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.
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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.