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We report that the cationic iridium complex (iPrPCP)IrH+ catalyzes the transfer-dehydrogenation of alkanes to give alkenes, and hydrogen isotope exchange (HIE) of alkanes and arenes. Contrary to established selectivity trends found for C-H activation by transition metal complexes, strained cycloalkanes, including cyclopentane, cycloheptane, and cyclooctane, undergo C-H addition much more readily than n-alkanes, which in turn are much more reactive than cyclohexane. Aromatic C-H bonds also undergo H/D exchange much less rapidly than those of the strained cycloalkanes, but much more favorably than cyclohexane. The order of reactivity toward dehydrogenation correlates qualitatively with the reaction thermodynamics, but the magnitude is much greater than can be explained by thermodynamics. Accordingly, the cycloalkenes corresponding to the strained cycloalkanes undergo hydrogenation much more readily than cyclohexene, despite the less favorable thermodynamics of such hydrogenations. Computational (DFT) studies allow rationalization of the origin of reactivity and the unusual selectivity. Specifically, the initial C-H addition is strongly assisted by β-agostic interactions, which are particularly favorable for the strained cycloalkanes. Subsequent to β-C-H addition, the H atom of the β-agostic C-H bond is transferred directly to the hydride ligand of (iPrPCP)IrH+, to give a dihydrogen ligand. The overall processes, C-H addition and β-H-transfer to hydride, are calculated to generally have minima on the IRC surface although not necessarily on the enthalpy or free energy surfaces; these minima are extremely shallow, such that the 1,2-dehydrogenations are effectively concerted although asynchronous. 

Abstract Bis‐porphyrin nanocages (M₂BiCage, M = FeCl, Co, Zn) and their host‐guest complexes with C₆₀and C₇₀were used to examine how molecular porosity and interactions with carbon nanomaterials affect the CO₂reduction activity of metalloporphyrin electrocatalysts. The cages were found to adsorb on carbon black to provide electrocatalytic inks with excellent accessibilities of the metal sites (≈50%) even at high metal loadings (2500 nmol cm⁻²), enabling good activity for reducing CO₂to CO. A complex of C₇₀bound inside(FeCl)₂BiCageachieves high current densities for CO formation at low overpotentials (|j_CO| >7 mA cm⁻²,η= 320 mV; >13.5 mA cm⁻²,η= 520 mV) with ≥95% Faradaic efficiency (FE_CO), andCo₂BiCageachieves high turnover frequencies (≈1300 h⁻¹,η= 520 mV) with 90% FE_CO. In general, blocking the pore with C₆₀or C₇₀improves the catalytic performance of(FeCl)₂BiCageand has only small effects onCo₂BiCage, indicating that the good catalytic properties of the cages cannot be attributed to their internal pores. Neither enhanced electron transfer rates nor metal‐fullerene interactions appear to underlie the ability of C₆₀/C₇₀to improve the performance of(FeCl)₂BiCage, in contrast to effects often proposed for other carbon nanosupports. 

We report a family of cobalt complexes based on bidentate phosphine ligands with two, one, or zero pendent amine groups in the ligand backbone. The pendent amine complexes are active electrocatalysts for the formate oxidation reaction, generating CO2 with near-quantitative faradaic efficiency at moderate overpotentials (0.45−0.57 V in acetonitrile). Thermodynamic measurements reveal that these complexes are energetically primed for formate oxidation via hydride transfer to the cobalt center, followed by deprotonation of the resulting cobalt-hydride by formate acting as a base. The complex featuring a single pendent amine arm is the fastest electrocatalyst in this series, with an observed rate constant for formate oxidation of 135 ± 8 h−1 at 25 °C, surpassing the activity of the bis-pendent amine analogue. Electrocatalytic turnover is not observed for the complex with no pendent amine groups: decomposition of the complex is evident in the presence of high formate concentrations. Thus, the application of thermodynamic considerations to electrocatalyst design is demonstrated as a successful strategy, while also highlighting the delicate balance of ligand properties necessary for achieving productive turnover. 

We report that the cationic iridium complex (iPrPCP)IrH+ undergoes addition of alkane C-H bonds, which is manifested by catalytic alkane transfer-dehydrogenation to give alkenes and by hydrogen isotope (H/D) exchange (HIE). Contrary to established selectivity trends found for C-H activation by transition metal complexes, strained cycloalkanes, including cyclopentane, cycloheptane, and cyclooctane, undergo C-H addition much more readily than n-alkanes which in turn are much more reactive than cyclohexane. Aromatic C-H bonds also undergo H/D exchange much less rapidly than those of the strained cycloalkanes, but much more favorably than cyclohexane. The order of reactivity toward dehydrogenation correlates qualitatively with the reaction thermodynamics, but the magnitude is much greater than can be explained by thermodynamics. Accordingly, the cycloalkenes corresponding to the strained cycloalkanes undergo hydrogenation much more readily than cyclohexene, despite the less favorable thermodynamics of such hydrogenations. Computational (DFT) studies allow rationalization of the origin of reactivity and the unusual selectivity. Specifically, the initial C-H addition is strongly assisted by 𝛽-agostic interactions, which are particularly favorable for the strained cycloalkanes. Subsequent to 𝛼-C-H addition, the H atom of the 𝛽-agostic C-H bond is transferred to the hydride ligand of (iPrPCP)IrH+, to give a dihydrogen ligand. The overall processes, C-H addition and 𝛽-H-transfer to hydride, generally show intermediates on the IRC surface but they are extremely shallow, such that the 1,2-dehydrogenations are presumed to be effectively concerted although asynchronous. 

The synthesis and characterization of a half-sandwich cobalt(II) complex supported by a bidentate, pendent-amine phosphine ligand (PPh2NBn2 = 1,5-diaza-3,7-diphosphacyclooctane) are reported. Oxidation of a cobalt(I)-phosphine precursor with silver(I) salts yielded the paramagnetic complex [CpCo(PPh2NBn2)]+. This species rapidly reacts with oxygen upon air exposure under ambient conditions, resulting in the insertion of oxygen into the cobalt-phosphine bonds. The aerobic oxidation of the phosphine induces the exchange and rearrangement of the ligands at cobalt. 

Two new compounds, Zn2FeSbO6 and Zn2MnSbO6, have been synthesized under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions. The synthesis, single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES), optical second harmonic generation (SHG), and magnetic and heat capacity measurements were carried out for both compounds and are described. The lattice parameters are a = 5.17754(6) Å and c = 13.80045(16) Å for Zn2FeSbO6 and a = 5.1889(10) Å and c = 14.0418(3) Å for Zn2MnSbO6. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses indicate that Zn2FeSbO6 consists of a cocrystal of superimposed Ni3TeO6 (NTO) and ordered ilmenite (OIL) components with a ratio of approximately 2:1 and Zn2MnSbO6 contains two nearly identical, but noncrystallographically related, OIL components in a ratio of approximately 6:1. 

The thioether–diphosphine pincer-ligated molybdenum complex (PSP)MoCl3 (1-Cl3, PSP = 4,5-bis(diisopropylphosphino)-2,7-di-tert-butyl-9,9-dimethyl-9H-thioxanthene) has been synthesized as a catalyst-precursor for N2 reduction catalysis with a focus on an integrated experimental/computational mechanistic investigation. The (PSP)Mo unit is isoelectronic with the (PNP)Mo (PNP = 2,6-bis(di-t-butylphosphinomethyl)pyridine) fragment found in the family of catalysts for the reduction of N2 to NH3 first reported by Nishibayashi and co-workers. Electrochemical studies reveal that 1-Cl3 is significantly more easily reduced than (PNP)MoCl3 (with a potential ca. 0.4 eV less negative). The reaction of 1-Cl3 with two reducing equivalents, under N2 atmosphere and in the presence of iodide, affords the nitride complex (PSP)Mo(N)(I). This observation suggests that the N2-bridged complex [(PSP)Mo(I)]2(N2) is formed and undergoes rapid cleavage. DFT calculations predict the splitting barrier of this complex to be low, in accord with calculations of (PNP)Mo and a related (PPP)Mo complex reported by Merakeb et al. Conversion of the nitride ligand to NH3 has been investigated in depth experimentally and computationally. Considering sequential addition of H atoms to the nitride through proton coupled electron-transfer or H-atom transfer, formation of the first N–H bond is thermodynamically relatively unfavorable. Experiment and theory, however, reveal that an N–H bond is readily formed by protonation of (PSP)Mo(N)(I) with lutidinium chloride, which is strongly promoted by coordination of Cl− to Mo. Other anions, e.g. triflate, can also act in this capacity although less effectively. These protonations, coupled with anion coordination, yield MoIV imide complexes, thereby circumventing the difficult formation of the first N–H bond corresponding to a low BDFE and formation of the respective MoIII imide complexes. The remaining two N–H bonds required to produce ammonia are formed thermodynamically much more favorably than the first. Computations suggest that formation of the MoIV imide is followed by a second protonation, then a rapid and favorable one-electron reduction, followed by a third protonation to afford coordinated ammonia. This comprehensive analysis of the elementary steps of ammonia synthesis provides guidance for future catalyst design. 

A cobalt complex with a phenylenediamide redox-active ligand reacts with an electrophilic trifluoromethyl source to generate a robust Co–CF₃bond, while in contrast, treatment with alkyl electrophiles occurs at the ligand scaffold. 

Pincer-ligated iridium complexes have been widely developed, and (pincer)Ir(III) complexes, particularly five-coordinate, are central to their chemistry. Such complexes typically bear two formally anionic ligands in addition to the pincer ligand itself. Yet despite the prevalence of halides as anionic ligands in transition metal chemistry there are relatively few examples in which both of these ancillary anionic ligands are halides or even other monodentate low-field anions. We report a study of the fragment (iPrPCP)IrCl2 (iPrPCP = 3 2,6 C6H3(CH2PiPr2)), and adducts thereof. These species are found to be thermodynamically disfavored relative to the corresponding hydridohalides. For example, DFT calculations and experiment indicate that one Ir-Cl bond of (iPrPCP)IrCl2 complexes will undergo reaction with H2 to give (iPrPCP)IrHCl or an adduct thereof. In the presence of aqueous HCl, (iPrPCP)IrCl2 adds a chloride ion to give an unusual example of an anionic transition metal complex ((iPrPCP)IrCl3–) with a Zundel cation (H5O2+). (iPrPCP)IrCl2 is not stable as a monomer at room temperature but exists in solution as a mixture of clusters which can add various small molecules. DFT calculations indicate that dimerization and trimerization of (iPrPCP)IrCl2 is more favorable than the analogous reactions of (iPrPCP)IrHCl, in accord with cluster formation being observed only for the dichloride complex. 

A set of six carboxylate-stabilized rhenium(I) tricarbonyl complexes supported by a 2,2’-bipyridine (bpy) ligand, Re(O2CR)(CO)3(bpy) (R = H, CH3, CHF2, R- or S CHBrCH(CH3)2, and C5H11), were prepared by acidolysis of the complex Re(OCO2C5H11)(CO)3(bpy) with the appropriate carboxylic acid and characterized by 1H and 13C-{1H} NMR and IR spectroscopy. The crystal structure of the complex, Re[R-O2CCHBrCH(CH3)2](CO)3(bpy), was determined by X-ray crystallography. Cytotoxicity results correlate positively with the Kb value of the carboxylate ligand. Apparently, the more substitutionally inert the carboxylate-stabilized complex is in a chloride-rich environment (similar to extracellular fluid) the greater the amount of cytotoxic [Re(CO)3(bpy)(H2O)]+ that forms in the cytosol.