Modulation of H+/H− exchange in iridium-hydride 2-hydroxypyridine complexes by remote Lewis acids

A series of iridium hydride complexes featuring dihydrogen bonding are presented and shown to undergo rapid H+/H− exchange (1240 s−1 at 25 °C). We demonstrate that the H+/H− exchange rate can be modified by post-synthetic modification at a remote site using BH3, Zn(C6F5)2, and [Me3O][BF4]. This route provides a complementary strategy to traditional methods that rely on pre-metalation modifications to a metal's primary sphere.