Fischer-Tropsch and Haber-Bosch chemistry involve the reduction of CO and N2, respectively and are among the most important chemical processes done on a large scale. While the current catalyst systems for these processes are based on heterogeneous processes, efforts to develop homogeneous catalysts or at least models for the chemistry have been on-going for years. Nonetheless, such models have been generally limited to homogeneous transition metal species. In this talk, we target aspects of these two processes exploiting the concept of “frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs).” We will review the concept and its successes to date and then apply it in reactions of CO that afford transition metal free avenues to C-C and C-H bond formations, fundamental steps in Fischer-Tropsch chemistry. Turning to N2 reduction, we will describe a metal-free route to the capture of diazene and routes to successive species in the subsequent reduction to NH3. While these explorations do not offer new catalytic routes yet, they do provide insight and suggest that metal-free catalysis of these important processes is not far off.

Applying FLPs to Fischer-Tropsch and Haber Bosch chemistry

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