The storage of energy in a safe and environmentally benign way is one of the main challenges of today's society. Ammonia-borane (AB=NH3 BH3 ) has been proposed as a possible candidate for the chemical storage of hydrogen. However, the efficient release of hydrogen is still an active field of research. Herein, we present a metal-free bis(borane) Lewis acid catalyst that promotes the evolution of up to 2.5 equivalents of H2 per AB molecule. The catalyst can be reused multiple times without loss of activity. The moderate temperature of 60 °C allows for controlling the supply of H2 on demand simply by heating and cooling. Mechanistic studies give preliminary insights into the kinetics and mechanism of the catalytic reaction.
Out with the metal: Metal-free hydrogenation of unfunctionalized olefins can be achieved by employing HB(C6F5)2 as the catalyst. The key step in the catalytic reaction is believed to involve a novel borane-mediated σ-bond metathesis, which has been investigated both experimentally and theoretically.
A new transition-metal-free mode for the catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide via bidentate interaction has been developed. In the presence of Li2[1,2-C6H4(BH3)2], CO2 can be selectively transformed to either methane or methanol, depending on the reducing agent. The bidentate nature of binding is supported by X-ray analysis of an intermediate analogue, which experiences special stabilization due to aromatic character in the bidentate interaction. Kinetic studies revealed a first-order reaction rate. The transformation can be conducted without any solvent.
A redox-switchable self-assembled Zn II 4L6 cage was synthesized that contains naphthalenediimide (NDI) motifs. Its reduction lent these NDI panels persistent radical anion character. The redox activity of this cage allows it to act as a catalyst for the oxidative coupling of different tetraarylborates to give biphenyls. The catalytic activity of the cage was enhanced following its binding of C60, which implies a mechanism that does not involve encapsulation of the substrate.
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