Main group Lewis acids and bases are used in combination to activate hydrogen in frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs). This has allowed the development of metal-free reductions of C=N bonds, anilines, Nheterocycles, olefins, polyaromatic hydrocabons and ketones. This strategy has also led to the synthesis of new boron-based radicals. The design of the applications of new FLPs in the reactions of unreactive  substrates is also discussed. Novel approaches to N2 activation is considered while, phosphonium cationic Lewis acids are shown to be effective for C-F bond hydrodefluorination catalysis, hydrosilylations, hydrogenations and C-F bond activations and functionalization. The implications of these findings for applications of main group species in catalysis is considered in this lecture.

Frustrated Lewis pair chemistry: An avenue to synthesis and catalysis

255th National Meeting (2018)

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