Development of New Main Group Catalysts for Organic Transformations

During the past decade a burgeoning research effort has been dedicated to the catalytic and selective functionalization of organic molecules mediated by transition metals (Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru and Pd). The developments of main group catalysts for such processes are still in their infancy, although they offer potential alternatives to the extensive range of expensive and often highly toxic heavy transition metal catalysts. A number of main group catalysts will be employed for hydroboration, hydroamination, Hydrosilylation and for the C-H activation, H–H bond activation reactions etc…

Catalytic Additions of Boron-Element to Unsaturated Organic Molecules

In recent years, catalytic additions of boron-element σ-bonds to unsaturated organic molecules have been studied intensively, because such addition reactions provide new efficient synthetic routes to highly functionalized organoboronic acid derivatives. The key goal of this project is to design and synthesis a series of symmetrical and unsymmetrical diboranes, silylboranes, and to study their reactivities towards unsaturated organic compounds.

Multiply Bonded Main Group Compounds and its Reactivity

Multiply bonded main group compounds, particularly between boron and its neighbouring atoms have attracted much attention over the past few decades, notably because of their unusual structural and bonding motifs. Considerable effort has been committed to the synthesis and the reactivities of the family of two coordinated boron species such as alkylidenoboranes (XB=CR2), oxoboranes (XB≡O) and iminoboranes (XB≡NR). However, the boron and boron-nitrogen analogue of allene systems are less explored. Our aim is to synthesis various bora-allene (-B=C=C-) and alkylideneamino-borane (-B=N=C-) compounds and to study the reactivity towards various organic substrates

Synthesis and Applications of New Main Group Polymers

In recent years, extensive research has been carried out for the generation of main group materials particularly Group 13/15 materials via the transition-metal-catalyzed dehydrocoupling of amine-boranes and phosphine-boranes. Although dehydrocoupling reactions make use of easy-to-access main group substrates, a key challenge for the future is the development of catalytic processes that involve the elimination of species other than H2. Therefore, the first milestone of this project is to find a new synthetic route to polymeric main group materials based on P/B, P/Al N/Al and B-O-Si polymers with potentially unique properties via the dehalosilylcoupling of organoelement halides