This report compares biomimetic HER catalysts with and without the amine cofactor (adtNH): Fe2(adtNH)(CO)2(dppv)2 (1NH) and Fe2(pdt)(CO)2(dppv)2 (2; (adtNH)2− = (HN(CH2S)22−, pdt2− = 1,3-(CH2)3S22−). These compounds are spectroscopically, structurally, and stereodynamically very similar but exhibit very different catalytic properties. Protonation of 1NH and 2 each give three isomeric hydrides beginning with the kinetically favored terminal hydride, which converts sequentially to sym and unsym isomers of the bridging hydrides. In the case of the amine, the corresponding ammonium-hydrides are also observed. In the case of the terminal amine hydride [t-H1NH]BF4, the ammonium/amine-hydride equilibrium is sensitive to counteranions and solvent. The species [t-H1NH2](BF4)2 represents the first example of a crystallographically characterized terminal hydride produced by protonation. The NH--HFe distance of 1.88(7) Å indicates dihydrogen bonding. The bridging hydrides [µ-H1NH]+ and [µ-H2]+ reduce near −1.8 V, about 150 mV more negative than the reductions of the terminal hydride [t-H1NH]+ and [t-H2]+ at −1.65 V. Reductions of the amine hydrides [t-H1NH]+ and [t-H1NH2]2+ are irreversible. For the pdt analog, the [t-H2]+/0 couple is unaffected by weak acids (pKaMeCN 15.3) but exhibits catalysis with HBF4•Et2O, albeit with a TOF around 4 s−1 and an overpotential greater than 1 V. The voltammetry of [t-H1NH]+ is strongly affected by relatively weak acids and proceeds at 5000 s−1 with an overpotential of 0.7 V. The ammonium-hydride [t-H1NH2]2+ is a faster catalyst with an estimated TOF of 58,000 s−1 and an overpotential of 0.5 V.

Described are new derivatives of the type [HNiFe(SR)2(diphosphine)(CO)3]+, which feature a Ni(diphosphine) group linked to a Fe(CO)3 group via two bridging thiolate ligands. Previous work had described [HNiFe(pdt)(dppe)(CO)3]+ ([1H]+) and its activity as a catalyst for the reduction of protons. Work described in this paper focused on the effects of the diphosphine attached to nickel as well as the dithiolate bridge, 1,3-propanedithiolate (pdt) vs 1,2-ethanedithiolate (edt). A new synthetic route to these Ni-Fe dithiolates is described, involving reaction of Ni(SR)2(diphosphine) with FeI2(CO)4 followed by in situ reduction with cobaltocene. Evidence is presented that this route proceeds via metastable μ-iodo derivatives. Attempted isolation of such species led to the crystallization of NiFe(Me2pdt)(dppe)I2, which features tetrahedral Fe(II) and square planar Ni(II) centers (Me2pdt = 2,2-dimethylpropanedithiol). The new tricarbonyls prepared in this work are NiFe(pdt)(dcpe)(CO)3 (2, dcpe = 1,2-bis(dicyclohexylphosphino)ethane), NiFe(edt)(dppe)(CO)3 (3), and NiFe(edt)(dcpe)(CO)3 (4). Attempted preparation of a phenylthiolate-bridged complex via the FeI2(CO)4 + Ni(SPh)2(dppe) route gave the tetrametallic species [(CO)2Fe(SPh)2Ni(CO)]2(μ-dppe)2. Crystallographic analysis of the edt-dcpe compund [2H]BF4 and the edt-dppe compound [3H]BF4 verified their close resemblance. Each features pseudo-octahedral Fe and square pyramidal Ni centers. Starting from [4H]BF4 we prepared the PPh3 derivative [HNiFe(edt)(dppe)(PPh3)(CO)2]BF4 ([5H]BF4), which was obtained as a ~2:1 mixture of unsymmetrical and symmetrical isomers. Acid-base measurements indicate that changing from Ni(dppe) to Ni(dcpe) decreases the acidity of the cationic hydride complexes by 2.5 pKaMeCN units, from ~11 to ~13.5 (previous work showed that substitution at Fe leads to more dramatic effects). The redox potentials are more strongly affected by the change from dppe to dcpe, for example the [2]0/+ couple occurs at E1/2 = −820 for [2]0/+ vs −574 mV (vs Fc+/0) for [1]0/+. Changes in the dithiolate do not affect the acidity or the reduction potentials of the hydrides. The acid-independent rate of reduction of CH2ClCO2H by [2H]+ is ca. 50 s−1 (25 °C), twice that of [1H]+. The edt-dppe complex [2H]+ proved to be the most active catalyst, with an acid-independent rate of 300 s−1.

Reactivity studies of a rare example of a molecular titanium nitride are presented. A combination of theory and NMR spectroscopy provide a description of the bonding in the these nitrides, the role of the counter cation, K+, as well as the origin of their highly downfield 15N NMR spectroscopic shifts.

Reported are complexes of the formula Fe(dithiolate)(CO)2(diphos) and their use to prepare homo- and heterobimetallic dithiolato derivatives. The starting iron dithiolates were prepared by a one-pot reaction of FeCl2 and CO with chelating diphosphines and dithiolates, where dithiolate = S2(CH2)22– (edt2–), S2(CH2)32– (pdt2–), S2(CH2)2(C(CH3)2)2– (Me2pdt2–) and diphos = cis-C2H2(PPh2)2 (dppv), C2H4(PPh2)2 (dppe), C6H4(PPh2)2 (dppbz), C2H4[P(C6H11)2]2 (dcpe). The incorporation of 57Fe into such building block complexes commenced with the conversion of 57Fe into 57Fe2I4(iPrOH)4, which then was treated with K2pdt, CO, and dppe to give 57Fe(pdt)(CO)2(dppe). NMR and IR analyses show that these complexes exist as mixtures of all-cis and trans-CO isomers, edt2– favoring the former and pdt2– the latter. Treatment of Fe(dithiolate)(CO)2(diphos) with the Fe(0) reagent (benzylideneacetone)Fe(CO)3 gave Fe2(dithiolate)(CO)4(diphos), thereby defining a route from simple ferrous salts to models for hydrogenase active sites. Extending the building block route to heterobimetallic complexes, treatment of Fe(pdt)(CO)2(dppe) with [(acenaphthene)Mn(CO)3]+ gave [(CO)3Mn(pdt)Fe(CO)2(dppe)]+ ([3d(CO)]+). Reduction of [3d(CO)]+ with BH4– gave the Cs-symmetric μ-hydride (CO)3Mn(pdt)(H)Fe(CO)(dppe) (H3d). Complex H3d is reversibly protonated by strong acids, the proposed site of protonation being sulfur. Treatment of Fe(dithiolate)(CO)2(diphos) with CpCoI2(CO) followed by reduction by Cp2Co affords CpCo(dithiolate)Fe(CO)(diphos) (4), which can also be prepared from Fe(dithiolate)(CO)2(diphos) and CpCo(CO)2. Like the electronically related (CO)3Fe(pdt)Fe(CO)(diphos), these complexes undergo protonation to afford the μ-hydrido complexes [CpCo(dithiolate)HFe(CO)(diphos)]+. Low-temperature NMR studies indicate that Co is the kinetic site of protonation.

The Ti(III) azido complex (PN)2Ti(N3) (PN(-) = (N-(2-(diisopropylphosphino)-4-methylphenyl)-2,4,6-trimethylanilide), can be reduced with KC8 to afford the nitride salt [μ2-K(OEt2)]2[(PN)2Ti≡N]2 in excellent yield. While treatment of the dimer with 18-crown-6 yields a mononuclear nitride, complete encapsulation of the alkali metal with cryptand provides the terminally bound nitride as a discrete salt [K(2,2,2-Kryptofix)][(PN)2Ti≡N]. All complexes reported here have been structurally confirmed and also spectroscopically, and the Ti-Nnitride bonding has been probed theoretically via DFT-based methods.