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Dinitrogen Fixation: Rationalizing Strategies Utilizing Molecular Complexes
Author(s) -
Masero Fabio,
Perrin Marie A.,
Dey Subal,
Mougel Victor
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.202003134
Subject(s) - surface modification , chemistry , catalysis , combinatorial chemistry , stoichiometry , reaction mechanism , photochemistry , organic chemistry
Dinitrogen (N 2 ) is the most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere, but its inertness hinders its use as a nitrogen source in the biosphere and in industry. Efficient catalysts are hence required to ov. ercome the high kinetic barriers associated to N 2 transformation. In that respect, molecular complexes have demonstrated strong potential to mediate N 2 functionalization reactions under mild conditions while providing a straightforward understanding of the reaction mechanisms. This Review emphasizes the strategies for N 2 reduction and functionalization using molecular transition metal and actinide complexes according to their proposed reaction mechanisms, distinguishing complexes inducing cleavage of the N≡N bond before (dissociative mechanism) or concomitantly with functionalization (associative mechanism). We present here the main examples of stoichiometric and catalytic N 2 functionalization reactions following these strategies.