Electrochemical cleavage of the nitrogen-nitrogen bond in hydrazido(2-) complexes of molybdenum: Formation of ammonia

Abstract

The controlled potential electrolysis of a series of hydrazido(2-) complexes of molybdenum, [MoX(NNH 2)(TR1)(PPh 3)]Y[TR1 = PhP(CH 2CH 2PPh 2) 2; 1, X = Y = Br; 2, X = Y = Cl; 3, X = F, Y = BF 4] in tetrahydrofuran (thf) at a mercury-pool electrode with 85% phosphoric acid as the proton source generates ammonia. The yield of ammonia is quantitative for 2. For 1 and 3 the yields are 0.32 and 0.24 mol of ammonia per mole of complex, respectively. These data are compared with yields of ammonia obtained from non-electrolysis methods.