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Updated: Feb 21, 2026

The Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity of a Series of Ruthenium N-triphosPh Complexes
Published on: April 10, 2015
Protonation and electrochemical reduction of rhodium- and iridium-dinitrogen complexes in organic solution
Gannon P Connor1, Nicholas Lease, Andrea Casuras
1Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA. patrick.holland@yale.edu james.mayer@yale.edu.
Abstract:
Protonation and reduction of pincer-ligated Rh- and Ir-N2 complexes have been studied by NMR spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry to assess the capability of these complexes to activate or reduce N2. Protonation, which is a prerequisite to electrochemical reduction, results in a cationic metal-hydride that loses N2 under an atmosphere of Ar. Reduction of the metal-hydride results in fast disproportionation of an unobserved transient Ir2+ species. These studies suggest that the regioselectivity of initial protonation is a strong determinant for the ability of a system to facilitate the reduction of N2.
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