Experimental and theoretical treatment of hydrogen splitting and storage in boron–nitrogen systems

Hydrogen gas serves as a reducing agent and hydrogen atom source in numerous industrially important chemical processes and also has a great potential as a clean power source for fuel cells. In this respect, the reversible storage of hydrogen and the development of new metal-free hydrogenation catalysts are important tasks. Here, we review the recent literature, primarily on cases where the split H2 forms an N–H⋯H–B dihydrogen bond. In these systems dihydrogen interaction was found to be the key actor in the hydrogen liberating process. Accordingly, the intramolecular ansa-aminoboranes (where B and N atoms are situated within each other’s range) can reversibly activate hydrogen. Moreover, the theoretical studies of the hydrogen splitting by bulky Lewis acid–Lewis base systems are discussed.