Deoxygenation of Nitrous Oxide and Nitro Compounds Using Bis(N-Heterocyclic Silylene)Amido Iron Complexes as Catalysts

Herein, we report the efficient degradation of N2O with a well-defined bis(silylene)amido iron complex as catalyst. The deoxygenation of N2O using the iron silanone complex 4 as a catalyst and pinacolborane (HBpin) as a sacrificial reagent proceeds smoothly at 50 degrees C to form N-2, H-2, and (pinB)(2)O. Mechanistic studies suggest that the iron-silicon cooperativity is the key to this catalytic transformation, which involves N2O activation, H atom transfer, H-2 release and oxygenation of the boron sites. This approach has been further developed to enable catalytic reductions of nitro compounds, producing amino-boranes with good functional-group tolerance and excellent chemoselectivity.