Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.130, No.35, 11610-11610, 2008
Reversible heterolysis of H-2 mediated by an M-S(thiolate) bond (M = Ir, Rh): A mechanistic implication for [NiFe] hydrogenase
Facile H-2 heterolysis was found to be mediated by coordinatively unsaturated Cp*Ir and Cp*Rh thiolate complexes. The reaction of iridium complex is reversible, and the formation of an intermediary Ir-H/thiol complex was detected. The reversible conversion between thiolate complex+H-2 and hydride complex+thiol provides an intriguing functional model of [NiFe] hydrogenase.