Proton transfer promoted by the coordination of protogenic Lewis bases to a Lewis acid is a critical step in catalytic transformations. Although the acidification of water upon coordination to a Lewis acid has been known for decades, no attempts have been made to correlate the Brønsted acidity of the coordinated water molecule with Lewis acid strength. To probe this effect, the pKa's (estimated error of 1.3 pKa units) in acetonitrile of ten protogenic Lewis bases coordinated to seven Lewis acids containing Lewis acidities varying 70 kcal mol−1, were computed. To quantify Lewis acid strength, the ability to transfer a hydride (hydride donor ability) from the respective main group hydride was used. Coordination of a Lewis acid to water increased the acidity of the bound water molecule between 20 and 50 pKa units. A linear correlation exhibiting a 2.6 pKa unit change of the Lewis acid–water adduct per ten kcal mol−1 change in hydride donor ability of the respective main group hydride was obtained. For the ten protogenic Lewis bases studied, the coordinated protogenic Lewis bases were acidified between 10 and 50 pKa units. On average, a ten kcal mol−1 change in hydride donor ability of the respective main group hydride resulted in about a 2.8 pKa unit change in the Brønsted acidity of the Lewis acid–Lewis base adducts. Since attempts to computationally investigate the pKa of main group dihydrogen complexes were unsuccessful, experimental determination of the first reported pKa of a main group dihydrogen complex is described. The pKa of H2-B(C6F5)3 was determined to be 5.8 ± 0.2 in acetonitrile.

The synthesis and characterization of one or two BODIPY fragments appended to four new chiral and one new achiral diamines is described. All of the examined BODIPY-appended diamines exhibit a quasireversible-irreversible reduction, with two reductions (separated by about 100 mV) observed in the case of diamines containing two BODIPY molecules. Only the BODIPY-appended ortho-phenylenediamines did not fluoresce under UV light. Computational analysis showed that the absence of fluorescence of the BODIPY-appended ortho-phenylenediamines is likely due to intramolecular quenching of the excited state electron within the phenylenediamine ligand. Computational analysis also showed that the incorporation of a BODIPY molecule greatly reduces the basicity of the amine center, by about 10–14 pKa units. The BODIPY moiety was found to be more electron withdrawing than a tosyl and a pentafluorophenyl group, suggesting why excess metals are needed in heavy metal sensor applications (heteroatom-appended BODIPYs = poor ligands). An improved procedure for the scalable synthesis (greater than three grams) of 8-methanethio-BODIPY, a common starting material for the generation of heteroatom-appended BODIPY molecules, is also described.

In this computational study, the thermodynamics of hydrogen, hydride, and proton transfer from 22 phosphonium-borohydride intramolecular and intermolecular frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) to eight probe substrates was investigated. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the thermodynamics of H2 transfer with intramolecular phosphonium-borohydrides; to determine whether intramolecular or intermolecular FLPs are preferred in FLP-catalyzed hydrogenation reactions. Comparison of the computed thermodynamic values showed that by connecting a borohydride and phosphonium center through a linker, H2 loss from the respective intramolecular phosphonium-borohydride became less favorable by about five and seven kcal mol−1 in acetonitrile and toluene, respectively. Connecting the borohydride and phosphonium centers also resulted in both hydride and proton loss becoming less favorable, on average, by about 10.0 kcal mol−1 and about 4.6 pKa units, respectively. Analysis of hydrogen, proton, and hydride transfer to eight probe substrates showed that initial proton transfer is 49 and 20 kcal mol−1 more favorable than the initial hydride transfer in the reduction of nitrogen-containing and oxygen-containing unsaturated substrates, respectively. These results suggest that proton transfer, followed by hydride transfer occurs in the reduction of imines, ketones, aldehydes, and enamines. From the thermodynamic analysis of proton and hydride transfer, an intramolecular phosphonium-borohydride was the desired catalyst for the reduction of imines and enamines, while an intermolecular phosphonium-borohydride was the favored catalyst for the reduction of ketones and aldehydes.

This manuscript describes a combination of DFT calculations and experiments to assess the reduction of borazines (B–N heterocycles) by η6-coordination to Cr(CO)3 or [Mn(CO)3]+ fragments. The energy requirements for borazine reduction are established as well as the extent to which coordination of borazine to a transition metal influences hydride affinity, basicity, and subsequent reduction steps at the coordinated borazine molecule. Borazine binding to M(CO)3 fragments decreases the thermodynamic hydricity by >30 kcal mol−1, allowing it to easily accept a hydride. These hydricity criteria were used to guide the selection of appropriate reagents for borazine dearomatization. Reduction was achieved with an H2-derived hydride source, and importantly, a pathway which proceeds through a single electron reduction and H-atom transfer reaction, mediated by anthraquinone was uncovered. The latter transformation was also carried out electrochemically, at relatively positive potentials by comparison to all prior reports, thus establishing an important proof of concept for any future electrochemical BN bond reduction.

Interest in reductions with main group hydrides has been reinvigorated with the discovery of frustrated Lewis pairs. Computational analysis showed that the borohydride of the commonly used Lewis acid B(C6F5)3 was determined to be 15 kcal/mol less reducing than borohydride ([BH4]−), 22 kcal/mol less reducing than aluminum hydride ([AlH4]−), and 41 kcal/mol less reducing than superhydride ([HBEt3]−). In addition to [HB(C6F5)3]−, a hydride donor ability scale with an estimated error of ∼3 kcal/mol includes 132 main group hydrides with gradually changing reducing capabilities spanning 160 kcal/mol. The scale includes representatives from organosilanes, organogermanes, organostannanes, borohydrides, boranes, aluminum hydrides, NADH analogues, and CH hydride donors. The large variety of reducing agents and the wide span of the scale (ranging from 0.5 to 160 kcal/mol in acetonitrile) make the scale a useful tool for the future design of metal-based or main group reducing agents.

This manuscript describes a combination of DFT calculations and experiments to assess the reduction of borazines (B–N heterocycles) by η6-coordination to Cr(CO)3 or [Mn(CO)3]+ fragments. The energy requirements for borazine reduction are established as well as the extent to which coordination of borazine to a transition metal influences hydride affinity, basicity, and subsequent reduction steps at the coordinated borazine molecule. Borazine binding to M(CO)3 fragments decreases the thermodynamic hydricity by >30 kcal mol−1, allowing it to easily accept a hydride. These hydricity criteria were used to guide the selection of appropriate reagents for borazine dearomatization. Reduction was achieved with an H2-derived hydride source, and importantly, a pathway which proceeds through a single electron reduction and H-atom transfer reaction, mediated by anthraquinone was uncovered. The latter transformation was also carried out electrochemically, at relatively positive potentials by comparison to all prior reports, thus establishing an important proof of concept for any future electrochemical BN bond reduction.

Proton transfer promoted by the coordination of protogenic Lewis bases to a Lewis acid is a critical step in catalytic transformations. Although the acidification of water upon coordination to a Lewis acid has been known for decades, no attempts have been made to correlate the Brønsted acidity of the coordinated water molecule with Lewis acid strength. To probe this effect, the pKa's (estimated error of 1.3 pKa units) in acetonitrile of ten protogenic Lewis bases coordinated to seven Lewis acids containing Lewis acidities varying 70 kcal mol−1, were computed. To quantify Lewis acid strength, the ability to transfer a hydride (hydride donor ability) from the respective main group hydride was used. Coordination of a Lewis acid to water increased the acidity of the bound water molecule between 20 and 50 pKa units. A linear correlation exhibiting a 2.6 pKa unit change of the Lewis acid–water adduct per ten kcal mol−1 change in hydride donor ability of the respective main group hydride was obtained. For the ten protogenic Lewis bases studied, the coordinated protogenic Lewis bases were acidified between 10 and 50 pKa units. On average, a ten kcal mol−1 change in hydride donor ability of the respective main group hydride resulted in about a 2.8 pKa unit change in the Brønsted acidity of the Lewis acid–Lewis base adducts. Since attempts to computationally investigate the pKa of main group dihydrogen complexes were unsuccessful, experimental determination of the first reported pKa of a main group dihydrogen complex is described. The pKa of H2-B(C6F5)3 was determined to be 5.8 ± 0.2 in acetonitrile.

In this computational study, the thermodynamics of hydrogen, hydride, and proton transfer from 22 phosphonium-borohydride intramolecular and intermolecular frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) to eight probe substrates was investigated. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the thermodynamics of H2 transfer with intramolecular phosphonium-borohydrides; to determine whether intramolecular or intermolecular FLPs are preferred in FLP-catalyzed hydrogenation reactions. Comparison of the computed thermodynamic values showed that by connecting a borohydride and phosphonium center through a linker, H2 loss from the respective intramolecular phosphonium-borohydride became less favorable by about five and seven kcal mol−1 in acetonitrile and toluene, respectively. Connecting the borohydride and phosphonium centers also resulted in both hydride and proton loss becoming less favorable, on average, by about 10.0 kcal mol−1 and about 4.6 pKa units, respectively. Analysis of hydrogen, proton, and hydride transfer to eight probe substrates showed that initial proton transfer is 49 and 20 kcal mol−1 more favorable than the initial hydride transfer in the reduction of nitrogen-containing and oxygen-containing unsaturated substrates, respectively. These results suggest that proton transfer, followed by hydride transfer occurs in the reduction of imines, ketones, aldehydes, and enamines. From the thermodynamic analysis of proton and hydride transfer, an intramolecular phosphonium-borohydride was the desired catalyst for the reduction of imines and enamines, while an intermolecular phosphonium-borohydride was the favored catalyst for the reduction of ketones and aldehydes.