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Reversible Dihydrogen Activation and Hydride Transfer by a Uranium Nitride Complex
Marta Falcone1, Lok Nga Poon1, Farzaneh Fadaei Tirani1
1Institut des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|January 26, 2018
Summary
A uranium nitride complex reversibly cleaves dihydrogen under mild conditions. This reactivity enables hydride transfer to other molecules, advancing nitrogen fixation research.
Area of Science:
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Organometallic Chemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Dihydrogen cleavage is crucial for nitrogen (N2) conversion to ammonia.
- Developing efficient catalysts for mild dihydrogen activation remains a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the reactivity of a molecular uranium nitride complex towards dihydrogen.
- To explore the potential of uranium complexes in catalytic transformations.
Main Methods:
- Reaction of a uranium nitride complex with dihydrogen (H2) under mild conditions.
- Characterization of the resulting diuranium(IV) complex.
- Investigation of hydride transfer reactions with acetonitrile and carbon dioxide.
Main Results:
- The uranium nitride complex reversibly cleaved dihydrogen at room temperature and 1 atm H2.
- A rare hydride-imide bridged diuranium(IV) complex was formed.
- This complex readily transferred hydride to acetonitrile and carbon dioxide, forming new UIV species.
Conclusions:
- Molecular uranium complexes can activate dihydrogen under mild conditions.
- The observed reactivity highlights the potential of uranium chemistry in catalysis and nitrogen fixation.
- This study provides new insights into the fundamental steps of nitrogen transformation.
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