Rybak-Akimova Research Group

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Tufts U.

Activation of nitrous oxide with coordinatively unsaturated molybdenum complexes:

Nitrous oxide is another small molecule which is potentially useful as an environmentally friendly oxidant. An unusual selective N-N bond cleavage in N₂O molecule facilitated by three-coordinate Mo(III) complexes was investigated in collaboration with

C.C. Cummins (MIT). Two molybdenum complex molecules are required to cleave one N₂O molecule, yielding a 1:1 mixture of nitride and nitrosyl adducts. The reaction is under kinetic rather than thermodynamic control. The coordination of N₂O to the molybdenum complex is the rate-limiting step, followed by a post rate-limiting bimetallic N-N bond scission process.

For more information on this project please take a look at a presentation from

XXXVI International Conference on Coordination Chemistry.