Reactions of equimolar quantities of secondary amine boranes, R(2)NH·BH(3), with the homoleptic group 2 alkyl compounds [M{CH(SiMe(3))(2)}(2)(THF)(2)] (M = Mg, Ca, Sr) provide the alkyl group 2 amido borane derivatives [M{CH(SiMe(3))(2)}{NR(2)BH(3)}(THF)](2). While the strontium derivatives of reactions with dimethylamine and pyrrolidine borane are stable and isolable compounds, the analogous m...

The [FeFe]-hydrogenase enzymes catalyze hydrogen oxidation and production efficiently with binuclear Fe metal centers. Recently the bioinspired H2-producing model system Fe2(adt)(CO)2(dppv)2 (adt=azadithiolate and dppv=diphosphine) was synthesized and studied experimentally. In this system, the azadithiolate bridge facilitates the formation of a doubly protonated ammonium-hydride species throug...

The ruthenium hydride [RuH(CNN)(dppb)] (1; CNN = 2-aminomethyl-6-tolylpyridine, dppb = 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane) reacts rapidly and irreversibly with CO2 under ambient conditions to yield the corresponding Ru formate complex 2. In contrast, the Ru hydride 1 reacts with acetone reversibly to generate the Ru isopropoxide, with the reaction free energy ΔG°(298 K) = -3.1 kcal/mol measured b...

Very few hydride complexes are known in which the metals have a high-spin electronic configuration. We describe the characterization of several high-spin iron(II) hydride/deuteride isotopologues and their exchange reactions with one another and with H2/D2. Though the hydride/deuteride signal is not observable in NMR spectra, the choice of isotope has an influence on the chemical shifts of dista...

Structural and in situ NMR spectroscopic studies show that N-H deprotonation, B-N bond cleavage and B-N bond formation can occur in the stoichiometric and catalytic reactions of LiAlH4 with Me2NHBH3.