Dinitrogen protonation

Another reason for discussing the mechanism of nitration in these media separately from that in inert organic solvents is that, as indicated above, the nature of the electrophile is not established, and has been the subject of controversy. The cases for the involvement of acetyl nitrate, protonated acetyl nitrate, dinitrogen pentoxide and the nitronium ion have been advocated. 

The facts, in particular the dependence of first-order rate upon the concentration of acetyl nitrate (Appendix),could not be accounted for if protonated acetyl nitrate were the reagent. The same objections apply to the free nitronium ion. It might be possible to devise a means of generating dinitrogen pentoxide which would account for the facts of zeroth- and first-order nitration, but the participation of this reagent could not be reconciled with the anticatalysis by nitrate of first-order nitration. 

The symmetrical dimer [(Me3P)3CoH]2(//-N2) is formed by protonation of the dinitrogen cobaltate precursor and its crystal structure is reported.131 The complex reversibly binds N2, forming the monomer CoH(N2)(PMe3)3. 

The alternative mechanistic scenario for the protonation and reduction of end-on terminally coordinated N2 through the Schrock cycle is represented by the Chatt cycle which has been developed many years earlier (5). This system is based on Mo(0) and W(0) dinitrogen complexes with phosphine coligands (Fig. 3). As expected, the intermediates of the dinitrogen reduction scheme are very similar to those of the Schrock cycle. Moreover, a cyclic generation of NH3 from N2 has been demonstrated on the basis of this system, however, with very small yields (3,4a). In order to obtain general insight into the mechanism of the Chatt cycle we have studied most of the intermediates of Fig. 3 with... 

The [MoOI(prP4)] precursor 3 was finally converted to the corresponding dinitrogen complex by electrochemical reduction with a Hg pool electrode in the presence of dinitrogen and phenol. The latter reagent was added as a weak acid to induce protonation of the oxo group and subsequent elimination as water. The blue solution of the Mo oxo complex thereby turned... 

The mechanism and sequence of events that control delivery of protons and electrons to the FeMo cofactor during substrate reduction is not well understood in its particulars.8 It is believed that conformational change in MoFe-protein is necessary for electron transfer from the P-cluster to the M center (FeMoco) and that ATP hydrolysis and P release occurring on the Fe-protein drive the process. Hypothetically, P-clusters provide a reservoir of reducing equivalents that are transferred to substrate bound at FeMoco. Electrons are transferred one at a time from Fe-protein but the P-cluster and M center have electron buffering capacity, allowing successive two-electron transfers to, and protonations of, bound substrates.8 Neither component protein will reduce any substrate in the absence of its catalytic partner. Also, apoprotein (with any or all metal-sulfur clusters removed) will not reduce dinitrogen. 

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