metalnitrene
Metalnitrene, also known as a metal–nitride complex, refers to a species in which a transition metal is bonded to a nitrogen atom that possesses a lone pair or a radical character. These compounds are of great interest in organometallic chemistry and catalysis because the metal–nitrene bond can mediate nitrene transfer reactions, such as aziridination, C–H amination, and olefin difunctionalization. Metalnitrenes are generally synthesized by oxidative addition of a nitrene precursor to a low‑valent metal center or by ligand‑exchange reactions involving metal‑imide intermediates. Common synthetically accessible nitrene sources include azides, imides, and N–heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes bearing σ‑donating ligands, which stabilize the high‑energy nitrene fragment.
The electronic structure of a metalnitrene typically involves a formally three‑coordinate nitrogen atom with a lone
Because of their reactivity, metalnitrene complexes serve as pivotal intermediates in catalytic nitrogen‑atom transfer processes. They