Coupling dinitrogen and hydrocarbons through aryl migration.

ABSTRACT: The activation of abundant molecules such as hydrocarbons and atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) remains a challenge because these molecules are often inert. The formation of carbon-nitrogen bonds from N₂ typically has required reactive organic precursors that are incompatible with the reducing conditions that promote N₂ reactivity¹, which has prevented catalysis. Here we report a diketiminate-supported iron system that sequentially activates benzene and N₂ to form aniline derivatives. The key to this coupling reaction is the partial silylation of a reduced iron-dinitrogen complex, followed by migration of a benzene-derived aryl group to the nitrogen. Further reduction releases N₂-derived aniline, and the resulting iron species can r

SUBMITTER: McWilliams SF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7430000 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature