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

化学合成（SYN）计划中的这项研究奖支持Gregory H.罗宾逊在格鲁吉亚大学探索一系列挑衅性的低氧化态主族化合物的合成。重要的是，空间要求高的N-杂环卡宾配体将在该项目中用作稳定剂。主要目标包括：（a）各种低氧化态硼化合物的合成;（B）感兴趣的磷阴离子和主族簇的制备;和（c）卡宾稳定的双金属络合物的合成。预计这项工作的基本发现将增加和扩展我们对高活性双原子分子如B2，P2和Si 2的知识。此外，高反应性分子的卡宾稳定性表明了从催化到材料化学的合成化学中前所未有的机会。 从事这项工作的本科生，研究生和博士后研究员（来自不同背景）将获得基础合成化学，空气敏感化合物的操作，单晶X射线衍射和基础计算化学方面的宝贵经验。

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.