Chromium Complexes Research Articles

Chromium Complex of Macrocyclic Ligands as Precursor for Nitric Oxide Release: A Theoretical Study.

Our research on the chromium complex of macrocyclic ligands as a precursor for nitric oxide release makes a significant contribution. We detailed the analysis of nitrito chromium complexes, specifically trans-[M(III)L1-5(ONO)2]+, M=Cr(III) and L1-L5represent different ligands: L1=1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane, L2= (5,7-dimethyl-6-benzylcyclam), L3=(5,7-dimethyl-6-anthracylcyclam), L4= (5,7-dimethyl-6-(p-hydroxymethylbenzyl)-1,4, 8,11-cyclam) and L5= (5,7-dimethyl-6-(1¢-methyl-4´-(1"-carboxymethylpyrene) benzyl)-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane). Our objective is to comprehensively understand the mechanism of NO release and identify the key factors influencing NO delivery. The optimized structure of the complexes at spin states S = 1/2 or 3/2 indicates a decrease in the Cr(III)-O bond length (1.669-1.671 Å) along with an increase in the Cr(III)O-NO bond length (2.735 - 2.741 Å), which facilitates the release of NO. Furthermore, there is a significant change in the bond angle (Cr-O-NO), from 120.4° to 116.9°, with respect to S=3/2, thus enlarging theO-NO bond and supporting the β-cleavage of NO from the complex. The calculated activation energy for the complexes reflects the energy difference between the low-spin doublet and high-spin quartet state due to spin crossover (SCO). Moreover, the Natural Transition Orbitals (NTOs) confirm the involvement of a hole-particle in the excitation. Additionally, TD-DFT reveals the pendant chromophore's role in generating NO, as the chromophore antenna effectively enhances light absorption.

Designing of imine thiophene-ligated metal-complexes and implication in ethylene polymerization

Polyethylene is the single largest volume polymer produced globally using Ziegler-type catalysts. Numerous modifications have been reported in search of a better catalyst that can control molecular weight, polydispersity, and branching. In our attempts to identify a suitable imine thiophene-ligated chromium complex, we examined 9 different titanium complexes computationally. The DFT investigations considered barriers for insertion, propagation, and termination by β-H elimination or chain transfer, and identified N-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-phenyl-1-(thiophen-2-yl)ethan-1-imine(L9) as the most suitable ligand. Subsequently, L9 was prepared in good yield (70%) by condensing 2-phenyl-1-(thiophen-2-yl)ethan-1-one with 4-methoxyaniline. Ligand L9 was treated with early transition metal precursors (Ti, Cr, Zr) to generate a homogenous catalyst. The identity of these catalysts was unambiguously ascertained using a combination of NMR, ICP, FT-IR, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and ESI-MS. The performance of L9-ligated titanium complex [Cat.1] was examined in ethylene polymerization using MMAO as a co-catalyst. Insertion of ethylene was tracked using high-pressure NMR experiments and Cat.1 was found to be active in the polymerization. Ethylene polymerization conditions were optimized to obtain high activity and molecular weight polyethylene. The chromium complex [Cat.2] outperformed the Ti and Zr-derived catalysts with the highest TOF of 6294 mol of PE/mol of Cr/h. Cat.2 produced high molecular weight, high-density polyethylene.

Synthesis, characterization, and antimicrobial properties of two new Bis(oxalato)metalate(III) hybrid salts with 2,2’-bipyridinium cation

Two new isostructural hybrid salts, 2,2′-bipyridinium (2,2′-bipyridine-к2N1, N2)bis[oxalato(2-)-к2O1,O2]metalate(III)] hydrate (MIII = CrIII and CoIII), (C10H9N2)[Cr(C2O4)2(C10H8N2)]·H2O (1) and (C10H9N2)[Co(C2O4)2(C10H8N2)]·H2O (2), (C10H8N2 or bipy = 2,2′-bipyridine and (C10H9N2)+ or bipyH+ = 2,2′-bipyridinium) were prepared in H2O/EtOH (2:1) solution by slow evaporation at room temperature. They were characterized by FTIR and UV–Vis spectroscopies, elemental, thermal, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and Hirshfeld surface analyses. Both compounds crystallize in the monoclinic P21/c space group and are made up of 2,2′- bipyridinium cations, water molecules, and the mononuclear anionic tectons: 2,2′-bipyridinebis(oxalato)chromate(III) for 1 or 2,2′-bipyridinebis(oxalato)cobaltate(III) for 2. The CrIII and CoIII environments in 1 and 2 are distorted octahedral geometries with two bidentate oxalate groups and one bidentate bipy ligand. The MIII ̶ O and MIII ̶ N bond distances vary in the ranges 1.942(1) - 1.967(1) Å and 2.055(2) - 2.066(1) Å respectively. The cohesion of both structures is reinforced by intermolecular N H···O, O H···O and C(π) H···O hydrogen bond interactions which connect the ionic entities and the water molecules into 3-D supramolecular frameworks. All the oxygen atoms are involved in the hydrogen bonding system. The H···O/O···H, H···H, H···C/ C···H, C···C and O···C/C···O contacts contribute with 38.6, 31.1, 14.4, 7.1 and 4.2 % respectively to the Hirshfield surface (HS) of 1 and close values are found for 2. Thermal studies reveal that 1 and 2 are thermally stable up to 130 °C and 110 °C, respectively. The ligands, metal salt, and complexes were evaluated for their antimicrobial activities in vitro against seven pathogens (four bacteria and three fungi species). The complexes have an activity higher than those of the metal salts and the oxalate ligand but lower than those of the 2,2′-bipyridine ligand. The cobalt (III) complex 2 shows a higher activity compared to the chromium(III) complex 1. These results illustrate the fact that an appropriate combination of ligands and metal ions can lead to complex salts with enhanced biological activities.

P-Aryl-Substituted Iminopyridine Chromium Complexes as Precatalysts for Ethylene Polymerization: The Question of the Physical Oxidation State Examined by Experimental and Density Functional Study in the Absence of Structural Data

<i>p</i>-Aryl-Substituted Iminopyridine Chromium Complexes as Precatalysts for Ethylene Polymerization: The Question of the Physical Oxidation State Examined by Experimental and Density Functional Study in the Absence of Structural Data

Homoleptic chromium(II) aminopyridinates: Transoid vs cisoid coordination

Rare homoleptic divalent chromium complexes have been isolated by reacting two equivalents of sterically bulky deprotonated 2–aminopyridine ligands, N–(2,4,6–trimethylphenyl)–[6–(2,4,6–trimethylphenyl)–pyridine–2–yl]–amine (1), N–(2,6–diisopropylphenyl)–[6–(2,6–dimethylphenyl)–pyridine–2–yl]–amine (2) and N–(2,6–diisopropylphenyl)–[6–(2,4,6–trimethylphenyl)–pyridine–2–yl]–amine (3) with CrCl2 in tetrahydrofuran (THF). Reaction of deprotonated 1 proceeds smoothly at room temperature while that of sterically more bulky 2 and 3 at reflux temperature. The respective bis(aminopyridinate) Cr complexes (4–6) are monomeric and show different orientations of the coordinated ligands. For compound 5, two isomers were identified. For 4 and 5a the two ligands show head to tail arrangement while in 5b and 6 the two ligands adopt the unknown head to head arrangement of aminopyridinato ligands. All the complexes show distorted square planar geometries around the chromium center. For 4 and 5a in which the ligands are coordinated in transoid manner the pyridine rings and amido nitrogen atom lie in the coordination plane of chromium. Hirshfeld analyses showed that H∙∙∙H and H∙∙∙C/C∙∙∙H π–interactions were the main and at times the strongest contributions for the intermolecular interactions.

Isolation and Diverse Reactivity of an Unsymmetrical 1,2-Bis(silylene)-Stabilized Pentacarbonyl Chromium(0) Species.

The construction of the unsymmetrical 1,2-bis(silylene) pentacarbonyl chromium(0) complex 1 was achieved through the reaction of chlorosilylene with half an equivalent of K2Cr(CO)5. X-ray diffraction analysis of 1 confirms the formation of the Si-Si bond and the coordination of one of the silicon atoms to the Cr center. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations disclose that highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) mainly corresponds to the lone pair of electrons on the silicon atom and the σ-bonding interaction between two Si atoms. Based on its unique electronic structure, its diverse reactivity toward the transition metal compounds and small molecules was investigated in detail. The reactions of 1 with Fe2(CO)9 or CuCl yielded the 1,2-bis(silylene)-stabilized heterobimetallic complex 2 or oxidized product 3, respectively. Additionally, treatments of 1 with selenium, CO2, or Me3SiN3 led to the formation of the corresponding selenium-, oxo-, and nitrogen-bridged complexes 4-7. All compounds were characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography.

Oligomerization of ethylene by dinuclear chromium catalysts bearing phenyl-bridged bifunctional imine-pyrrolide/thiophene ligands

Dinuclear chromium(III) complexes [Cr(Z)-2-(HCN)-2-OCH3C6H4)(THF)Cl2]2 (Z= C4H3N, L1-Cr2) or [Cr(Z)-2-(HCN)-2-OCH3C6H4)(THF)Cl3]2 (Z = C4H3S, L2-Cr2; Z = 5-methyl-C4H2S, L3-Cr2; Z = 5-phenyl-C4H2S, L4-Cr2) were synthesized by reaction of the phenyl-bridged bifunctional imine-pyrrole/thiophene ligands with [CrCl3(THF)3]. DFT calculations for L2-Cr2 revealed that both isomers (anti and syn) are stable presumably due to the nonrigid skeleton of this class of ligands. On activation with MAO, all chromium complexes showed catalytic activity in ethylene oligomerization, providing a non-selective distribution of α-olefins (C4-C12+) together with varying amounts of polymer (3.6 – 45.0 wt%). The nature of the pendant heterocyclic moieties plays a substantial influence on the catalytic performances of these binuclear Cr catalysts. L1-Cr2 bearing pyrrolide unit yielded a significant quantity of polymer (45.0 wt%) while the binuclear chromium complexes based on thiophene unit showed higher productivities towards production of oligomers (up to 94.4 wt%). These latter Cr complexes showed higher productivities in comparison to their mononuclear analogues. DFT calculations, assuming the formation of cationic chromium (III) species after treatment with MAO in ethylene atmosphere, suggested the coordination of the thiophene group to the chromium metal center, and thus influencing the catalytic performance of L2Cr2– L4-Cr2. By adjusting the reaction conditions, L3-Cr2 showed TOF of 131,100 mol ethylene·mol Cr−1·h−1 producing predominantly oligomers (89.3 wt% of total products) with high selectivity for α-olefins (>91.5 wt%).

High-temperature stable chromium complexes bearing fluorinated PNP ligands for selective ethylene tetramerization toward 1-octene

A series of new fluorinated PNP ligands of bis(ortho-fluorophenyl)-type (L1-L2) and ortho-fluorophenyl-type (L3-L4) have been synthesized and assessed for the selectivity of ethylene oligomerization. Compared to the non-fluorinated analogue ligand L6, the fluorinated ligand L1 exhibited approximately three times high catalytic activity. The bis(ortho-fluorophenyl)-type ligand L2 with a diethylphosphine substituent offered the highest catalytic performance of 3548 kg∙g−1∙h−1 and the 1-octene selectivity is 67.6 %. Both the L1 and L2 ligands exhibited excellent the activity of catalyst at a high temperature of 100 ℃, with ligand L2 providing the catalytic performance of 1587 kg∙g−1∙h−1 and good selectivity of 47.5 % for 1-C8=. The ortho-fluorophenyl substituent enhances the catalytic activity, while the para-fluorophenyl substituent reduces the catalytic activity. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) calculations and UV–vis spectroscopy have been used to rationalize the role of the fluorine effect in promoting catalytic performance. Our results indicated that the strong inductive effect of fluorine atoms and the non-covalent interaction between fluorine atoms and active centers jointly enhance the stability of the ortho-fluorophenyl-based catalyst and promote its overall activity.

Chromium Complexes with Benzanellated N-Heterocyclic Phosphenium Ligands-Synthesis, Reactivity and Application in Catalytic CO2 Reduction.

A chromium complex carrying two benzanellated N-heterocyclic phosphenium (bzNHP) ligands was prepared by a salt metathesis approach. Spectroscopic studies suggest that the anellation enhances the π-acceptor ability of the NHP-units, which is confirmed by the facile electrochemical reduction of the complex to a spectroscopically characterized radical anion. Co-photolysis with H2 allowed extensive conversion into a σ-H2-complex, which shows a diverse reactivity towards donors and isomerizes under H-H bond fission and shift of a hydride to a P-ligand. The product carrying phosphenium, phosphine and hydride ligands was also synthesized independently and reacts reversibly with CO and MeCN to yield bis-phosphine complexes under concomitant Cr-to-P-shift of a hydride. In contrast, CO2 was not only bound but reduced to give an isolable formato complex, which reacted with ammonia borane under partial recovery of the metal hydride and production of formate. Further elaboration of the reactions of the chromium complexes with CO2 and NH3BH3 allowed to demonstrate the feasibility of a Cr-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol. The various complexes described were characterized spectroscopically and in several cases by XRD studies. Further insights in reactivity patterns were provided through (spectro)electrochemical studies and DFT calculations.

Synthesis, Spectral, Chromatographic and Antimicrobial Studies of Transition Metal Complexes of Chromium (III) and Cobalt (II) Ions with Alprazolam Drug

Synthesis, Spectral, Chromatographic and Antimicrobial Studies of Transition Metal Complexes of Chromium (III) and Cobalt (II) Ions with Alprazolam Drug

Self-Assembled Tetranuclear Square Complex of Chromium(III) Bridged by Radical Pyrazine: A Molecular Model for Metal-Organic Magnets.

The attractive electronic properties of metal-pyrazine materials─electrical conductivity, magnetic order, and strong magnetic coupling─can be tuned in a wide range depending on the metal employed, as well as its ligand-imposed redox environment. Using solvent-directed synthesis to control the dimensionality of such systems, a discrete tetranuclear chromium(III) complex, exhibiting a rare example of bridging radical pyrazine, has been prepared from chromium(II) triflate and neutral pyrazine. The strong antiferromagnetic interaction between CrIII (S = 3/2) and radical pyrazine (S = 1/2) spins, theoretically estimated at about -932 K, leads to a thermally isolated ST = 4 ground state, which remains the only populated state observable even at room temperature.

Preparation of a hydrolyzed yeast β-glucan chromium(III) complex and evaluation of its hypoglycemic activity and sub-acute toxicity

Yeast β-glucan (BYG) possesses extremely low solubility that has limited its applications. In this study, we hydrolyzed BYG using snail enzyme to obtain hydrolyzed yeast β-glucan (HBYG) with desirable water solubility and hypoglycemic activity. On the basis of HBYG, HBYG‑chromium(III) complex (HBYG-Cr) was synthesized. The molecular weight of the complex was 4.41 × 104 Da, and the content of trivalent chromium was 8.95 %. The hydroxyl groups of HBYG participated in the coordination and formed the chromium complex. The space conformations of HBYG exhibited remarkable changes after complex formation. HBYG-Cr existed mainly in an amorphous state and presented good dispersibility, and the surface was uneven. The hypoglycemic activity of HBYG-Cr was studied in db/db and C57 mice. The results showed that HBYG-Cr had good hypoglycemic activity. Histopathological studies demonstrated that the liver, kidney, pancreas, and skeletal muscle in the treatment group were significantly improved compared with those in the diabetic model group. The sub-acute toxicity of HBYG-Cr was studied in KM mice and the results indicated that the complex did not cause adverse reactions or toxic side effects. This study broadened the application of yeast β-glucan and provided an important reference for the development of hypoglycemic functional foods and drugs.

Synthesis, structures and bonding of group 6 thio-complexes

The structures and bonding of polythio complexes having group 6 metals are described. A trinuclear tungsten mixed valence complex, [{Cp*WCl(μ-S)2}2WO], 1 along with known [syn-(Cp*WS)2(µ-S)2] and [anti-(Cp*WS)2(µ-S)2] are synthesized by the thermolysis reaction of [Cp*WCl4] with [LiBH4·THF] followed by addition of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT-C7H5NS2). The electronic properties of these complexes associated with central metal atoms have been evaluated through UV–vis absorption spectra. Further, a η2-dithioacetate chromium complex, [Cp*Cr(CO)2(η2-S2CCH3)], 2 was synthesized by the reaction of [Cp*Cr(CO)3Me] with [LiBH4·THF] followed by the treatment of carbon disulfide (CS2). Both complexes 1 and 2 were characterized using multinuclear NMR, IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were conducted to interpret and study the nature of bonding and electronic structures of 1 and 2.

Cover Feature: The Noble Addendum of a Phosphenium Ligand to a Base Metal: Coordination, Activation, and Hydrogenation of Alkenes and Alkynes on a Chromium Complex (ChemPlusChem 6/2024)

Cover Feature: The Noble Addendum of a Phosphenium Ligand to a Base Metal: Coordination, Activation, and Hydrogenation of Alkenes and Alkynes on a Chromium Complex (ChemPlusChem 6/2024)

Synthesis and characterization of novel quinaldic acid based Ni, Fe, and Cr Complexes: A computational and experimental study

Complexes ([Ni(quin-2-c)2(H2O)2]•2H2O, [Fe(quin-2-c)2(H2O)2], [Cr(quin-2-c)2(H2O)2] were synthesized from aqueous solutions of metal salts, quinaldic acid, and semicarbazide. In the crystal structure of the first complex, the nickel atom is chelated by the deprotonated quinaldic acid molecule through the oxygen atom of the carboxyl group, and the heterocyclic nitrogen atom, as well as two water molecules, are coordinated. The other two water molecules are located in the outer sphere. In the structure of the iron and chromium complexes, the metal atoms have a similar complex formation but do not have water molecules in the outer sphere. In all compounds, quinaldic acid acts as a bidentate ligand to form five-membered metallocycles. The electronic structure properties were investigated through theoretical modeling using the B3LYP method at the 6–31 + G(d,p) computational level. Density functional theory (DFT) was employed in quantum chemistry simulations to refine proposed structures and explore the characteristics of frontier orbitals via analysis of frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs). These computations facilitated the identification of specific sites on the surface of molecules by generating molecular electrostatic potential maps and provided insights into the structural and reactive properties. Hirshfeld surface analysis was conducted to examine intermolecular interactions, revealing a prevalence of H⋅⋅⋅H interactions.

New Pyridine Dicarbene Pincer Ligands with Ring Expanded NHCs and their Nickel and Chromium Complexes.

The pincer complexes [NiIIBr(CNC)]Br (4), [CrIIIBr3(CNC)] (5 a) and [CrIIIBr2.3Cl0.7(CNC)] (5 b), where CNC=3,3'-(pyridine-2,6-diyl)bis(1-mesityl-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidin-2-ylidene), were obtained from the novel ligand CNC, generated in situ from the precursor (CHNCH)Br2 and [NiIIBr2(PPh3)2] or from [CrII{N(SiMe3)2}2(THF)2] and (CHNCH)Br2 by aminolysis, respectively. The tetrahedrally distorted square planar (τ4≅0.30) geometry and the singlet ground state of Ni in 4 were attributed to steric constraints of the CNC backbone. Computational methods highlighted the dependence of the coordination geometry and the singlet-triplet energy difference on the size of the N-substituent of the tetrahydropyrimidine wingtips and contrasted it to the situation in 5-membered imidazolin-2-ylidene pincer analogues. The octahedral CrIII metal center in 5 a and 5 b is presumably formed after one electron oxidation from CH2Cl2. 4/MAO and 5 a/MAO were catalysts of moderate activity for the oligomerization and polymerization of ethylene, respectively. The analogous (CH^N^CH)Br2 precursor, where (CH^N^CH)=3,3'-(pyridine-2,6-diylbis(methylene))bis(1-mesityl-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidin-1-ium), was also prepared, however its coordination chemistry was not studied due to the inherent instability of the resulting free C^N^C ligand.

Ferromagnetically Coupled Chromium(III) Dimer Shows Luminescence and Sensitizes Photon Upconversion.

There has been much progress on mononuclear chromium(III) complexes featuring luminescence and photoredox activity, but dinuclear chromium(III) complexes have remained underexplored in these contexts until now. We identified a tridentate chelate ligand able to accommodate both meridional and facial coordination of chromium(III), to either access a mono- or a dinuclear chromium(III) complex depending on reaction conditions. This chelate ligand causes tetragonally distorted primary coordination spheres around chromium(III) in both complexes, entailing comparatively short excited-state lifetimes in the range of 400 to 800 ns in solution at room temperature and making photoluminescence essentially oxygen insensitive. The two chromium(III) ions in the dimer experience ferromagnetic exchange interactions that result in a high spin (S=3) ground state with a coupling constant of +9.3 cm-1. Photoinduced energy transfer from the luminescent ferromagnetically coupled dimer to an anthracene derivative results in sensitized triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion. Based on these proof-of-principle studies, dinuclear chromium(III) complexes seem attractive for the development of fundamentally new types of photophysics and photochemistry enabled by magnetic exchange interactions.

Air-Stable Cobalt(III) and Chromium(III) Complexes as Single-Component Catalysts for the Activation of Carbon Dioxide and Epoxides.

Cobalt(III) and chromium(III) salophen chloride complexes were synthesized and tested for the cycloaddition of carbon dioxide (CO2) with epoxides to obtain cyclic carbonates. The cat1, cat2, cat4, and cat5 complexes presented high catalytic activity without cocatalysts and are solvent-free at 100 °C, 8 bar, and 9 h. At these conditions, the terminal epoxides (1a-1k) were successfully converted into the corresponding cyclic carbonates with a maximum conversion of ∼99%. Moreover, cat5 was highlighted due to its capability of opening internal epoxides such as limonene oxide (1l) with a 36% conversion to limonene carbonate (2l), and from cyclohexene oxide (1m), cyclic trans-cyclohexene carbonate (2m) and poly(cyclohexene carbonate) were obtained with 15% and 85% selectivity, respectively. A study of the coupling reaction mechanism was proposed with the aid of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analysis, confirming the single-component behavior of the complexes through their ionization due to epoxide coordination. In addition, crystallographic analysis of cat1 single crystals grown in a saturated solution of pyridine helped to demonstrate that the substitution of chloride ion by pyridine ligands to form an octahedral coordination occurs (Py-cat1), supporting the proposed mechanism. Also, a recyclability study was performed for cat5, and a total turnover number of 952 was obtained with only minor losses in catalytic activity after five cycles.

Luminescent Cyclometalated Chromium(III) Complexes

Luminescent Cyclometalated Chromium(III) Complexes

Mechanochemical Synthesis of Chromium(III) Complexes Containing Bidentate PN and Tridentate P-NH-P and P-NH-P' Ligands.

Chromium(III) complexes bearing bidentate {NH2(CH2)2PPh2: PN, (S,S)-[NH2(CHPh)2PPh2]: P'N} and tridentate [Ph2P(CH2)2N(H)(CH2)2PPh2: P-NH-P, (S,S)-(iPr)2PCH2CH2N(H)CH(Ph)CH(Ph)PPh2: P-NH-P'] ligands have been synthesized using a mechanochemical approach. The complexes {cis-[Cr(PN)Cl2]Cl (1), cis-[Cr(P'N)Cl2]Cl (2), mer-Cr(P-NH-P)Cl3 (3), and mer-Cr(P-NH-P')Cl3 (4)} were obtained in high yield (95-97%) via the grinding of the respective ligands andthe solid Cr(III) ion precursor [CrCl3(THF)3] with the aid of a pestle and mortar, followed by recrystallization in acetonitrile. The isolated complexes are high spin. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction study of 2 revealed a cationic chromium complex with two P'N ligands in a cis configuration with P' trans to P' with chloride as the counteranion. The X-ray study of 4 shows a neutral Cr(III) complex with the P-NH-P' ligand in a mer configuration. The difference in molecular structures and bulkiness of the ligands influence the electronic, magnetic, and electrochemical properties of the complexes as exhibited by the bathochromic shifts in the electronic absorption peaks of the complexes and the relative increase in the magnetic moment of 3 (4.19 μβ) and 4 (4.15 μβ) above the spin only value (3.88 μβ) for a d3 electronic configuration. Complexes 1-4 were found to be inactive in the hydrogenation of an aldimine [(E)-1-(4-fluorophenyl)-N-phenylmethanimine] under a variety of activating conditions. The addition of magnesium and trimethylsilyl chloride in THF did cause hydrogenation at room temperature, but this occurred even in the absence of the chromium complex. The hydrogen in the amine product came from the THF solvent in this novel reaction, as determined by deuterium incorporation into the product when deuterated THF was used.