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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Nathan Davison, Dr Paul Waddell, Dr Erli Lu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.Given their very negative redox potential (e.g., Li+ → Li(0), −3.04 V; K+ → K(0), −2.93 V), chemical reduction of Group-1 metal cations is one of the biggest challenges in inorganic chemistry: they are widely accepted as irreducible in the synthetic chemistry regime. Their reduction usually requires harsh electrochemical conditions. Herein we suggest a new strategy: via a heterobimetallic electride intermediate and using the nonbinding “free” electron as reductant. Based on our previously reported K+[LiN(SiMe3)2]e- heterobimetallic electride, we demonstrate the reducibility of both K+ and Li+ cations. Moreover, we find that external Lewis base ligands, namely tris[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]amine (Me6Tren) or 2,2,2-cryptand, can exert a level of reducing selectivity by preferably binding to Li+ (Me6Tren) or K+ (2,2,2-cryptand), hence pushing the electron to the other cation.
Author(s): Davison N, Waddell PG, Lu E
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of the American Chemical Society
Year: 2023
Volume: 145
Issue: 31
Pages: 17007-17012
Print publication date: 09/08/2023
Online publication date: 21/07/2023
Acceptance date: 09/06/2023
Date deposited: 12/09/2023
ISSN (print): 0002-7863
ISSN (electronic): 1520-5126
Publisher: American Chemical Society
URL: https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c06066
DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c06066
PubMed id: 37478322
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