Harnessing the Metal-Ligand Multiple Bond: Paths towards New Utilizable Metal Complexes and their Applications

Investigating the nature of the metal-ligand bond within any transition metal complex allows the inorganic researcher to have at their disposal valuable information regarding metal oxidation state and orbital occupation available for potential future reactivity and applications. The critical value of this information can be seen in the target goals and results of the projects outlined in this work. Chapter 1 discusses dinitrogen activation, which is explored and successful with a vanadium (II) PNP pincer ligand framework. Chapter 3 outlines the activation of chemically inert small molecule N2O and is also successful with a vanadium (II) nacnac beta-diketiminate ligand.;Small molecule activation by these vanadium organometallic complexes was verified only in conjunction with characterization data that provided information on complex oxidation state. Characterization tools utilized in this study included paramagnetic 1H NMR, 31P NMR, 51V NMR, 19F NMR, UV-Vis Spectroscopy, Raman Spectroscopy, IR Spectroscopy, Cyclic Voltammetry, X-Ray Diffraction, and SQUID Magnetometry. Mechanistic studies involving metal-ligand bonds also rely heavily on spectroscopy which can be seen in the utilization of UV-Vis spectroscopy in the study of the mechanism of the conversion of a vanadium azide to vanadium nitride in Chapter 2. Additionally, Chapter 4 outlines the quest for catalytic sources of iron via reductive elimination from iron organometallic complexes which rely on these methods as well.