Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026

Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Published on: April 10, 2018
Mechanistic insights into the formation of N2O by a nickel nitrosyl complex
Ashley M Wright1, Homaira T Zaman, Guang Wu
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Barbara , Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States.
Abstract:
Reaction of [Ni(NO)(bipy)(Me2phen)][PF6] with 1 equiv of nitric oxide (NO) in CH2Cl2 results in the formation of N2O and [{(Me2phen)Ni(NO)}2(μ-η(1)-N:η(1)-O)-NO2)][PF6] (3), along with the known complex, [Ni(bipy)3][PF6]2 (4). The isolation of complex 3, which contains a nitrite ligand, demonstrates that the reaction of [Ni(NO)(bipy)(Me2phen)][PF6] with exogenous NO results in NO disproportionation and not NO reduction. Complex 3 could also be accessed by reaction of [Ni(NO)(Me2phen)][PF6] (5) with (Me2phen)Ni(NO)(NO2) (7) in good yield. Complexes 3, 5, and 7 were fully characterized, including analysis by X-ray crystallography in the case of 3 and 7. Furthermore, addition of 0.5 equiv of bipy to [Ni(NO)(bipy)][PF6] results in formation of the hyponitrite complex, [{(bipy)Ni(κ(2)-O2N2)}η(1):η(1)-N,N-{Ni(NO)(bipy)}2][PF6]2 (9), in modest yield. Importantly, the hyponitrite ligand in 9 is thought to form via coupling of two NO(-) ligands and not by coupling of a nucleophilic nitrosyl ligand (NO(-)) with an electrophilic nitrosyl ligand (NO(+)). X-ray crystallography reveals that complex 9 features a new binding mode of the cis-hyponitrite ligand.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Catalysis
Rate-Determining Steps
In a multistep reaction mechanism, one of the elementary steps progresses significantly slower than the others. This slowest step is called the rate-limiting step (or rate-determining step). A reaction cannot proceed faster than its slowest step, and hence, the rate-determining step limits the overall reaction rate.
The concept of rate-determining step can be understood from the analogy of a 4-lane freeway with a short-stretch of traffic-bottleneck caused due to...
2° Amines to N-Nitrosamines: Reaction with NaNO2
1° Amines to Diazonium or Aryldiazonium Salts: Diazotization with NaNO2 Mechanism
Preparation of Nitriles
Nitrosation of Enols

