Dihydrogen Adduct (Co-H₂) Complexes Displaying H-atom and Hydride Transfer

Abstract

The prototypical reactivity profiles of transition metal dihydrogen complexes (M‐H₂) are well‐characterized with respect to oxidative addition (to afford dihydrides, M(H)₂) and as acids, heterolytically delivering H⁺ to a base and H⁻ to the metal. In the course of this study we explored plausible alternative pathways for H₂ activation, namely direct activation through H‐atom or hydride transfer from the σ‐H₂ adducts. To this end, we describe herein the reactivity of an isostructural pair of a neutral S = ½ and an anionic S = 0 Co‐H₂ adduct, both supported by a trisphosphine borane ligand (P₃^B). The thermally stable metalloradical, (P₃^B)Co(H₂), serves as a competent precursor for hydrogen atom transfer to ᵗBu₃ArO·. What is more, its anionic derivative, the dihydrogen complex [(P₃^B)Co(H₂)]¹⁻, is a competent precursor for hydride transfer to BEt₃, establishing its remarkable hydricity. The latter finding is essentially without precedent among the vast number of M‐H₂ complexes known.