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Metal-Ligand Cooperation Facilitates Bond Activation and Catalytic Hydrogenation with Zinc Pincer Complexes
Michael Rauch1, Sayan Kar1, Amit Kumar1
1Department of Organic Chemistry, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
Abstract:
A series of PNP zinc pincer complexes capable of bond activation via aromatization/dearomatization metal-ligand cooperation (MLC) were prepared and characterized. Reversible heterolytic N-H and H-H bond activation by MLC is shown, in which hemilability of the phosphorus linkers plays a key role. Utilizing this zinc pincer system, base-free catalytic hydrogenation of imines and ketones is demonstrated. A detailed mechanistic study supported by computation implicates the key role of MLC in facilitating effective catalysis. This approach offers a new strategy for (de)hydrogenation and other catalytic transformations mediated by zinc and other main group metals.
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