Mixed main group element compounds of p block elements

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Manfred Scheer
• Subject Area: Inorganic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 445322319

In view of the tremendous profile of properties and applications of hydrocarbon compounds with respect to their diverse use in molecular and polymer chemistry, the question of the state of research of the isoelectronic parent (H containing) homologues of other main group element chains is raised. Here, whereas, over the last decade, for Group 13/15 and Group 14/15 compounds, respectively, some progress in the stabilization of such (also parent) species has been made, there is a clear deficit in the compounds featuring the combination of elements of Group 13/14/15 and/or Group 13/14/15/16, respectively, in one compound. Whereas for the former class of compounds only few examples exist of mostly organosubstituted derivatives and here only in the form of branched or, predominantly, cage representatives, the latter class is unprecedented. This is especially true for the parent all-hydrogen substituted chain compounds, which are much more difficult to synthesize due to their low stability at ambient conditions. Therefore, the need to develop preparative approaches and explore this unknown class of compounds is obvious. Hence, the present project aims at the synthesis, stabilization and characterization of the unprecedented class of catena compounds containing different elements of Group 13, 14, 15, and, in addition, of Group 16 in the form of their all-hydrogen substituted parent compounds. For the stabilization of these unstable compounds, the concept of Donor/Acceptor (DA) stabilization will be applied. All the preparative work will be accompanied by computational studies (DFT-based) on the reaction pathways to the desired products, including transition states, the stability and degradation of the products and their electronic and optical properties. Moreover, by tensimetric measurements, information on the volatility and thermal stability of the targeted mixed-element compounds of Group 13/14/15 and 13/14/15/16 elements will be obtained, which is essential for their potential use as single-source precursors in CVD or ALD processes for ternary and quaternary materials.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Russia
• Partner Organisation: Russian Science Foundation, until 3/2022
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Alexey Y. Timoshkin, until 3/2022