Transition metal-mediated dinitrogen functionalisation with boron

Abstract

The quest for efficient dinitrogen transformations has continuously attracted interest from the chemical community. Since the advent of dinitrogen coordination chemistry, N₂ complexes have proven valuable platforms for the conversion of dinitrogen into nitrogen compounds such as ammonia or silylamines. Although less developed, probably as a consequence of challenging implementation into catalysis, functionalization of N₂ with other elements than H or Si does hold great promise in view of the ubiquity of nitrogen-containing compounds and materials in chemistry. The present article focuses on the currently available methods to functionalise dinitrogen activated by transition metal centres with boron reagents resulting in N–B bond formation.