Isolation of a Bimetallic Cobalt(III) Nitride and Examination of Its Hydrogen Atom Abstraction Chemistry and Reactivity toward H2.

Room temperature photolysis of the bis(azide)cobaltate(II) complex [Na(THF)x][(ketguan)Co(N3)2] (ketguan = [(tBu2CN)C(NDipp)2]-, Dipp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl) (3a) in THF cleanly forms the binuclear cobalt nitride Na(THF)4{[(ketguan)Co(N3)]2(μ-N)} (1). Compound 1 represents the first example of an isolable, bimetallic cobalt nitride complex, and it has been fully characterized by spectroscopic, magnetic, and computational analyses. Density functional theory supports a CoIII═N═CoIII canonical form with significant π-bonding between the cobalt centers and the nitride atom. Unlike other group 9 bridging nitride complexes, no radical character is detected at the bridging N atom of 1. Indeed, 1 is unreactive toward weak C-H donors and even cocrystallizes with a molecule of cyclohexadiene (CHD) in its crystallographic unit cell to give 1·CHD as a room temperature stable product. Notably, addition of pyridine to 1 or photolyzed solutions of [(ketguan)Co(N3)(py)]2 (4a) leads to destabilization via activation of the nitride unit, resulting in the mixed-valent Co(II)/Co(III) bridged imido species [(ketguan)Co(py)][(ketguan)Co](μ-NH)(μ-N3) (5) formed from intermolecular hydrogen atom abstraction (HAA) of strong C-H bonds (BDE ∼ 100 kcal/mol). Kinetic rate analysis of the formation of 5 in the presence of C6H12 or C6D12 gives a KIE = 2.5 ± 0.1, supportive of a HAA formation pathway. The reactivity of our system was further probed by photolyzing benzene/pyridine solutions of 4a under H2 and D2 atmospheres (150 psi), which leads to the exclusive formation of the bis(imido) complexes [(ketguan)Co(μ-NH)]2 (6) and [(ketguan)Co(μ-ND)]2 (6-D), respectively, as a result of dihydrogen activation. These results provide unique insights into the chemistry and electronic structure of late 3d metal nitrides while providing entryway into C-H activation pathways.