Double Deprotonation of CH3CN by an Iron-Aluminium Complex

Herein we present the first double deprotonation of acetonitrile (CH3CN) using two equivalents of a bimetallic iron-aluminium complex. The products of this reaction contain an exceeding simple yet rare [CHCN](2-) dianion moiety that bridges two metal fragments. DFT calculations suggest that the bonding to the metal centres occurs through heavily polarised covalent interactions. Mechanistic studies reveal the intermediacy of a monomeric [CH2CN](-) complex, which has been characterised in situ. Our findings provide an important example in which a bimetallic metal complex achieves a new type of reactivity not previously encountered with monometallic counterparts.([1, 2]) The isolation of a [CHCN](2-) dianion through simple deprotonation of CH3CN also offers the possibility of establishing a broader chemistry of this motif.

Automated summary

In this work, we report the first double deprotonation of acetonitrile (CH3CN) using a bimetallic iron-aluminium complex. The products of this reaction contain a simple yet rare [CHCN](2-) dianion moiety that bridges two metal fragments. DFT calculations suggest that the bonding to the metal centres occurs through heavily polarised covalent interactions. Mechanistic studies reveal the intermediacy of a monomeric [CH2CN](-) complex, which has been characterised in situ. Our findings provide an important example of a bimetallic metal complex achieving a new type of reactivity not previously encountered with monometallic counterparts. The isolation of a [CHCN](2-) dianion through simple deprotonation of CH3CN also offers the possibility of establishing a broader chemistry of this motif.