The amino imidazolin-2-imine ligand [HAmIm, 1,2-(DippNH)–C6H4–NC(NiPrCMe)2] is employed in the synthesis of the paramagnetic cobalt(I) arene complex Co(AmIm)(η 6 -C6H6). The latter was found to be a highly efficient (pre)catalyst in H/D exchange reactions with deuterium (D2) in hydrosilanes. The scope comprises primary to tertiary silanes at a low catalyst loading of 1 mol %. Additionally, the same cobalt(I) arene complex was able to catalyze hydrosilylation reactions of terminal olefins with primary to tertiary silanes at low catalyst loadings of 0.5 mol %. The scope of hydrosilylation includes intramolecular hydrosilylation to produce silacarbocycles and multiple hydrosilylation with primary silanes. The mechanistic investigation includes numerous control experiments for both H/D exchange and hydrosilylation. Isolated (trapped) cobalt(III) hydride silyl complexes (including X-ray crystallographic authentication) are presented for primary to tertiary Si–H entities, which demonstrates a wide scope of Si–H bond activation by the low-valent Co(AmIm) core. The experimental results are strongly corroborated by density functional theory calculations, which explore the possible reaction mechanisms of studied reactions.

Boron reluctantly forms B=X (X=O, S, Se, Te) moieties, which has stimulated the quest for such species in the past few years. Based on the N,N′‐chelating β‐diketiminato ligand (HNacNac), a new amido imidazoline‐2‐imine ligand system (HAmIm) is presented, giving rise to the isolation of an exhaustive series of Lewis acid free, monomeric chalcogen B=X boranes with documented π‐bond character between boron and the chalcogen. The chalcogenoboranes are isoelectronic and isolobal to the respective ketones. The chemical behavior of the oxoborane (B=O) strongly resembles the classical carbonyl reactivity in C=O bonds. The improved stability provided by HAmIm arises from the formation of more‐stable five‐membered boron chelates versus the six‐membered NacNac analogues and from the imidazoline‐2‐imine moiety providing enhanced σ‐ and π‐donation. The HAmIm ligand class may supersede the widely employed NacNac system in certain applications.

We present the first cyclic five-membered triel(I) carbenoides E(AmIm) for E = Ga, In, Tl; AmIm = amido imidazoline-2-imine, which fill the current gap between four- and six-membered triel(I) carbenoides...

We present facile access to an alumaborane species with electron precise AlÀ B σ-bond. The reductive rearrangement of 1-(AlI 2 ), 8-(BMes 2 ) naphthalene (Mes = 2,4,6-Me 3 C 6 H 2 ) affords the alumaborane species cyclo-(1,8-C 10 H 6 )-[1-Al(Mes)(OEt 2 )-8-B(Mes)] with a covalent AlÀ B σ-bond. The AlÀ B σ-bond performs the reductive scission of multiple bonds: S=C(NiPrCMe) 2 affords the naphthalene bridged motif BÀ SÀ Al(NHC), NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene, while O=CPh 2 is deoxygenated to afford an BÀ OÀ Al bridged species with incorporation of the remaining �CPh 2 fragment into the naphthalene scaffold. The reaction with isonitrile Xyl-N�C (Xyl = 2,6-Me 2 C 6 H 4 ) proceeds via a proposed (amino boryl) carbene species; which adds a second equivalent of isonitrile to ultimately form the AlÀ NÀ B bridged species cyclo-(1,8-C 10 H 6 )-[1-Al(Mes)-N(Xyl)-8-B{C(Mes)=CÀ NÀ Xyl}] with complete scission of the C�N triple bond. The latter reaction is supported with isolated intermediates and by DFT calculations.