Sustainable Alkaline Earth-derived systems for multi-component coupling chemistry, and the exploration of fundamental molecular beryllium systems

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The Alkaline Earth metals can be considered significant in two key respects: the heavier elements, specifically Mg and Ca, are two of the most abundant metals on our planet, and thus stand as highly promising central reactive sites in sustainable catalytic systems. Conversely, the chemistry of the lightest Alkaline Earth element, Be, remains the least studied amongst all non-radioactive metals of the periodic table, despite its unique properties such as having the smallest ionic radius of all metal ions, and a concomitantly high polarizing nature. This project aims to address these contrasting points. The highly abundant Mg and Ca represent key candidates for the development of truly benign catalytic systems. To date, these elements have been utilized in a number of catalytic transformations which were once the exclusive domain of transition metals, largely regarding addition reactions (e.g. hydrosilylation, hydrogenation) to unsaturated bonds (e.g. imines, alkenes). We aim to extend such Alkaline Earth metal catalysis towards more challenging multicomponent coupling reactions which remain the domain of transition metals. Through well-defined stoichiometric reactivity studies, we will develop alkene carbonylation processes catalyzed by Mg and Ca, framed by sila- and bora-carbonylation reactions, mapping not only a novel catalytic process for these metals, but indeed expanding what is already a rare form of alkene functionalistion chemistry. In addition, we will simultaneously develop related stoichiometric chemistry of Be, to thoroughly increase our knowledge of the reactive capacity of molecular species of this peculiar element. This will focus on the reactivity of hydride and alkyl complexes, to form a basis for comparison to well established chemistry of the heavier group 2 elements, and indeed that of all metals of the periodic table. Given fascinating developments in the low-valent chemistry of the group 2 metals over the past 15 years, we also aim to access highly sought BeI systems, opening a new sub-field in main group chemistry. As a whole, this project will thus thoroughly develop both our fundamental understanding of the group 2 metals, as well as establishing a new set of sustainable catalysts to tackle some of the greatest synthetic challenges we face today.