The cleavage of N2 by a PNP pincer rhenium(III) dichloride complex (PNP = (tBu2PCH2CH2)2N−) to generate a terminal nitride, first demonstrated by Schneider and coworkers using strong chemical reductants, has been achieved electrochemically. Replacing the chemical reductant with an applied potential enables careful tuning of the reduction conditions, resulting in better selectivity for the desired product. An array of cyclic voltammetry and controlled potential electrolysis experiments under Ar and N2, in conjunction with UV-visible and IR spectroscopy, have provided new insights into the mechanism of this remarkable transformation.

Mechanistic insights into the electrochemical scission of dinitrogen by a pincer rhenium complex

254th National Meeting (2017)

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