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Isolable ArInH2: Double Hydroindation Agent
Adam Hochmal1, Zdeňka Růžičková1, Aleš Růžička1
1Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Pardubice, Pardubice, Czech Republic.
Chemistry (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|August 3, 2026
Summary
A novel indium hydride reagent, indane ArInH₂, was synthesized and demonstrated to be a versatile reducing agent. It effectively reacts with dichalcogenides, alcohols, aldehydes, and ketenes, showcasing its broad reactivity in organic synthesis.
Area of Science:
- Organometallic Chemistry
- Main Group Chemistry
- Synthetic Inorganic Chemistry
Background:
- Indium complexes with P,C,P-pincer ligands are valuable in catalysis and synthesis.
- Development of new reagents with multiple reactive sites is crucial for efficient chemical transformations.
- Hydroindation reactions offer a pathway for C-H bond functionalization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize a novel indium dihydride complex.
- To explore the reactivity of the synthesized indium dihydride as a reducing agent and hydride source.
- To investigate its potential as a double hydroindation agent.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of indium(III) chloride precursor.
- Reaction with potassium triethylborohydride to yield the indium dihydride.
- Characterization of the product by X-ray crystallography.
- Exploration of reactivity through reactions with dichalcogenides, alcohols, aldehydes, and ketene.
Main Results:
- Crystalline monomeric indane ArInH₂ (1) bearing two terminal In─H bonds was successfully synthesized.
- Indane 1 acted as a reductant for dichalcogenides, yielding ArIn(EPh)₂ (2E).
- It served as a hydride source for alcohols, producing mono- or disubstituted indium phenolates (3, 4).
- Indane 1 demonstrated unprecedented double hydroindation reactivity with aldehydes and ketene, forming ArIn(4-R-C₆H₄CH₂O)₂ (5R) and ArIn(Ph₂C═CH─O)₂ (6).
Conclusions:
- The synthesized indium dihydride is a versatile reagent with diverse applications in reduction and functionalization.
- Its ability to perform double hydroindation reactions opens new avenues in synthetic chemistry.
- The P,C,P-pincer ligand facilitates the stability and reactivity of the indium hydride species.
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