Dinuclear oxidative addition reactions using an isostructural series of Ni, Co, and Fe complexes.

A family of low-valent Ni, Co, and Fe naphthyridine-diimine (NDI) complexes is presented. Ligand-based π* orbitals are sufficiently low-lying to fall within the metal 3d manifold, resulting in electronic structures that are highly delocalized across the conjugated [NDI]M system. This feature confers stability to metal-metal interactions during two-electron redox reactions, as demonstrated in a prototypical oxidative addition of allyl chloride.