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

Abstract

Abstract Herein, we report the efficient degradation of N 2 O with a well‐defined bis(silylene)amido iron complex as catalyst. The deoxygenation of N 2 O using the iron silanone complex 4 as a catalyst and pinacolborane (HBpin) as a sacrificial reagent proceeds smoothly at 50 °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 N 2 O 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.