Formic acid (FA) is an attractive compound for H2 storage. Currently, the most active catalysts for FA dehydrogenation use precious metals. Here, we report a homogeneous iron catalyst that, when used with a Lewis acid (LA) co-catalyst, gives approximately 1,000,000 turnovers for FA dehydrogenation. To date, this is the highest turnover number reported for a first-row transition metal catalyst. Preliminary studies suggest that the LA assists in the decarboxylation of a key iron formate intermediate and can also be used to enhance the reverse process of CO2 hydrogenation.

Acceptorless dehydrogenation of alcohols, an important organic transformation, was accomplished with welldefined and inexpensive iron-based catalysts supported by a cooperating PNP pincer ligand. Benzylic and aliphatic secondary alcohols were dehydrogenated to the corresponding ketones in good isolated yields upon release of dihydrogen. Primary alcohols were dehydrogenated to esters and lactones, respectively. Mixed primary/secondary diols were oxidized at the secondary alcohol moiety with good chemoselectivity. The mechanism of the reaction was investigated using both experiment and DFT calculations, and the crucial role of metal−ligand cooperativity in the reaction was elucidated. The iron complexes are also excellent catalysts for the hydrogenation of challenging ketone substrates at ambient temperature under mild H 2 pressure, the reverse of secondary alcohol dehydrogenation.

After their treatment with LiAlH4 and then alcohol, new iron dicarbonyl complexes mer-trans-[Fe(Br)(CO)2(P-CH═N-P')][BF4] (where P-CH═N-P' = R2PCH2CH═NCH2CH2PPh2 and R = Cy or iPr or P-CH═N-P' = (S,S)- Cy2PCH2CH═NCH(Me)CH(Ph)PPh2) are catalysts for the hydrogenation of ketones in THF solvent with added KOtBu at 50 °C and 5 atm H2. Complexes with R = Ph are not active. With the enantiopure complex, alcohols are produced with an enantiomeric excess of up to 85% (S) at TOF up to 2000 h(-1), TON of up to 5000, for a range of ketones. An activated imine is hydrogenated to the amine in 90% ee at a TOF 20 h(-1)and TON 99. This is a significant advance in asymmetric pressure hydrogenation using iron. The complexes are prepared in two steps: (1) a one-pot reaction of phosphonium dimers ([cyclo-(PR2CH2CH(OH)(-))2][Br]2), KOtBu, FeBr2, and Ph2PCH2CH2NH2 (or (S,S)-Ph2PCH(Ph)CH(Me)NH2 for the enantiopure complex) in THF under a CO atmosphere to produce the complexes cis- and trans-[Fe(Br)2(CO)(P-CH═N-P')]; (2) the reaction of these with AgBF4 under CO(g) to afford the dicarbonyl complexes in high yield (50-90%). NMR and DFT studies of the process of precatalyst activation show that the dicarbonyl complexes are converted first to hydride-aluminum hydride complexes where the imine of the P-CH═N-P' ligand is reduced to an amide [P-CH2N-P'](-) with aluminum hydrides still bound to the nitrogen. These hydride species react with alcohol to give monohydride amine iron compounds FeH(OR')(CO)(P-CH2NH-P'), R' = Me, CMe2Et as well as the iron(0) complex Fe(CO)2(P-CH2NH-P') under certain conditions.

The preparation of a number of iron complexes supported by ligands of the type HN{CH2CH2(PR2)}2 [R = isopropyl (((i)Pr)PNP) or cyclohexyl ((Cy)PNP)] is reported. This is the first time this important bifunctional ligand has been coordinated to iron. The iron(II) complexes (((i)Pr)PNP)FeCl2(CO) (1a) and ((Cy)PNP)FeCl2(CO) (1b) were synthesized through the reaction of the appropriate free ligand and FeCl2 in the presence of CO. The iron(0) complex (((i)Pr)PNP)Fe(CO)2 (2a) was prepared through the reaction of Fe(CO)5 with ((i)Pr)PNP, while irradiating with UV light. Compound 2a is unstable in CH2Cl2 and is oxidized to 1a via the intermediate iron(II) complex [(((i)Pr)PNP)FeCl(CO)2]Cl (3a). The reaction of 2a with HCl generated the related complex [(((i)Pr)PNP)FeH(CO)2]Cl (4a), while the neutral iron hydrides (((i)Pr)PNP)FeHCl(CO) (5a) and ((Cy)PNP)FeHCl(CO) (5b) were synthesized through the reaction of 1a or 1b with 1 equiv of (n)Bu4NBH4. The related reaction between 1a and excess NaBH4 generated the unusual η(1)-HBH3 complex (((i)Pr)PNP)FeH(η(1)-HBH3)(CO) (6a). This complex features a bifurcated intramolecular dihydrogen bond between two of the hydrogen atoms associated with the η(1)-HBH3 ligand and the N-H proton of the pincer ligand, as well as intermolecular dihydrogen bonding. The protonation of 6a with 2,6-lutidinium tetraphenylborate resulted in the formation of the dimeric complex [{(((i)Pr)PNP)FeH(CO)}2(μ2,η(1):η(1)-H2BH2)][BPh4] (7a), which features a rare example of a μ2,η(1):η(1)-H2BH2 ligand. Unlike all previous examples of complexes with a μ2,η(1):η(1)-H2BH2 ligand, there is no metal-metal bond and additional bridging ligand supporting the borohydride ligand in 7a; however, it is proposed that two dihydrogen-bonding interactions stabilize the complex. Complexes 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a, 5a, 6a, and 7a were characterized by X-ray crystallography.

Examination of the role of base in the activation of our previously reported iron(II) complexes having the general formula [Fe(CO)(Br)(PNNP)][BPh(4)] revealed a five-coordinate iron(II) complex in which the tetradentate PNNP ligand had been doubly deprotonated. The new iron(II) complexes were used in the transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone in isopropanol in the absence of added base, and certain analogues showed catalytic activity.