Main-Group Redox Catalysis and Frustrated Lewis Pair Chemistry
This community investigates the synthesis, structure, and reactivity of compounds involving main-group elements—such as bismuth, antimony, boron, and phosphorus—focusing on their ability to activate chemical bonds and catalyze organic transformations. The work centers on understanding how these elements function in coordination complexes and as Lewis acids or bases, often replacing traditional transition metals in catalytic cycles.
Recurring themes include the synthesis and characterization of bismuth and antimony complexes, the activation of inert bonds like C–H and C–F, and the application of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) in hydrogenation and other reactions. The research frequently details the crystal structures of these compounds to explain their reactivity, with significant attention to redox cycling in elements like bismuth, germanium, and tin. Applications range from organic synthesis methods, such as photocatalyzed couplings and trifluoromethylation, to the development of new ligand frameworks that enable ambiphilic reactivity. The work is fundamentally mechanistic, seeking to define how main-group elements can mimic or replace transition metals in catalytic processes.
The community is most prominent in research tracked for Bismuth, where it represents 3.5% of all Bismuth research, and Phosphorus, where it accounts for 2.4% of that element's research. It also holds a 2.4% share of Tin research.
The community comprises 51,020 papers, publishing most frequently in Inorganic Chemistry, Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements, and the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Recent work continues to explore redox catalysis with main-group elements, including aluminium-mediated cyclotrimerization, bismuth-photocatalyzed Heck-type couplings, and germanium-mediated bond activation, alongside the synthesis of stable radical species and boron-based frameworks.