Heavier Group 14 ß-Diketonates as New Ligands

The design of new ligands is a major pillar in modern coordination chemistry. In this context, beta-diketones are among the most extensively studied chelating ligands. Their versatility and selectivity are comprehensively studied in literature. Moreover, they show the ability to undergo metal complexes with the majority of all known elements. This results in their applicability as catalysts, precatalyts, NMR shift reagents, biochemically active agents, and volatile reagents for metal vapor deposition. However, the replacement of the central carbon atom by its heavier group 14 homologues was unknown, until our group succeeded in their isolation. The project shall be focused on the elaboration of appropriate pathways suitable for the synthesis of heavier group 14 beta-diketonate metal complexes in preparative amounts. After spectroscopic and structural characterization, the resulting compounds shall be investigated with respect to their applicability as catalysts, as source for nanoparticles or as building block for metal organic frameworks. Beyond its obvious utility for the fabrication of new materials, this project can be both an engine and a proving ground for new methodological advances.