In this project supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program, Gerard Parkin of Columbia University will investigate the exploratory synthetic and mechanistic aspects of monomeric hydride and alkyl derivatives of main group metal compounds. These compounds may have application as reagents for selective organic reactions and as precursors for the formation of ceramic materials. Main group metals (with emphasis on magnesium, aluminum, zinc and lithium) will be complexed with bulky tris-pyrazolylborate ligands to assure their monomeric nature and the hydride, alkyl, silyl, methylidene (=CHR), phosphinidene (=PR), oxo (=O) and nitrido derivatives will be synthesized and their chemical reactivity systematically investigated. These investigations will include mechanistic studies and the search for new materials, catalysts and ceramic precursors.
