New structure, bonding and reactivity paradigms for the group 15 and 16 elements

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Current research in the field of Main Group chemistry provides substantial insight into the way molecules are held together (chemical structure and bonding). This greatly assists in the assessment of such compounds practical materials. Investigations of this type are primarily an academic study, however many of the results have translated into substantial economic benefit. Main group elements are playing increasingly prominent roles in electronic materials, pharmaceuticals and new plastics. The benefits for the construction of new main group element compounds are two fold: (a) an increased understanding of the fundamentals of structure, bonding and reactivity; and (b) this knowledge can be used to assess potential applications for value-added products. In this context, the isolation of new compounds that contain charged main group centres, or main group centres in unconventional bonding arrangements are desirable because of their high reactivity. Our group has, over the last 2.5 years, continued a research program that centres on investigating the fundamental chemistry of a variety of main group elements, as well as developing the potential new applications of our findings. Two of themes from our current program have been identified as excellent candidates for further discovery, development and expansion, which are the foundational goals for this current Discovery Grant Proposal, which includes the following new objectives: (i) Utilizing the discoveries from part (a) above, to develop novel chalcogen/pnictogen dicationic constructs and applied chemistry; (ii) To utilize innovative ligands in identifying novel atom arrangements, reactivity and materials chemistry for the elements of Group 15 and 16; and, (iii) New modifications to our highly fluorinated hydrophobic/oleophobic, ionophilic materials that will impart these phobic properties onto a wide variety of molecules and surfaces.