Activation of manganese nitrido complexes by Brønsted and Lewis acids. Crystal structure and asymmetric alkene aziridination of a chiral salen manganese nitrido complex

Styrene is readily converted to 2-phenylaziridine by salen manganese(V) nitrido complexes in the presence of Bronsted or Lewis acids such as F3CCO2H or BF3, the crystal structure of a chiral manganese nitrido complex that can perform asymmetric alkene aziridination has been determined.