Dinuclear oxidative addition reactions using an isostructural series of Ni2, Co2, and Fe2 complexes

Dalton Trans. 2017 May 2;46(17):5493-5497. doi: 10.1039/c6dt04465d.

Abstract

A family of low-valent Ni2, Co2, and Fe2 naphthyridine-diimine (NDI) complexes is presented. Ligand-based π* orbitals are sufficiently low-lying to fall within the metal 3d manifold, resulting in electronic structures that are highly delocalized across the conjugated [NDI]M2 system. This feature confers stability to metal-metal interactions during two-electron redox reactions, as demonstrated in a prototypical oxidative addition of allyl chloride.