NHI- and NHC-Supported Al(III) Hydrides for Amine–Borane Dehydrocoupling Catalysis

• Main Authors: Catherine Weetman, Nozomi Ito, Masafumi Unno, Franziska Hanusch, Shigeyoshi Inoue
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-07-01
• Series: Inorganics
• Subjects: aluminum; amine–borane; dehydrocoupling; homogeneous catalysis; N-heterocyclic carbenes; N-heterocyclic imines
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6740/7/8/92

The catalytic dehydrocoupling of amine−boranes has recently received a great deal of attention due to its potential in hydrogen storage applications. The use of aluminum catalysts for this transformation would provide an additional cost-effective and sustainable approach towards the hydrogen economy. Herein, we report the use of both N-heterocyclic imine (NHI)- and carbene (NHC)-supported Al(III) hydrides and their role in the catalytic dehydrocoupling of Me₂NHBH₃. Differences in the σ-donating ability of the ligand class resulted in a more stable catalyst for NHI-Al(III) hydrides, whereas a deactivation pathway was found in the case of NHC-Al(III) hydrides.