Protonation of a Cobalt Phenylazopyridine Complex at the Ligand Yields a Proton, Hydride, and Hydrogen Atom Transfer Reagent

Protonation of the Co­(I) phenylazopyridine (azpy) complex [CpCo­(azpy)] 2 occurs at the azo nitrogen of the 2-phenylazopyridine ligand to generate the cationic Co­(I) complex [CpCo­(azpyH)]+ 3 with no change in oxidation state at Co. The N–H bond of 3 exhibits diverse hydrogen transfer reactivity, as studies with a variety of organic acceptors demonstrate that 3 can act as a proton, hydrogen atom, and hydride donor. The thermodynamics of all three cleavage modes for the N–H bond (i.e., proton, hydride, and hydrogen atom) were examined both experimentally and computationally. The N–H bond of 3 exhibits a pKa of 12.1, a hydricity of ΔG°H– = 89 kcal/mol, and a bond dissociation free energy (BDFE) of ΔG°H• = 68 kcal/mol in CD3CN. Hydride transfer from 3 to the trityl cation (ΔG°H– = 99 kcal/mol) is exergonic but takes several hours to reach completion, indicating that 3 is a relatively poor hydride donor, both kinetically and thermodynamically. Hydrogen atom transfer from 3 to 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-(4′-nitrophenyl)­phenoxyl radical (tBu2NPArO·, ΔG°H• = 77.8 kca/mol) occurs rapidly, illustrating the competence of 3 as a hydrogen atom donor.