N2HX COORDINATION AT THE TRIPOD-COBALT TEMPLATE CH3C(CH(2)PPH(2))(3)CO - THE TRANSFORMATION OF ETA(2)-HNNME(2) INTO ETA(1)-NNME(2) LIGANDS

While eta(2)-coordination of N2H4 and N2H3- to tripod-cobalt entities has been reported, stabilization of N2H2 in this system has not yet be en achieved. It is observed that [tripodCo(eta(2)- HNNMe(2))](+) (3) i s transformed into [tripodCo(eta(1)-NNMe(2))](+) (4) by reaction with LiN(TMS), as a base. The deprotonation of 3 is accompanied by a redox reaction, and the overall reaction corresponds to the transformation o f 3 to 4 with the loss of an electron and a proton. The observed coupl ing of deprotonation and oxidation is just the reverse of the processe s assumed to occur during nitrogen fixation. The results are establish ed by the usual analytical and spectroscopic techniques as well as by X-ray analyses.