Hydrodehalogenation of alkyl halides catalyzed by a trichloroniobium complex with a redox active α-diimine ligand

Abstract

A high-valent d⁰ niobium(V) complex, (α-diimine)NbCl₃ (1), bearing a dianionic redox-active α-diimine ligand served as a catalyst for a hydrodehalogenation reaction of alkyl halides in the presence of PhSiH₃. During the catalytic reaction, the redox-active α-diimine ligand allowed the complex to reversibly release and accept one-electron through switching its coordination mode between a dianionic folded form and a monoanionic planar one.