Terminal uranium(V)-nitride hydrogenations involving direct addition or Frustrated Lewis Pair mechanisms

Abstract

Despite their importance as mechanistic models for Haber Bosch ammonia synthesis from N2 and H2, high oxidation state terminal metal-nitrides are notoriously unreactive towards H2. Here, the authors report hydrogenolysis of a uranium(V)-nitride, which can occur directly or by Frustrated Lewis Pair chemistry with a borane ancillary.