The reactivity of
the nickel hydride complex [HNi(P2
PhN2
Ph)2]+ (P2
PhN2
Ph = 1,3,5,7-tetraphenyl-1,5-diaza-3,7-diphosphacyclooctane)
with a variety of acids to form hydrogen in acetonitrile was evaluated
using stopped-flow spectroscopy in order to gain a better understanding
of how the proton source influences the reaction kinetics when evaluating
fuel-forming catalysts in acetonitrile. This reaction is initiated
by the rate-determining step in the catalytic cycle for the hydrogen-evolving
catalyst [Ni(P2
PhN2
Ph)2]2+. Proton sources were evaluated with respect to pK
a, homoconjugation, dimerization, heteroconjugation,
and aggregation (for water). The effects of water and conjugate base
were also studied. A linear free energy relationship between rate
constant and pK
a was revealed; rate constants
increased with the magnitude of the homoconjugation constant for acids
prone to homoconjugation, and second-order reactivity was observed
for trifluoroacetic and trichloroacetic acid, suggesting dimerization.
Upon the addition of water, an increase in the observed rate constant
was seen, in line with the formation of hydronium. When added to trifluoroacetic
acid, water was shown to cause a decrease in the observed rate constant,
suggesting that water inhibits acid dimerization. Collectively, these
findings highlight that the selection of proton sources for the study
of molecular electrocatalysts in acetonitrile must account for more
than acid pK
a.