Thermodynamic Modulation of Dihydrogen Activation Through Rational Ligand Design in Ge-Ni Complexes.

A family of chelating aryl-functionalized germylene ligands has been developed and employed in the synthesis of their corresponding 16-electron Ni complexes (DippGeAr·Ni·IPr; Dipp = {[PhPCHSi(Pr)](Dipp)N}; IPr = [{(H)CN(Dipp)}C:]; Dipp = 2,6-PrCH). These complexes demonstrate the ability to cooperatively and reversibly activate dihydrogen at the germylene-nickel interface under mild conditions (1.5 atm H, 298 K).