Electrocatalytic Proton Reduction by a Cobalt Complex Containing a Proton‐Responsive Bis(alkylimdazole)methane Ligand: Involvement of a C−H Bond in H<sub>2</sub> Formation
Pradip Ghosh, Sander D. de Vos, Martin Lutz, F. Gloaguen, Philippe Schollhammer, Marc‐Etienne Moret, Robertus J. M. Klein Gebbink
Abstract
Abstract Homogeneous electrocatalytic proton reduction is reported using cobalt complex [ 1 ](BF 4 ) 2 . This complex comprises two bis(1‐methyl‐4,5‐diphenyl‐1 H ‐imidazol‐2‐yl)methane (HBMIM ) ligands that contain an acidic methylene moiety in their backbone. Upon reduction of [ 1 ](BF 4 ) 2 by either electrochemical or chemical means, one of its HBMIM ligands undergoes deprotonation under the formation of dihydrogen. Addition of a mild proton source (acetic acid) to deprotonated complex [ 2 ](BF 4 ) regenerates protonated complex [ 1 ](BF 4 ) 2 . In presence of acetic acid in acetonitrile solvent [ 1 ](BF 4 ) 2 shows electrocatalytic proton reduction with a k obs of ≈200 s −1 at an overpotential of 590 mV. Mechanistic investigations supported by DFT (BP86) suggest that dihydrogen formation takes place in an intramolecular fashion through the participation of a methylene C−H bond of the HBMIM ligand and a Co II −H bond through formal heterolytic splitting of the latter. These findings are of interest to the development of responsive ligands for molecular (base)metal (electro)catalysis.