Achieving Control over the Reduction/Coupling Dichotomy of N<sub>2</sub> by Boron Metallomimetics
Annalena Gärtner, Uhut S. Karaca, Maximilian Rang, Myron Heinz, Philipp D. Engel, Ivo Krummenacher, Merle Arrowsmith, Alexander Hermann, Alexander Matler, Anna Rempel, Robert Witte, Holger Braunschweig, Max C. Holthausen, Marc‐André Légaré
Abstract
We report a detailed computational and experimental study of the fixation and reductive coupling of dinitrogen with low-valent boron compounds. Consistent with our mechanistic findings, the selectivity toward nitrogen fixation or coupling can be controlled through either steric bulk or the reaction conditions, allowing for the on-demand synthesis of nitrogen chains. The electronic structure and intriguing magnetic properties of intermediates and products of the reaction of dinitrogen with borylenes are also elucidated using high-level computational approaches.