Discovering and developing new chemistry for phosphorus, arsenic, antimony and bismuth

Discovery and development of new materials, catalysts and pharmaceuticals relies on the fundamental understanding of the way in which molecules are held together (structure and chemical bonding) and the way they react with other compounds (chemical reactivity). An enormous database is available for the chemistry of carbon due to the direct importance of this element in life functions. However, the chemistry of other elements is superficially developed in comparison. The emerging importance of the pnictogen elements (phosphorus, arsenic, antimony and bismuth) in the discovery of effective inorganic pharmaceuticals, novel polymeric materials and new electronic materials, requires a thorough and comprehensive understanding of their fundamental chemistry. We are investigating efficient and effective preparative or synthetic routes to new, fundamentally important molecules containing P, As, Sb or Bi, in which the pnictogen center exhibits an unusual local structure, is engaged in a new connectivity, or provides materials with new, spectroscopic, physical or reactivity properties. We are establishing new directions in the fundamental chemistry of the pnictogens and our research program is changing the way in which chemists consider the chemistry of the non-metal elements in general. The pnictogens are especially interesting elements as they typically accommodate a lone pair of electrons, but can simultaneously carry a positive charge. In this context, we are developing the coordination chemistry of electron-rich pnictogen centers as Lewis acceptors. The objectives of our research programs for 2006-2010 are the synthesis and characterization of compounds that represent: 1) Development of the coordination chemistry of pnictogen cation Lewis acceptors. 2) The synthesis and characterization of the first catena-polyphosphorus cations as a fundamental new direction in phosphorus chemistry. 3) The preparation of extended systems derived from complexes of electron-rich pnictogen Lewis acceptors.