More than two decades after the discovery of the first stable carbene, we report the isolation and full characterization of a nitrogen analogue, namely a nitrene. The bonding situation is reminiscent to that of metallonitrenes (nitrido metal complexes), which have extensively been studied due to their implications in biological nitrogen fixation by the nitrogenase enzymes, and the industrial Haber-Bosch hydrogenation process of converting N2 into NH3. The reactivity of this novel compound will be discussed, e.g. we demonstrate that the nitrene can activate P4 and is capable of complete nitrogen atom transfer to an organic fragment.

Crystalline room temperature-stable singlet nitrene

245th National Meeting (2013)

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