Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12)
The main group elements: an earth-abundant opportunity for catalysis
Marc-André Légaré* McGill University, Canada
The importance of precious transition metals (TMs) in modern catalysis cannot be overstated. TM- based catalysts enable processes that are of tremendous human and economic importance; they have innumerable applications in many industrial sectors. However, the extraction of precious metals from natural sources is a growing environmental and societal concern. In this context, light elements of the main group of the periodic table represent an attractive opportunity in terms of developing the next generation of catalysts. Their natural abundance, universal availability, low toxicity and affordability make them attractive to fill a role in the future of chemical synthesis. For this reason, we research new approaches to apply main group elements to fields that are the traditional preserve of transition metals. In this poster, I will present the rational design of such strategies: from predictive computational calculations to the bottom-up experimental investigation of metal-free reactions. Results obtained through this method include the use of boron compounds for small-molecule activation, reduction processes, and organic functionalization reactions. This contribution will cover systems that involve the combination of single and multiple active sites in order to mimic the electronic environment of TM complexes. Similarities and differences in the reactivity of main-group compounds and T M complexes will also be highlighted.
P10
© The Author(s), 2023
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