Supremo’s of metal-mediated reactions, organolithium compounds have long been utilized as brilliant bases and nucleophiles in organic synthesis, and transfer agents in main group, transition metal and lanthanide/actinide chemistry. Since organolithium reagents are important in fine chemical and pharmaceutical manufacture and demands for lithium are surging because of its energy storage properties, it is timely to ramp up development of the metal-mediation chemistry of the heavier alkali metals, especially of the more earth abundant sodium and potassium. An area of growing activity, alkali metal mediation (AMM) can be broadly defined as chemical transformations that cannot occur at all or take place efficiently, without intervention of an alkali metal.<br/><br/>A snapshot of our current research highlighting the promise of “going heavy” will be presented. This includes using heavier alkali metal complexes in catalytic transfer hydrogenation applications of unsaturated organic substrates, where profound gradations in reactivity are observed depending on the alkali metal present. AMM has been particularly effective in bimetallic compositions where synergistic effects induced by the presence of two metals often lead to structures and reactivities outside the scope of single metal systems. Therefore new complexes pairing an alkali metal with, for example, magnesium or manganese (see image) will be presented. We will also discuss the key role AMM is playing in developing low valent aluminum chemistry, via our synthesis and crystallographic characterisation of the first rubidium and cesium aluminyl compounds.

Beyond lithium: Developing the chemistry of heavy alkali metal amides

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ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.