Low Oxidation State and Low Valent Main Group Chemistry

本提案中概述的研究计划需要开发和研究几个新的无机试剂家族。特别是，这项研究的重点是化学的主要组，其中包括元素周期表的s-和p块的元素。尽管这些元素是许多重要材料的组成部分——例如，被称为“氧化铟锡”的透明半导体是触摸屏和太阳能电池板的关键组成部分——以及化合物（例如磷酸盐）的组成部分，但与有机化学或过渡金属化学相比，这些元素的化学性质仍然很少被理解和控制。我们的研究既包括新的主基团化合物的合成，也包括通过使用计算化学对化学物种和反应的精确建模。目标化合物由一类新的化学物质组成，这些化学物质含有低氧化态和配位数的主族元素。这类化合物富含电子，通常具有高活性。我们已经发现了方便的方法来调节我们的化合物的反应性，使它们足够稳定，可以被分离，但仍然具有所需的反应性特征。我们的化合物可以方便地合成许多用传统方法很难或不可能合成的化合物，我们努力使用我们的新试剂来获得许多前所未有的化学物质。我们还将探索我们的试剂（及其衍生的化学物质）作为形成新的或重要的材料的前体的效用。除了它们的合成用途外，所研究的化合物将为主要族元素的化学基本方面提供许多新的见解。这些研究提供的理解为合理设计和开发由主要基团化合物衍生的化学品和材料奠定了必要的基础。

The research program outlined in this proposal entails the development and investigation of several new families of inorganic reagents. In particular, this research is focused on the chemistry of the main group, which includes the elements of the s- and p-blocks of the periodic table. Although these elements are components in many important materials - e.g. the transparent semi-conductor called "indium tin oxide" is a critical component of touch screens and solar panels - and chemical compounds (e.g. phosphates), the chemistry of these elements remains poorly understood and controlled in comparison to those of organic chemistry or transition metal chemistry. Our studies include both the synthesis of new main group compounds and the accurate modeling of chemical species and reactions through the use of computational chemistry. The target compounds consist of new classes of chemicals that contain main group elements in unusually low oxidation states and coordination numbers. Such compounds are electron-rich and are typically highly reactive. We have discovered convenient approaches to mediate the reactivity of our compounds so that they are stable enough to be isolated yet still possess the desired reactivity characteristics. Our compounds allow for the convenient synthesis of many compounds that are difficult or impossible to make using traditional methods and we endeavour to use our new reagents to obtain many unprecedented types of chemicals. We will also explore the utility of our reagents (and chemicals derived from them) as precursors for the formation of new or important materials. In addition to their synthetic utility, the compounds studied will provide many new insights into the fundamental aspects of the chemistry of the main group elements. The understanding provided by such studies form the foundation necessary for the rational design and development of chemicals and materials derived from main group compounds.