Advances in Oxidatively-Induced Bond Formation
The ligands attached to a transition metal complex significantly influence its reactivity, revealing a complex interplay between ligand structure and the behavior of the corresponding complex.
One crucial factor is the strain within the complex, defined as deviations from ideal bond lengths and angles, which can enhance reactivity. In a recent Chemical Science paper, we delve into how strain-induced bond dissociation leads to subsequent dimerization in an iron "tucked-in" complex. Our findings show that the removal of a single electron from iron triggers immediate carbon-carbon (C-C) bond formation. These C-C bond-forming reactions are fundamental to synthetic chemistry. This study offers deeper insights into the effects of metal-carbon strain and metal oxidation states on reductive elimination, an essential transformation for understanding C-C bond formation mechanisms.
