Lewis acidic behavior of organoantimony compounds

在化学系化学合成计划的支持下，德克萨斯农工大学化学系的弗朗索瓦·加巴伊教授将研究基于锑的新型Lewis酸。本项目针对的第一类化合物是阳离子锑(V)物种(或锑离子)，用于检测水中潜在的有毒阴离子，包括氟化物和氰化物。这些锑离子将被结合在共轭和发射框架中，以提供一系列化合物，这些化合物将通过不同的光物理变化对阴离子的存在做出反应。第二类是卤化、缺电子的有机硼烷，它们的性能将与全氟有机硼烷相媲美，如果不是超过的话。与它们的硼类似物不同，这些新的有机元素Lewis酸应该能够抵抗氧化条件，并将用于研究过氧化氢和次氯酸盐等反应性氧化阴离子的络合作用。此外，该奖项将有助于对不同的本科生和研究生群体的教育，并使加巴伊教授能够继续参与各种服务和外展活动。从更广泛的角度来看，该项目将在两个主要领域产生影响。第一个领域涉及氟化物和氰化物等阴离子的检测，这些阴离子有时会在饮用水中发现有毒的水平。该项目将影响的第二个重要领域涉及作为重要储能反应中间体的高能分子的化学。该项目所取得的进展将主要是根本性的，但可能有助于我们社会的健康或新能源储存技术的发展。

With the support of the Chemical Synthesis Program of the Chemistry Division, Professor François Gabbaï of the Chemistry Department at Texas A&M University, will investigate novel Lewis acids based on antimony. The first class of compounds targeted in this project are cationic antimony(V) species (or stibonium ions) to be used in water for the detection of potentially toxic anions including fluoride and cyanide. These stibonium ions will be incorporated in conjugated and emissive frameworks to afford a family of compounds that will respond to the presence of the anions via distinct photophysical changes. The second class will be halogenated, electron-deficient organostiboranes which will be designed to rival, if not exceed, the properties of perfluorinated organoboranes. Unlike their boron analogs, these new organoelement Lewis acids should be resistant to oxidative conditions and will be used to study the complexation of reactive oxidizing anions such as peroxide and hypochlorite. In addition, this award will contribute to the education of a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students, and allow Professor Gabbaï to maintain his involvement in various services and outreach activities.From a broader perspective, this project will have an impact on two main areas. The first area deals with the detection of anions such as fluoride and cyanide, which can sometimes be found at toxic levels in drinking water. The second important area that this project will impact concerns the chemistry of high energy molecules that are intermediates in important energy storage reactions. The advances made in this project will be mostly fundamental but may contribute to the health of our society or to the development of new energy storage technologies.