Azoarenes are valuable chromophores that have been extensively incorporated as photoswitchable elements in molecular machines and biologically active compounds. Here, we report a catalytic nitrene dimerization reaction that provides access to structurally and electronically diverse azoarenes. The reaction utilizes aryl azides as nitrene precursors and generates only gaseous N as a byproduct. By circumventing the use of a stoichiometric redox reagent, a broad range of organic functional groups are tolerated, and common byproducts of current methods are avoided. A catalyst featuring a Ni-Ni bond is found to be uniquely effective relative to those containing only a single Ni center. The mechanistic origins of this nuclearity effect are described.

Synthesis of coordinatively unsaturated Cp*Co(IPr) (2), is accomplished by addition of free N-heterocyclic carbene IPr to [(Cp*Co)2-μ-(η(4):η(4)-toluene)] (1). Stoichiometric reactivity is consistent with a 16 electron species, as 2 undergoes ligand addition/NHC displacement and reversible reaction with dihydrogen. Cp*Co(IPr) represents an elusive example of a stable Cp*CoL fragment.

Conjugated polymers containing main chain azoarene repeat units are synthesized by a dinickel catalyzed N=N coupling reaction of aromatic diazides. The polymerization exhibits broad substrate scope and is compatible with heterocycles commonly featured in high performance organic materials, including carbazole, thiophene, propylenedioxythiophene (ProDOT), diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP), and isoindigo. Copolymerizations can be carried out using monomer mixtures, and monoazide chain stoppers can be used to install well-defined end groups. Azopolymers possess unique properties owing to the functionality of the azo linkages. For example, protonation at nitrogen results in LUMO lowering and red-shifted absorption bands. Additionally, N=N bonds possess low-lying π* levels, allowing azopolymers to be reversibly reduced under mild conditions.

C−H amination reactions are valuable transformations for the construction of C−N bonds. Due to their relatively high bond dissociation energies, C(sp 2 )−H bonds are generally not susceptible toward direct nitrene insertion, necessitating alternative mechanisms for C−H activation. Here, we report that cationic dinuclear (NDI)Ni 2 (NDI = naphthyridine−diimine) complexes catalyze intramolecular nitrene insertions into aryl and vinyl C(sp 2 )− H bonds. Mechanistic studies suggest that a bridging imido ligand supported at a Ni 2 site induces C−H activation by a 1,2-addition pathway to generate an azametallacyclic intermediate. This organometallic mechanism contrasts with the electrocyclization/1,2-shift mechanism proposed for analogous transformations using Rh 2 catalysts. The implications of these mechanistic differences for the stereoselectivity and chemoselectivity of C−H amination are described.Article pubs.acs.org/Organometallics