Bimetallic, Silylene‐Mediated Multielectron Reductions of Carbon Dioxide and Ethylene

Cobalt Silylenes as Platforms for Catalytic Nitrene‐Group Transfer by Metal–Ligand Cooperation

A powerful approach to cooperative group-transfer catalysis is demonstrated using the Co=Si bond of a cobalt silylene to provide two distinct sites for substrate activation. The orthogonal selectivity of the Co and Si centers enables efficient nitrene-group transfer to carbon monoxide by avoiding poisoning that would result from substrates competing for a single reactive site.

Cooperativity in Transition Metal Tetrylene Complexes

Cooperative reactivity between transition metals and ligands, or between two metals, has created significant opportunities for the development of new transformations that would be difficult to carry out with a single metal. Here we explore cooperativity between transition metals and divalent heavier group 14 elements (tetrylenes), a less-explored facet of the field of cooperativity. Tetrylenes combine their strong σ-donor properties with an empty p-orbital that can accept electron density. This ambiphilicity has allowed them to form metal tetrylene and metallotetrylene complexes that place a reactive site adjacent to the metal. We have selected examples to demonstrate what has been achieved so far regarding cooperative reactivity, as this already spans metal-, tetrylene- or multi-site-centred bond cleavage, cycloaddition, migration, metathesis, and insertion. We also highlight some challenges that need to be overcome for this cooperativity to make it to catalysis.