Group 6 Transition‐Metal/Boron Frustrated Lewis Pair Templates Activate N2and Allow its Facile Borylation and Silylation

Abstract

AbstractThe reaction oftrans‐[M(N2)2(dppe)2] (M=Mo,1Mo, M=W,1W) with B(C6F5)3(2) provides the adducts [(dppe)2M=N=N‐B(C6F5)3] (3) which can be regarded as M/B transition‐metal frustrated Lewis pair (TMFLP) templates activating dinitrogen. Easy borylation and silylation of the activated dinitrogen ligands in complexes3with a hydroborane and hydrosilane occur by splitting of the B−H and Si−H bonds between the N2moiety and the perfluoroaryl borane. This reactivity of3is reminiscent of conventional frustrated Lewis pair chemistry and constitutes an unprecedented approach for the functionalization of dinitrogen.