Although the main group species in the s and p blocks have begun to gain prominence in the field of dinitrogen (N2) activation in recent years, reports of carbene-mediated N2 activation remain particularly rare, especially for carbenes with a σ0π2 electronic configuration. Herein, we demonstrate examples of N2 activation initiated by a carbene with a σ0π2 electronic configuration and consequent N2 hydroboration reaction (with a reaction barrier as low as 19.9 kcal/mol) via density functional theory calculations.

Molecular nitrogen (N2), an abundant component of the atmosphere, is appealing for industrial value‐added products. However, its intrinsic inertness limits its activation to mainly metallic species. Environmental concerns and harsh reaction conditions have resulted in a demand for alternate nonmetallic and nontoxic routes to activate and functionalize N2 at ambient conditions. Comprehensive density functional theory (DFT) calculations are performed on N2 activation by boron species, specifically for the experimentally more accessible tricoordinated boron compounds.