Reversible, Metal-Free Hydrogen Activation (Stephan)
This LO discuss various aspects of a reversible hydrogen activation by a metal-free phosphonium-borate compound. Attentions are paid to the specific and usual reaction between highly steric phosphine and borane reactants to form a zwitterionic phosphonium borate product. NMR spectroscopy, kinetics and thermodynamics of the hydrogen activation with the phosphonium borate product are also discussed. The original work was published in Science by Douglas W. Stephan and co-workers.