Exploiting Pincer Ligands to Perturb the Geometry at Boron

Unlocking Lewis acidity via the redox non-innocence of a phenothiazine-substituted borane

We describe a new approach to enhancing Lewis acidity, through the single electron oxidation of a borane with a pendant phenothiazine. This results in the formation of a persistent radical cation with increased electrophilicity. Computational and experimental studies indicate this radical cation significantly enhances the Lewis acidity and catalytic activity compared to its neutral analog. These results illustrate the viability of this approach in turning on the Lewis acidity of relatively inert boranes.

Ligand-enforced geometric constraints and associated reactivity in p-block compounds

The geometry at an element centre can generally be predicted based on the number of electron pairs around it using valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) theory. Strategies to distort p-block compounds away from these predicted geometries have gained considerable interest due to the unique structural outcomes, spectroscopic properties or reactivity patterns engendered by such distortion. This review presents an up-to-date group-wise summary of this exciting and rapidly growing field with a focus on understanding how the ligand employed unlocks structural features, which in turn influences the associated reactivity. Relevant geometrically constrained compounds from groups 13-16 are discussed, along with selected stoichiometric and catalytic reactions. Several areas for advancement in this field are also discussed. Collectively, this review advances the notion of geometric tuning as an important lever, alongside electronic and steric tuning, in controlling bonding and reactivity at p-block centres.

The Field of Main Group Lewis Acids and Lewis Superacids: Important Basics and Recent Developments

New developments in the field of Lewis acidity are highlighted, with the focus of novel Lewis acids and Lewis superacids of group 2, 13, 14, and 15 elements. Several important basics, illustrated by modern examples (classification of Donor-Acceptor (DA) complexes, amphoteric nature of any compound in terms of DA interactions, reorganization energies of main group Lewis acids and the role of the energies of frontier orbitals) are presented and discussed. It is emphasized that the Lewis acidity phenomena are general and play vital role in different areas of chemistry: from weak "atomophilic" interactions to the complexes of Lewis superacids.

Geometrically Constrained Organoboron Species as Lewis Superacids and Organic Superbases

This report unveils an advancement in the formation of a Lewis superacid (LSA) and an organic superbase by the geometrical deformation of an organoboron species towards a T-shaped geometry. The boron dication [2]2+ supported by an amido diphosphine pincer ligand features both a large fluoride ion affinity (FIA>SbF5 ) and hydride ion affinity (HIA>B(C6 F5 )3 ), which qualifies it as both a hard and soft LSA. The unusual Lewis acidic properties of [2]2+ are further showcased by its ability to abstract hydride and fluoride from Et3 SiH and AgSbF6 respectively, and effectively catalyze the hydrodefluorination, defluorination/arylation, as well as reduction of carbonyl compounds. One and two-electron reduction of [2]2+ affords stable boron radical cation [2]⋅+ and borylene 2, respectively. The former species has an extremely high spin density of 0.798e at the boron atom, whereas the latter compound has been demonstrated to be a strong organic base (calcd. pKBH + (MeCN)=47.4) by both theoretical and experimental assessment. Overall, these results demonstrate the strong ability of geometric constraining to empower the central boron atom.

Planar bismuth triamides: a tunable platform for main group Lewis acidity and polymerization catalysis

Geometric deformation in main group compounds can be used to elicit unique properties including strong Lewis acidity. Here we report on a family of planar bismuth(iii) complexes (cf. typically pyramidal structure for such compounds), which show a geometric Lewis acidity that can be further tuned by varying the steric and electronic features of the triamide ligand employed. The structural dynamism of the planar bismuth complexes was probed in both the solid and solution phase, revealing at least three distinct modes of intermolecular association. A modified Gutmann-Beckett method was used to assess their electrophilicity by employing trimethylphosphine sulfide in addition to triethylphosphine oxide as probes, providing insights into the preference for binding hard or soft substrates. Experimental binding studies were complemented by a computational assessment of the affinities and dissection of the latter into their intrinsic bond strength and deformation energy components. The results show comparable Lewis acidity to triarylboranes, with the added ability to bind two bases simultaneously, and reduced discrimination against soft substrates. We also study the catalytic efficacy of these complexes in the ring opening polymerization of cyclic esters ε-caprolactone and rac-lactide. The polymers obtained show excellent dispersity values and high molecular weights with low catalyst loadings used. The complexes retain their performance under industrially relevant conditions, suggesting they may be useful as less toxic alternatives to tin catalysts in the production of medical grade materials. Collectively, these results establish planar bismuth complexes as not only a novel neutral platform for main group Lewis acidity, but also a potentially valuable one for catalysis.

Pincer-Type Ligand-Assisted Catalysis and Small-Molecule Activation by non-VSEPR Main-Group Compounds

In 2005, a facile dihydrogen activation was reported by the Power group using an alkyne analog of germanium [ArGe≡GeAr; Ar=2,6-Trip₂ -C₆ H₃ (Trip=2,4,6-ⁱ Pr₃ -C₆ H₂ )]. After that, a significant progress has been made in the activation of various small molecules by main-group compounds, and a variety of stoichiometric and catalytic processes have been formulated using the p-block elements. In this regard, compounds containing low-valent main-group elements with a frontier orbitals of relatively small energy gaps or compounds forming frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) became quite successful. In spite of these promising stoichiometric and catalytic transformations, redox-cycling catalysts based on main-group elements remain extremely rare. Recently, it has been observed that pincer type ligands supported geometry constrained main-group compounds are capable of acting as redox catalysts similar to those of the transition metals. In this review, we focus on the synthesis and the structural aspects of the geometry constrained main-group compounds using pincer ligands. Emphasis has been placed on their applications on catalytic activity and small molecules activation.

Syntheses and structures of benzo-bis(1,3,2-diazaboroles) and acenaphtho-1,3,2-diazaboroles

Colorless crystalline 2,6-dibromo-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,5,7-tetraphenylbenzobis(diazaborole) 4 resulted from the cyclocondensation of 3,6-dimethyl-1,2,4,5-tetraphenylaminobenzene 3d with two equivalents of boron tribromide in the presence of calcium hydride. Synthesis of the dark-red crystalline 2-bromo-N,N'-bis(diisopropylphenyl)acenaphtho-1,3,2-diazaborole 7 was effected by the cyclocondensation of 1,2-bis(N-2',6'-diisopropylphenylimino)acenaphthene (5) and boron tribromide with subsequent sodium amalgam reduction of the initially formed burgundy red diazaborolium salt 6. Compounds 4, 6 and 7 are characterised by elemental analyses, ¹H, ¹¹B and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, as well as by single X-ray diffraction studies. The electronic structures of 4, 6 and 7 are subject to DFT calculations.