Diboranes with charge-delocalizing ligands: planar boron rings and metallomimetic chemistry

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Hans-Jörg Himmel
• Subject Area: Inorganic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 556868899

Diboranes with direct B-B bond and bridging guanidinate substituents display a rich and unique chemistry. They are reagents for the synthesis of a series of polycationic boron and boron-nitrogen ring compounds. Their combined reactivity as Lewis acids and electron donors allows to bind and reduce organic substrates at the diborane, leading to a metallomimentic chemistry. Work in this project is divided into two subprojects. The first subproject deals with the synthesis of new boron and boron-nitride ring compounds and their redox chemistry. Different electron-rich substituents are used, that efficiently delocalize positive charges. In the second subproject the binding and reduction of organic molecules and bond activations to the point of catalytic reactions are investigated.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants