Ammonia formation by a thiolate-bridged diiron amide complex as a nitrogenase mimic

Although it is achieved routinely by nitrogenases, the conversion of molecular dinitrogen into ammonia under ambient conditions is proving difficult with synthetic systems. A thiolate-bridged diiron complex has now been developed that produces ammonia from coordinated N2H2 through a sequence of reduction and protonation reactions that may well mimic the biological nitrogen fixation.