Graphical Abstract
Ligand formed by CN bond cleavage: Transition-metal-promoted heterolytic cleavage of the CN bond in 1 results in the formation of five new complexes of cis hyponitrite with Group 10 transition metals. The new complexes include [Ni(η2-O2N2)(dppf)] (dppf=1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)ferrocene) which is structurally characterized and the thermal decomposition of which follows unimolecular kinetics.