Novel Nucleophilic Aluminyl Anions in Small Molecule Activation and Transition-Metal Chemistry

• Applicant: Dr. Yuwen Wang
• Subject Area: Inorganic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation
• Term: from 2020 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 451690745

Highly reactive anionic aluminium(I) species, despite only recently being accessible, offer powerful chemical properties in the activation of small molecules and the stabilization of low-valent transition-metal compounds, taking advantage of the extremely nucleophilic Al(I) centre. These nucleophilic aluminyl species reverse the decades-old textbook view of how aluminium compounds should react. Their unprecedented reactivity towards small molecules provides a completely new strategy to access organoaluminium compounds. However, this newly-emerged field is still in its infancy and a very limited number of anionic aluminium(I) compounds have been reported so far. In order to enrich aluminium(I) chemistry, the key objectives of this project are: i) the design and synthesis of three new types of novel aluminyl anions with enhanced nucleophilic properties [i.e., pyridine-supported aluminyl anion, N-heterocyclic aluminyl anion and bis(aluminyl anion) complex]; ii) the investigation of their reactivity towards small molecules, especially N2 and CO, which are still absent from the previous activation list; iii) the utilization of them in d-block metal coordination chemistry and therefore (potentially) in catalytic reactions. This fundamental (largely ‘blue sky’) project offers the opportunity to systematically explore hitherto unprecedented patterns of reactivity and open up new synthetic pathways (cf. recent work on C−C bond activation in benzene yielding linear triene products).The perfect combination of the University of Oxford’s world-leading research environment, the host Prof. Aldridge’s unrivaled scientific expertise on low-valent group 13 chemistry and the applicant’s in-depth knowledge of low-valent group 14 chemistry guarantee the facile implementation of the proposed project. This bespoke two-year postdoctoral research training will significantly improve the applicant’s knowledge and capability and therefore prepare the applicant to reach scientific maturity and independence after the fellowship.

• DFG Programme: WBP Fellowship
• International Connection: United Kingdom
• Host: Professor Simon Aldridge, Ph.D.