iii/iv/v) redox series featuring a terminal imido complex with triplet ground state

An iridium(iii–v) imido series has been isolated that features an iridium complex with an unprecedented triplet ground state.

The iridium(iii/iv/v) imido redox series [Ir(NtBu){N(CHCHPtBu₂)₂}]^0/+/2+ was synthesized and examined spectroscopically, magnetically, crystallographically and computationally. The monocationic iridium(iv) imide exhibits an electronic doublet ground state with considerable ‘imidyl’ character as a result of covalent Ir–NtBu bonding. Reduction gives the neutral imide [Ir(NtBu){N(CHCHPtBu₂)₂}] as the first example of an iridium complex with a triplet ground state. Its reactivity with respect to nitrene transfer to selected electrophiles (CO₂) and nucleophiles (PMe₃), respectively, is reported.

A Ruthenium Hydrido Dinitrogen Core Conserved across Multielectron/Multiproton Changes to the Pincer Ligand Backbone

A series of ruthenium(II) hydrido dinitrogen complexes supported by pincer ligands in different formal oxidation states have been prepared and characterized. Treating a ruthenium dichloride complex supported by the pincer ligand bis(di-tert-butylphosphinoethyl)amine (H-PNP) with reductant or base generates new five-coordinate cis-hydridodinitrogen ruthenium complexes each containing different forms of the pincer ligand. Further ligand transformations provide access to the first isostructural set of complexes featuring all six different forms of the pincer ligand. The conserved cis-hydridodinitrogen structure facilitates characterization of the π-donor, π-acceptor, and/or σ-donor properties of the ligands and assessment of the impact of ligand-centered multielectron/multiproton changes on N₂ activation. Crystallographic studies, infrared spectroscopy, and ¹⁵N NMR spectroscopy indicate that N₂ remains weakly activated in all cases, providing insight into the donor properties of the different pincer ligand states. Ramifications on applications of (pincer)Ru species in catalysis are considered.

Insights into metal–ligand hydrogen transfer: a square-planar ruthenate complex supported by a tetradentate amino–amido-diolefin ligand

A unique square planar anionic ruthenium(0) complex with amido and amine donors undergoes rapid NH oxidative addition/elimination reactions.

First-row transition metal complexes of ENENES ligands: the ability of the thioether donor to impact the coordination chemistry

The reactions of two variants of ENENES ligands, E(CH₂)₂NH(CH)₂SR, where E = 4-morpholinyl, R = Ph (a), Bn (b) with MCl₂ (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu) in coordinating solvents (MeCN, EtOH) affords isolable complexes, whose magnetic susceptibility measurements suggest paramagnetism and a high-spin formulation.

Oxygen Reduction with a Bifunctional Iridium Dihydride Complex

The iridium dihydride [Ir(H)2 (HPNP)](+) (PNP=N(CH2 CH2 PtBu2 )2 ) reacts with O2 to give the unusual, square-planar iridium(III) hydroxide [Ir(OH)(PNP)](+) and water. Regeneration of the dihydride with H2 closes a quasi-catalytic synthetic oxygen-reduction reaction (ORR) cycle that can be run several times. Experimental and computational examinations are in agreement with an oxygenation mechanism via rate-limiting O2 coordination followed by H-transfer at a single metal site, facilitated by the cooperating pincer ligand. Hence, the four electrons required for the ORR are stored within the two covalent MH bonds of a mononuclear metal complex.

Homolytic N-H activation of ammonia: hydrogen transfer of parent iridium ammine, amide, imide, and nitride species

The redox series [Ir(n)(NHx)(PNP)] (n = II-IV, x = 3-0; PNP = N(CHCHPtBu2)2) was examined with respect to electron, proton, and hydrogen atom transfer steps. The experimental and computational results suggest that the Ir(III) imido species [Ir(NH)(PNP)] is not stable but undergoes disproportionation to the respective Ir(II) amido and Ir(IV) nitrido species. N-H bond strengths are estimated upon reaction with hydrogen atom transfer reagents to rationalize this observation and are used to discuss the reactivity of these compounds toward E-H bond activation.

Hydrogen and oxygen activation by an iridium precursor containing the 4,5-bis(diphenylthiophosphinoyl)-1,2,3-triazolate ligand

Complex [Ir(κ²-S,N-(4,5-(P(S)Ph₂)₂Tz))(coe)₂] (coe = cyclooctene) was prepared upon reaction of potassium 4,5-bis(diphenylthiophosphinoyl)-1,2,3-triazolate with [Ir(coe)₂(μ-Cl)]₂. Its phosphorus derivatives were susceptible of oxidative addition processes.

Square-planar ruthenium(II) complexes: control of spin state by pincer ligand functionalization

Functionalization of the PNP pincer ligand backbone allows for a comparison of the dialkyl amido, vinyl alkyl amido, and divinyl amido ruthenium(II) pincer complex series [RuCl{N(CH2 CH2 PtBu2 )2 }], [RuCl{N(CHCHPtBu2 )(CH2 CH2 PtBu2 )}], and [RuCl{N(CHCHPtBu2 )2 }], in which the ruthenium(II) ions are in the extremely rare square-planar coordination geometry. Whereas the dialkylamido complex adopts an electronic singlet (S=0) ground state and energetically low-lying triplet (S=1) state, the vinyl alkyl amido and the divinyl amido complexes exhibit unusual triplet (S=1) ground states as confirmed by experimental and computational examination. However, essentially non-magnetic ground states arise for the two intermediate-spin complexes owing to unusually large zero-field splitting (D>+200 cm(-1) ). The change in ground state electronic configuration is attributed to tailored pincer ligand-to-metal π-donation within the PNP ligand series.