Low Coordinate Main Group Chemistry: Discovery and Innovation

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Beginning with the synthesis of stable, unsaturated derivatives of the heavier group 13 to 15 elements in the late 1970s to early 1980s, an impressive number of compounds once thought to be "non-existent" have now been synthesized, a true testament to the determination and skill of the global main group synthetic chemistry community. The driving force behind this area of research was often the innate curiosity of academic chemists who were inspired by the challenging syntheses and who desired to understand the bonding in these important, fundamental species. Furthermore, such molecules were, most often, the best and only starting materials for the construction of novel molecular targets. The recent discoveries of a stable distannyne (triply bonded tin derivative) which undergoes a reversible addition reaction (a key step in catalytic transformations), of stable silyl cations which are vital players in the catalytic degradation of environmental pollutants such as organofluorides and polyethers and of germanium cations which are envisioned as unique catalysts for the asymmetric synthesis of advanced pharmaceutical intermediates have dramatically shifted the perception of the value of this area of chemistry. Unsaturated main group compounds now offer an unexplored avenue of inquiry in the global search for innovative solutions for the major challenges facing today's world. The future for these compounds has never been brighter. Over the next granting period, we will explore the synthesis and the mechanistic chemistry of unsaturated main group compounds with the goal of providing to the scientific community a detailed understanding of the reactivity of these compounds, something that is critically needed if the potential of this class of molecules is to be realized.