Cooperative dinitrogen capture by a diboraanthracene/samarocene pair.

The combination of a boron Lewis acid and a decamethylsamarocene, specifically 9,10-Me2-9,10-diboraanthracene with (C5Me5)2SmII(THF)2, in toluene leads to cooperative reductive capture of N2. The product crystallizes as the salt, [(C5Me5)2SmIII(THF)2][(C5Me5)2SmIII(η2-N2B2C14H14)], 1, which formally is comprised of an (NN)2- moiety sandwiched between a [(C5Me5)2SmIII]1+ metallocene cation and the diboraanthracene ditopic Lewis acid.