Frustrated Lewis acid-base pair catalysis

The unique reactivity of the above system with H2 appears to arise from the unquenched Lewis basicity and acidity of the respective donor P and the acceptor B centers. This inference prompted questions about the nature and reactivity of other phosphine-borane systems and, more broadly, of Lewis acid/base combinations. Is it necessary to have a link between the donor and acceptor sites Could similar H2 activation arise from combinations of donors and acceptors in which steric encumbrance frustrates Lewis acid-base adduct formation If indeed such frustrated Lewis pairs could be uncovered, could one exploit them for the activation of small molecules and applications in catalysis ... 

The concept of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLP) in which Lewis acid-base couples formed by sterically crowded phosphines and pentafluoro-phenylboranes are sterically precluded from adduct formation, which was established and significantly developed by Stephan s group, has been reviewed by the latter. FLP open alternative reaction pathways and the discovery of their reactivity, even in its infancy, brings a new perspective to the area of small molecule activation and applications in catalysis. 

Does the presence of excessive steric bulk when a Lewis acid and a Lewis base attempt to form an adduct automatically render these species inert towards each other The unique behavior of sterically frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs), pioneered by Stephan, is a vigorous research area with applications for small molecule activation and catalysis." The highly Lewis acidic and sterically bulky tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane" plays a role in many FLP reactions. The great promise of FLP chemistry was revealed by reactions between tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane and tertiary and secondary phosphines, where sterics preclude formation of classic adducts. A seminal example of a frustrated Lewis pair is that of the secondary phosphine di(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)phosphine that is precluded from forming a classic adduct with tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane. The phosphine Lewis pair is frustrated since it cannot interact with boron to form the adduct. 

Abstract Acid-base catalysis with bifunctional catalysts is a very prominent catalytic strategy in both small-molecule organocatalysts as well as enzyme catalysis. In both worlds, small-molecule catalysts and enzymatic catalysis, a variety of different general acids or hydrogen bond donors are used. In this chapter, important parallels between small molecule catalysts and enzymes are discussed, and a comparison is also made to the emerging field of frustrated Lewis pair catalysis. 

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