A series of water-soluble molecular cobalt complexes of tetraazamacrocyclic ligands are reported for the electrocatalytic production of H2 from pH 2.2 aqueous solutions. The comparative data reported for this family of complexes shed light on their relative efficiencies for hydrogen evolution in water. Rotating disk electrode voltammetry data are presented for each of the complexes discussed, as are data concerning their respective pH-dependent electrocatalytic activity. In particular, two diimine–dioxime complexes were identified as exhibiting catalytic onset at comparatively low overpotentials relative to other reported homogeneous cobalt and nickel electrocatalysts in aqueous solution. These complexes are stable at pH 2.2 and produce hydrogen with high Faradaic efficiency in bulk electrolysis experiments over time intervals ranging from 2 to 24 h.

Transition metals can assemble to form multinuclear complexes by engaging in direct metal-to-metal interactions. Metal–metal covalent bonds provide a large perturbation in electronic structure, relative to mononuclear metal ions, and the unique properties of these dinuclear fragments can be harnessed in a broad range of applicationsfor example, as chromophores in photochemical processes, redox centers in molecular electronics, or structural elements in metal–organic materials. There is a growing body of evidence that metal–metal bonds may also be formed under conditions relevant to catalysis and play a key role in transformations that were previously assumed to only involve mononuclear species. These findings have stimulated interest in characterizing multinuclear reaction pathways and developing well-defined multinuclear platforms as catalytic active sites. In this Perspective, we present case studies in this emerging area of catalysis research, emphasizing the impact of metal–metal bonding in either enhancing or depressing the rate and/or selectivity of a catalytic organic transformation.

Building on the known photophysical properties of well-defined copper-carbazolide complexes, we have recently described photoinduced, copper-catalyzed N-arylations and N-alkylations of carbazoles. Until now, there have been no examples of the use of other families of heteroatom nucleophiles in such photoinduced processes. Herein, we report a versatile photoinduced, copper-catalyzed method for coupling aryl thiols with aryl halides, wherein a single set of reaction conditions, using inexpensive CuI as a precatalyst without the need for an added ligand, is effective for a wide range of coupling partners. As far as we are aware, copper-catalyzed C-S cross-couplings at 0 °C have not previously been achieved, which renders our observation of efficient reaction of an unactivated aryl iodide at -40 °C especially striking. Mechanistic investigations are consistent with these photoinduced C-S cross-couplings following a SET/radical pathway for C-X bond cleavage (via a Cu(I)-thiolate), which contrasts with nonphotoinduced, copper-catalyzed processes wherein a concerted mechanism is believed to occur.

N,N'-Diphenylguanidinium ion associated with the noncoordinating BArF counterion is shown to be an effective catalyst for the [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of a variety of substituted allyl vinyl ethers. Highly enantioselective catalytic Claisen rearrangements of ester-substituted allyl vinyl ethers are then documented using a new C2-symmetric guanidinium ion derivative.

Redox-active nitrogen donor ligands have exhibited broad utility in stabilizing transition metal complexes in unusual formal oxidation states and enabling multielectron redox reactions. In this report, we extend these principles to dinuclear complexes using a naphthyridine-diimine (NDI) framework. Treatment of ((i-Pr)NDI) with Ni(COD)2 (2.0 equiv) yields a Ni(I)-Ni(I) complex in which the two metal centers form a single bond and the ((i-Pr)NDI) ligand is doubly reduced. A homologous series of ((i-Pr)NDI)Ni2 complexes in five oxidation states were synthesized and structurally characterized. Across this series, the ligand ranges from a neutral state in the most oxidized member to a dianionic state in the most reduced. The interplay between metal- and ligand-centered redox activity is interrogated using a variety of experimental techniques in combination with density functional theory models.