A Borane Lewis Acid in the Secondary Coordination Sphere of a Ni(II) Imido Imparts Distinct C-H Activation Selectivity.

Two borane-functionalized bidentate phosphine ligands that vary in tether length have been prepared to examine cooperative metal-substrate interactions. Ni(0) complexes react with aryl azides at low temperatures to form structurally unusual κ-()-NAr adducts. Warming these adducts affords products of N extrusion and in one case, a Ni-imido compound that is capped by the appended borane. Reactions with 1-azidoadamantane (AdN) provide a distinct outcome, where a proposed nickel imido intermediate activates the sp C-H bonds of arenes, even in the presence of benzylic C-H sites. Combined experimental and computational mechanistic studies demonstrate that the unique reactivity is a consequence of Lewis-acid-induced polarization of the Ni-NR bond, potentially providing a synthetic strategy for chemoselective reaction engineering.