The 2-coordinate (CAAC) 2 Fe complex [CAAC = cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene] binds dinitrogen at low temperature (T < −80 °C). The resulting putative 3-coordinate N 2 -complex, (CAAC) 2 Fe(N 2 ), was trapped by one electron reduction to its corresponding anion [(CAAC) 2 FeN 2 ] − at low temperature. This complex was structurally characterized and features an activated dinitrogen unit that can be silylated at the β-nitrogen.
KeywordsIron; Nitrogen fixation; Low-coordinate; Carbenes While hundreds of transition-metal-N 2 complexes have been prepared and studied, [1] comparatively few systems afford access to productive N 2 functionalization. [2] This is particularly true for the case of N 2 functionalization by protons and electrons to produce NH 3 (or N 2 H 4 ). Building on extensive early Mo and W model work, [3] Schrock [4] and Nishibayashi [5] have reported Mo-containing coordination complexes (A and B in Figure 1, respectively) that facilitate catalytic N 2 reduction to NH 3 in the presence of suitable acids and reductants. Because Fe is (i) the only transition metal known to be essential to enzymatic nitrogenase function, [6] and (ii) the predominant transition metal catalyst used in the Haber-Bosch ammonia synthesis, [7] studying N 2 reduction chemistry at well-defined Fe model complexes is of interest. [8,9] Recently, our lab demonstrated that Fe coordination complexes (C in Figure 1) are capable of modest catalytic N 2 reduction to NH 3 . [10] ** This work was supported by the N.I.H. (GM 070757) and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. We thank Larry Henling and Michael K. Takase for crystallographic assistance.