Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Synthesis of Chromium(IV) Nitrides Through High-Spin Tetrahedral Chromium(I) Intermediates

Journal Article · · Inorganic Chemistry
Reduction of (depe)2CrCl2 (depe = 1,2-bis- (diethylphosphino)ethane) and (dep-benz)2CrCl2 (dep-benz = 1,2-bis(diethylphosphino)benzene) under 1 atm of N2 furnished the dinitrogen complexes (depe)2Cr(N2)2 and (dep-benz)2Cr(N2)2, respectively. One-electron oxidation of these products with FcBArF 4 (Fc = ferrocenium, BArF 4 = B(3,5-(CF3)2C6H3)4) yielded the unusual, high-spin tetrahedral complexes [(depe)2Cr][BArF 4] and [(dep-benz)2Cr][BArF 4] with concomitant loss of dinitrogen. Reaction of the chromium(I) derivatives with Ph3CN3 furnished rare examples of chromium(IV) nitrides as confirmed spectroscopically and by X-ray crystallography. While [(depe)2Cr(≡N)][BArF 4] underwent association of isocyanides accompanied by partial ligand dissociation, neither chromium nitride was reactive toward H2 or diphenylsilane under thermal or photochemical conditions. These results distinguish the unique properties of the chromium(IV) nitrides as compared to heavier group 6 congeners and demonstrate both the feasibility of nitride synthesis and the limitations of dinitrogen cleavage and subsequent N−H bond formation.
Research Organization:
Princeton University, NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0006498
OSTI ID:
3022442
Journal Information:
Inorganic Chemistry, Journal Name: Inorganic Chemistry Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 65; ISSN 0020-1669; ISSN 1520-510X
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (69)

A Convenient Synthetic Protocol to 1,2‐Bis(dialkylphosphino)ethanes journal February 2014
cis-Bis(dinitrogen)tetrakis(trimethylphosphane)chromium journal January 1977
Dinitrogen‐Molybdenum Complex Induces Dinitrogen Cleavage by One‐Electron Oxidation journal August 2019
Unusual Electronic Structures of an Electron Transfer Series of [Cr(μη1 : η1‐N2)Cr]0/1+/2+ journal February 2024
Catalytic Nitrogen Fixation Using Well‐Defined Molecular Catalysts under Ambient or Mild Reaction Conditions journal July 2024
Catalytic Reduction of Dinitrogen into Ammonia and Hydrazine by Using Chromium Complexes Bearing PCP‐Type Pincer Ligands** journal March 2022
Dinitrogen Activation and Functionalization with Chromium journal February 2020
Evaluating Metal Ion Identity on Catalytic Silylation of Dinitrogen Using a Series of Trimetallic Complexes journal February 2020
Relating N-H Bond Strengths to the Overpotential for Catalytic Nitrogen Fixation: Relating N-H Bond Strengths to the Overpotential for Catalytic Nitrogen Fixation journal April 2020
Linearly Bridging N2 versus CO: Chemical Bonding and Spin‐Controlled Reactivity. journal February 2023
Determining and Understanding N-H Bond Strengths in Synthetic Nitrogen Fixation Cycles book January 2017
Molecular Spectra and Molecular Structure book January 1979
Reaction of (CO)5W(THF) with triphenylmethyl azide and triptycyl azide journal January 1995
Nitrido and imido transition metal complexes of Groups 6–8 journal August 2003
Selective oxidants for organometallic compounds containing a stabilising anion of highly reactive cations: (3,5(CF3)2C6H3)4B−)Cp2Fe+ and (3,5(CF3)2C6H3)4B−)Cp*2Fe+ journal April 2000
Recent advances in catalytic nitrogen fixation using transition metal–dinitrogen complexes under mild reaction conditions journal December 2022
EasySpin, a comprehensive software package for spectral simulation and analysis in EPR journal January 2006
Trityl isocyanate, isothiocyanate and azide—Syntheses, crystallographic studies and Hirshfeld surface analysis journal June 2025
Unexpected reactions of chromium hydrides with a diazoalkane journal January 2019
Dinitrogen Activation and Functionalization Affording Chromium Diazenido and Hydrazido Complexes journal November 2023
Nitrogen Fixation via Splitting into Nitrido Complexes journal May 2021
Catalytic N 2 -to-NH 3 (or -N 2 H 4 ) Conversion by Well-Defined Molecular Coordination Complexes journal April 2020
Beyond Ammonia: Nitrogen–Element Bond Forming Reactions with Coordinated Dinitrogen journal May 2020
Syntheses, Characterizations, Crystal Structures, and Protonation Reactions of Dinitrogen Chromium Complexes Supported with Triamidoamine Ligands journal March 2023
Syntheses and Characterizations of Hetero-Bimetallic Chromium-Dinitrogen Transition-Metal Complexes journal October 2023
Protonation Studies of a Mono-Dinitrogen Complex of Chromium Supported by a 12-Membered Phosphorus Macrocycle Containing Pendant Amines journal April 2015
The Intrinsic Barrier for N≡N Bond Cleavage or Formation Mediated by the Cp*Cr(dmpe) Fragment Is Insurmountable journal March 2023
Catalytic Silylation of Dinitrogen by PCP-Ligated Chromium Complexes journal July 2025
Revisiting of Benzophenone Ketyl Still: Use of a Sodium Dispersion for the Preparation of Anhydrous Solvents journal October 2018
Recent Advances in the Chemistry of Dinitrogen Complexes journal June 1995
Unusual Electronic Effects Imparted by Bridging Dinitrogen: an Experimental and Theoretical Investigation journal September 2010
A Series of Uranium (IV, V, VI) Tritylimido Complexes, Their Molecular and Electronic Structures and Reactivity with CO 2 journal November 2014
Dinitrogen Activation, Partial Reduction, and Formation of Coordinated Imide Promoted by a Chromium Diiminepyridine Complex journal July 2007
Dinitrogen and Acetylide Complexes of Low-Valent Chromium journal May 2008
Nitric Oxide Cleavage: Synthesis of Terminal Chromium(VI) Nitrido Complexes via Nitrosyl Deoxygenation journal June 1995
Alkyl, hydride, and dinitrogen 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphino)ethane complexes of chromium. Crystal structures of Me2Cr(dmpe)2, CrH4(dmpe)2, and Cr(N2)2(dmpe)2 journal September 1983
Detection of Unusual Reaction Intermediates during the Conversion of W(N2)2(dppe)2 to W(H)4(dppe)2 and of H2O into H2 journal October 2012
Dinitrogen Reduction by a Chromium(0) Complex Supported by a 16-Membered Phosphorus Macrocycle journal July 2013
Dinitrogen Activation and Hydrogenation by C5Me4SiMe3-Ligated Di- and Trinuclear Chromium Hydride Complexes journal April 2020
Lewis Structures and the Bonding Classification of End-on Bridging Dinitrogen Transition Metal Complexes journal February 2023
Dinitrogen Functionalization Affording Chromium Diazenido and Side-on η2-Hydrazido Complexes journal February 2023
Snapshots of Early-Stage Quantitative N2 Electrophilic Functionalization journal April 2023
Photodriven Ammonia Synthesis from N2 and H2: Recycling of a Molecular Molybdenum Nitride journal February 2025
Trisilylation of a Formal Cr(−I) Bis-dinitrogen Complex journal August 2025
Hydrosilylation of a Molecular Molybdenum Nitride Provides Mechanistic Insights into Photodriven Ammonia Synthesis from N 2 and H 2 journal February 2026
Catalytic Silylation of N 2 and Synthesis of NH 3 and N 2 H 4 by Net Hydrogen Atom Transfer Reactions Using a Chromium P 4 Macrocycle journal February 2018
Tuning the Geometric and Electronic Structure of Synthetic High-Valent Heme Iron(IV)-Oxo Models in the Presence of a Lewis Acid and Various Axial Ligands journal March 2019
Dinitrogen Functionalization Affording Chromium Hydrazido Complex journal February 2019
Synthesis and Photodriven Hydrogenation of Tungsten Nitride Complexes Prepared from Dinitrogen Cleavage journal July 2025
New Chromium(II) Bidentate Phosphine Complexes:  Synthesis, Characterization, and Behavior in the Polymerization of 1,3-Butadiene journal June 2004
NMR Chemical Shifts of Trace Impurities: Common Laboratory Solvents, Organics, and Gases in Deuterated Solvents Relevant to the Organometallic Chemist journal May 2010
Safe and Convenient Procedure for Solvent Purification journal January 1996
Detonator of the population explosion journal July 1999
The reduction of mono-coordinated molecular nitrogen to ammonia in a protic environment journal January 1975
Ammonia synthesis by photocatalytic hydrogenation of a N2-derived molybdenum nitride journal March 2022
Structural variation in copper( i ) complexes with pyridylmethylamide ligands: structural analysis with a new four-coordinate geometry index, τ 4 journal January 2007
Mechanism-based design of labile precursors for chromium( i ) chemistry journal January 2015
Putting chromium on the map for N 2 reduction: production of hydrazine and ammonia. A study of cis-M(N 2 ) 2 (M = Cr, Mo, W) bis(diphosphine) complexes journal January 2016
Synthesis and reactivity of asymmetric Cr( i ) dinitrogen complexes supported by cyclopentadienyl–phosphine ligands journal January 2019
Intra- and intermolecular interception of a photochemically generated terminal uranium nitride journal January 2020
Dinitrogen activation at chromium by photochemically induced CrII–C bond homolysis journal January 2024
Catalytic dinitrogen reduction to hydrazine and ammonia using Cr(N2)2(diphosphine)2 complexes journal January 2024
Diazene-N-(di-imide) and hydrazido-(2–)N-(aminoimido) complexes: the addition of acids to dinitrogen complexes journal January 1974
Reactions of bis[1,2-bis(dimethylphosphino)ethane]bis(dinitrogen)chromium(0) and -bis(carbonyl)chromium(0) with acids and oxidizing agents. X-Ray crystal structures of trans-CrII(O2CCF3)2(dmpe)2, trans-[CrII(NCR)2(dmpe)2][CF3SO3]2(R = Me or Et), trans-[CrIIICl2(dmpe)2]BPh4·CH2Cl2, trans-[CrI(CO)2(dmpe)2]BPh4, and [Cr0H(CO)2(dmpe)2]BPh4 journal January 1986
Dinitrogen complexes derived from tricarbonyl(η6-hexaethylbenzene)chromium(0): crystal and molecular structure of µ-dinitrogen-bis[dicarbonyl(η6-hexaethylbenzene)chromium(0)]–toluene (1/1) journal January 1987
A rare terminal dinitrogen complex of chromium journal January 2011
Synthesis and characterisation of 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphino)ethane (dmpe) complexes of chromium-(0) and -(IV): X-ray crystal structures of trans-Cr(N2)2(dmpe)2, cis-Cr(CO)2(dmpe)2, Cr(C2Ph2)2(dmpe), and CrH4(dmpe)2 journal January 1985
Review: some Considerations About Coordination Compounds with End-On Dinitrogen journal November 2001
Bimetallic System for Nitrogen Fixation: Ruthenium-Assisted Protonation of Coordinated N2 on Tungsten with H2 journal January 1998

Similar Records

Synthesis and Photodriven Hydrogenation of Tungsten Nitride Complexes Prepared from Dinitrogen Cleavage
Journal Article · Thu Jul 17 20:00:00 EDT 2025 · JACS Au · OSTI ID:2586793

Hydrosilylation of a Molecular Molybdenum Nitride Provides Mechanistic Insights into Photodriven Ammonia Synthesis from N2 and H2
Journal Article · Mon Feb 09 19:00:00 EST 2026 · Journal of the American Chemical Society · OSTI ID:3020795

Electron transfer. 75. Reduction of carboxylato-bound chromium(V) with vanadium(IV). Intervention of chromium(IV)
Journal Article · Tue Dec 17 23:00:00 EST 1985 · Inorg. Chem.; (United States) · OSTI ID:5953466