Inorganic Chemistry, Vol.48, No.10, 4271-4273, 2009
C-H Bond Activation of Decamethylcobaltocene Mediated by a Nitrogenase Fe8S7 P-Cluster Model
A C-H bond Of (Cp2Co)-Co-star was found to be cleaved by a [Fe8S7] cluster model of the nitrogenase P-cluster. This is the first example of C-H bond activation mediated by a biologically relevant Fe/S cluster. The reaction mechanism probably consists of electron transfer from (Cp2CO)-C-star to the [Fe8S7] cluster and subsequent proton abstraction by the reduced form of the cluster.