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Updated: Jun 26, 2025

Imine Metathesis by Silica-Supported Catalysts Using the Methodology of Surface Organometallic Chemistry
Published on: October 18, 2019
N2 cleavage by silylene and formation of H2Si(μ-N)2SiH2
Liyan Cai1, Bing Xu2, Juanjuan Cheng1
1School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Shanghai Key Lab of Chemical Assessment and Sustainability, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
Abstract:
Fixation and functionalisation of N2 by main-group elements has remained scarce. Herein, we report a fixation and cleavage of the N ≡ N triple bond achieved in a dinitrogen (N2) matrix by the reaction of hydrogen and laser-ablated silicon atoms. The four-membered heterocycle H2Si(μ-N)2SiH2, the H2SiNN(H2) and HNSiNH complexes are characterized by infrared spectroscopy in conjunction with quantum-chemical calculations. The synergistic interaction of the two SiH2 moieties with N2 results in the formation of final product H2Si(μ-N)2SiH2, and theoretical calculations reveal the donation of electron density of Si to π* antibonding orbitals and the removal of electron density from the π bonding orbitals of N2, leading to cleave the non-polar and strong NN triple bond.
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