Copper(I) Catalysed Diboron(4) Reduction of Nitrous Oxide

A process for the catalytic reduction of nitrous oxide using NHC‐ligated copper(I) tert‐butoxide precatalysts and B2pin2 as the reductant is reported. These reactions proceed under mild conditions via copper(I)‐boryl intermediates which react with N2O by facile O‐atom insertion into the Cu−B bond and liberate N2. Turnover numbers >800 can be achieved at 80 °C under 1 bar N2O. A new process for the deoxygenation of nitrous oxide is presented which uses copper(I) boryl complexes as highly productive catalysts and leverages the oxophilicity of boron as a thermodynamic driving force. Selective N−O bond activation of nitrous oxide is mediated by O‐atom insertion into the metal–boron bond and turnover numbers over 800 can be achieved under mild conditions.