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Title: Catalytic Hydrogenation of a Manganese(V) Nitride to Ammonia

Journal Article · · Journal of the American Chemical Society
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.0c03346· OSTI ID:1616530

The catalytic hydrogenation of a metal nitride to make free ammonia using a rhodium hydride catalyst that promotes H2 activation and hydrogen atom transfer is described. The phenylimine-substituted rhodium complex, (η5-C5Me5)Rh(MePhI)H (MePhI = N-methyl-1-phenylethan-1-imine) exhibited higher thermal stability compared to the previously reported (η5-C5Me5)Rh(ppy)H (ppy = 2-phenylpyridine). DFT calculations established that the two rhodium complexes have comparable Rh–H bond dissociation free energies of 51.8 kcal mol-1 for (η5-C5Me5)Rh(MePhI)H and 51.1 kcal mol-1 for (η5-C5Me5)Rh(ppy)H. In the presence of 10 mol% of the phe-nylimine rhodium precatalyst and 4 atm of H2 in THF, the manganese nitride, (tBuSalen)Mn≡N underwent hydrogenation to liberate free ammonia with up to 6 total turnovers of NH3 or 18 turnovers of H·. The phenylpyridine analogue proved inactive for ammonia synthesis under identical conditions owing to competing deleterious hydride transfer chemistry. Subsequent research showed that the use of a non-polar solvent such as benzene suppressed formation of the cationic rhodium product resulting from the hydride transfer and enabled catalytic ammonia synthesis by proton coupled electron transfer.

Research Organization:
Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0006498
OSTI ID:
1616530
Journal Information:
Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol. 142, Issue 20; ISSN 0002-7863
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 14 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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