Themed collection Modern Main Group Chemistry

Guest editors Simon Aldridge and Cameron Jones introduce the Modern Main Group Chemistry issue of Chemical Society Reviews

Notable aspects of the chemistry of polyether complexes of group 13 and 14 elements are reviewed.

This review aims to highlight and comprehensively summarize recent developments in the field of P–P bonded compounds with different bonding modes of the phosphorus atoms.

Donor–acceptor complexes of one, two or three atoms E = B, Si–Sn which are stabilized by σ-donor ligands L are discussed.

The past decade has witnessed some remarkable advances in our appreciation of the structural and reaction chemistry of the heavier alkaline earth (Ae = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) elements.

The highly versatile amidoborane compounds of the group 1 and 2 metals are reviewed, with an emphasis on their synthesis, structures and reactivity.

The chemistry of the p-block elements is a huge playground for fundamental and applied work.

Diradical (cAAC˙)₂SiCl₂ is isolated in two polymorphic forms. The crystals of one of the polymorphs are stable in open air for over a week.

This review focuses on the way Lewis acids of ambiphilic ligands influence the reactivity of transition metal complexes and on the new perspectives this opens in catalysis.

This article reviews the radiofluorination chemistry of group 13 derivative as well as their use for 18F-PET Imaging.

A survey of the state-of-the-art in the development of synthetic methods to incorporate p-block elements into polymers is given.

Stable heavier alkene homologues with secondary functional groups are discussed emphasizing peripheral transformations under retention of the heavier double bond.

Advances in the last decade in the field of AACVD of main group elements in semiconducting and TCO devices and photoelectrochemical and gas sensing materials are described.

The cycloaddition reactions of carbonyl compounds and alkynes to (di)tetrelenes appear to follow Woodward–Hoffman rules.

The development of extremely sterically demanding, monodentate amide ligands facilitates the isolation of main group species with new and highly reactive coordination modes. An outstanding feature of these ligands is the ability to tune their steric demands. Reactivity investigations highlight the potential for small molecule activation chemistry and catalysis for these compounds.

This Review article deals with the synthesis and properties of inorganic hydrocarbon analogues: binary chemical species that contain heavier Group 14 elements (Si, Ge, Sn or Pb) and hydrogen as components. Rapid advances in our general knowledge of these species have enabled the development of industrially relevant processes such as the hydrosilylation of unsaturated substrates and the chemical vapor deposition of semi-conducting films.

Part of the renaissance in main group chemistry has been a result of the focus on reactivity and catalysis. In this tutorial review, we focus attention on the role of phosphorus-based Lewis acids in such advances.

This Tutorial Review focuses on recent applications of main group compounds in the catalytic synthesis of heteronuclear element–element bonds within the p-block.