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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Thermochemical Studies of Ni(II) and Zn(II) Ternary Complexes Using Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry
Published on: June 8, 2022
Ni(DQ)2: A Useful Gateway to Zero-Valent Nickel Complexes.
Wen-Ji He1, Shili Fang1, Shenghua Yang1
1Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.
We synthesized Ni(DQ)2 (duroquinone) as a convenient Ni(0) source for organometallic chemistry. This air-stable precatalyst facilitates ligand exchange and is effective where other nickel precursors fail.
Area of Science:
- Organometallic Chemistry
- Synthetic Chemistry
Background:
- Nickel complexes are vital in catalysis.
- Developing new Ni(0) sources is crucial for advancing synthetic methodologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a convenient synthesis of Ni(DQ)2 (duroquinone).
- To demonstrate Ni(DQ)2 as a versatile Ni(0) precatalyst.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis guided by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations.
- Exploration of ligand exchange reactions.
- Evaluation as a precatalyst in organometallic reactions.
Main Results:
- Ni(DQ)2 was synthesized from Ni(II) and Ni(0) precursors.
- Ni(DQ)2 readily exchanges ligands with phosphine, bis-nitrogen, and diene ligands.
- Ni(DQ)2 serves as an effective air-stable Ni(0) precatalyst, outperforming Ni(COD)(DQ) in certain applications.
Conclusions:
- Ni(DQ)2 is a convenient and versatile Ni(0) source.
- Its unique ligand environment enables facile ligand exchange.
- Ni(DQ)2 expands the scope of nickel-catalyzed synthetic transformations.
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