Kappa what? Insights into the coordination modes of N2P2 ligands

While first synthesized more than three decades ago, complexes supported by N2P2 ligands have seen renewed interest due to the synthesis of new ligands, expansion of their reactivity, and catalytic applications. Possessing both soft phosphines and hard nitrogen donors, N2P2 ligands can accommodate various metal geometries and coordination modes thanks to their capability to act as bidentate, tridentate or tetradentate ligands. This short review will explore how metals bind to these ligands and also highlight the complexes' reactivity and catalytic abilities.