Main Group-Catalyzed Dehydrogenation/Dehydrocoupling of Phosphine-Boranes

• Applicant: Privatdozent André Schäfer
• Subject Area: Inorganic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation
• Term: from 2014 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 264035254

The key element of the project is to develop a series of new, main group element based catalysts for the dehydrogenation/dehydrocoupling of phosphine-boranes. This is a virtually unexplored area with only one brief, previous report in 2003 by Denis and coworkers of the use of B(C6F5)3 as a catalyst. The focus will be on low valent compounds of heavy group 14 elements, such as different silylenes, germylenes and stannylenes. Their reactivity and the potential mechanism will be studied by both spectroscopic (e.g. NMR) and theoretical methods (DFT calculations). The work has the potential to open up an important new area at the interface of inorganic and polymer chemistry and the results obtained may be transferable in the future to other main group substrates such as phosphine-alanes and related species. The work will make a significant contribution to the rapidly growing field of catalysis with main group elements.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: United Kingdom
• Host: Professor Dr. Ian Manners (†)