Reduction of Li+ within a borate anion

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 2590 - 8
• Main Authors: Li, Haokun, Yao, Jiachen, Xu, Gan, Yiu, Shek-Man, Siu, Chi-Kit, Wang, Zhen, Peng, Yung-Kang, Xie, Yi, Wang, Ying, Lu, Zhenpin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 22.03.2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 140/131; 639/638/263/406; 639/638/549/933; 639/638/911/406; Anions; Borates; Boron; Carbon dioxide; Cations; Chemical reactions; Chemical reduction; Electronegativity; Humanities and Social Sciences; Ligands; Lithium; Lithium ions; Metal ions; Metals; multidisciplinary; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Oxidation; Periodic table; Radicals; Reagents; Redox properties; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Single crystals; Synthesis
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46948-8

Group 1 elements exhibit the lowest electronegativity values in the Periodic Table. The chemical reduction of Group 1 metal cations M + to M(0) is extremely challenging. Common tetraaryl borates demonstrate limited redox properties and are prone to decomposition upon oxidation. In this study, by employing simple yet versatile bipyridines as ligands, we synthesized a series of redox-active borate anions characterized by NMR and X-ray single-crystal diffraction. Notably, the borate anion can realize the reduction of Li + , generating elemental lithium metal and boron radical, thereby demonstrating its potent reducing ability. Furthermore, it can serve as a powerful two-electron-reducing reagent and be readily applied in various reductive homo-coupling reactions and Birch reduction of acridine. Additionally, this borate anion demonstrates its catalytic ability in the selective two-electron reduction of CO 2 into CO. Chemical reduction of alkali cations to their metals is extremely challenging. Here, the authors synthesized a series of redox-active borate anions stabilized by bipyridine ligands which can reduce lithium ions generating elemental lithium metal and borate radicals.