Issue 21, 2019

Metal vs. ligand protonation and the alleged proton-shuttling role of the azadithiolate ligand in catalytic H2 formation with FeFe hydrogenase model complexes

Abstract

Electron and proton transfer reactions of diiron complexes [Fe2adt(CO)6] (1) and [Fe2adt(CO)4(PMe3)2] (4), with the biomimetic azadithiolate (adt) bridging ligand, have been investigated by real-time IR- and UV-vis-spectroscopic observation to elucidate the role of the adt-N as a potential proton shuttle in catalytic H2 formation. Protonation of the one-electron reduced complex, 1, occurs on the adt-N yielding 1H and the same species is obtained by one-electron reduction of 1H+. The preference for ligand vs. metal protonation in the Fe2(I,0) state is presumably kinetic but no evidence for tautomerization of 1H to the hydride 1Hy was observed. This shows that the adt ligand does not work as a proton relay in the formation of hydride intermediates in the reduced catalyst. A hydride intermediate 1HHy+ is formed only by protonation of 1H with stronger acid. Adt protonation results in reduction of the catalyst at much less negative potential, but subsequent protonation of the metal centers is not slowed down, as would be expected according to the decrease in basicity. Thus, the adtH+ complex retains a high turnover frequency at the lowered overpotential. Instead of proton shuttling, we propose that this gain in catalytic performance compared to the propyldithiolate analogue might be rationalized in terms of lower reorganization energy for hydride formation with bulk acid upon adt protonation.

Graphical abstract: Metal vs. ligand protonation and the alleged proton-shuttling role of the azadithiolate ligand in catalytic H2 formation with FeFe hydrogenase model complexes

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
20 fev 2019
Accepted
30 apr 2019
First published
02 may 2019
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Sci., 2019,10, 5582-5588

Metal vs. ligand protonation and the alleged proton-shuttling role of the azadithiolate ligand in catalytic H2 formation with FeFe hydrogenase model complexes

A. Aster, S. Wang, M. Mirmohades, C. Esmieu, G. Berggren, L. Hammarström and R. Lomoth, Chem. Sci., 2019, 10, 5582 DOI: 10.1039/C9SC00876D

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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