Hydrodehalogenation of alkyl halides catalyzed by a trichloroniobium complex with a redox active α-diimine ligand.

A high-valent d0 niobium(v) complex, (α-diimine)NbCl3 (1), bearing a dianionic redox-active α-diimine ligand served as a catalyst for a hydrodehalogenation reaction of alkyl halides in the presence of PhSiH3. During the catalytic reaction, the redox-active α-diimine ligand allowed the complex to reversibly release and accept one-electron through switching its coordination mode between a dianionic folded form and a monoanionic planar one.