Inspiration, Frustration, and Fascination: An Excursion into Low-Oxidation State Main Group Chemistry

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This research award in the Chemical Synthesis (SYN) program supports work by Professor Gregory H. Robinson at The University of Georgia to probe the synthesis of a series of provocative low-oxidation state main group compounds. Importantly, sterically demanding N-heterocyclic carbene ligands will be utilized as stabilizing agents in this project. Major goals include: (a) the synthesis of various low-oxidation state boron compounds; (b) the preparation of interesting phosphorus anions and main group clusters; and (c) the synthesis of carbene-stabilized dimetallic complexes. It is expected that the fundamental discoveries that will result from this work will augment and expand our knowledge of highly reactive diatomic molecules such as B2, P2, and Si2. In addition, the carbene-stabilization of highly reactive molecules suggests unprecedented opportunities in synthetic chemistry from catalysis to materials chemistry. Undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows (from diverse backgrounds) engaged in this work will gain valuable experience in basic synthetic chemistry, the manipulation of air-sensitive compounds, single-crystal X-ray diffractometry, and basic computational chemistry.