Redox noninnocence of the formazanate ligand applied to catalytic formation of α-ketoamides

The formazan ligands have been investigated as redox-noninnocent backbones for a long time. Despite their well-established behaviour as redox reservoirs, the demonstration of catalytic efficiency governed by redox noninnocence remains elusive. We report an iron-formazanate molecule for efficiently preparing alpha-keto amides, where a crucial reductive cleavage of the substrate molecule is tightly regulated by the electron donation from the formazanate, in a reversible manner.

Automated summary

Formazan ligands have long been investigated as redox-noninnocent backbones, but their catalytic efficiency governed by redox noninnocence remains elusive. In this study, we report an iron-formazanate molecule that can efficiently prepare alpha-keto amides through a tightly regulated reductive cleavage of the substrate molecule by the electron donation from the formazanate, in a reversible manner.