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Cite This: Chem. Rev. 2019, 119, 8229−8230
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Introduction: Frontiers in Main Group Chemistry the progress achieved in the field and the associated opportunities for the future. Hopefully, it will also foster studies to push forward main group chemistry and explore unknown territories. To wrap up, I wish to express my gratitude to Prof. Guy Bertrand who has served as an Associate Editor for this Thematic Issue. It has been a pleasure to work with him and his Assistant, Michèle Soleilhavoup.
2019 celebrates the 150th anniversary of the discovery of the periodic system by Dmitri Mendeleev. The periodic table of the chemical elements is arguably one of the most important cornerstones in Science and definitely the reference notion when dealing with chemical species and chemical transformations. The main group elements, i.e. the s- and p-block elements, play a prominent role among the periodic table. They are abundant on Earth, and they form compounds of broad structural diversity, of generally low toxicity, and of versatile properties. These features make main group elements ideal candidates for a broad range of applications, from fine chemistry to materials science. Main group chemistry has tremendously advanced since the last Thematic Issue on the topic appeared in Chemical Reviews in 2010 (earlier issues have been published in 1985 and 1990). This Issue aims at highlighting this progress and the new possibilities main group elements offer. It collects reviews on diverse topics that illustrate the broadness and effervescence of this field of research. From a fundamental standpoint, main group elements are unique in forming highly reactive species and unusual compounds with nonclassical electronic structures and bonding situations. These species are interesting on their own, as new chemical entities, and they often raise questions about chemical bonding and bonding models. Here the interplay between experiment and theory is of major interest. Modern theoretical methods are extremely useful in order to rationalize and predict the structure and properties of the new main group species, both known and unknown. Main group compounds also possess rich reactivity, and major discoveries have been made recently regarding their ability to activate small essential molecules. Such chemical bond activations were long considered achievable under mild conditions only with transition metals. It is now clear that smart design enables main group compounds to activate key molecules such as H2, CO2, or even N2, and applications into catalysis are rapidly developing. Combination of main group elements (homo- or heteronuclear) in well-defined polyfunctional compounds as well as clusters also attracts much interest with the aim to create and take advantage of synergism between multiple sites. Such cooperativity is very promising to enhance reactivity and ultimately to enable transformations which are otherwise impossible or very challenging to perform. In addition, main group elements are very valuable in materials science, and properties ranging from electron- and ion-conduction, photophysics, magnetism... can be triggered and finely tuned playing with the specific properties of the pblock elements. As illustrated by some reviews, chirality is also playing an important role in main group chemistry, in asymmetric synthesis of course, but also in chiral materials with electrochemical and/or chiroptical properties. All the contributing expert authors are warmly acknowledged for providing comprehensive and stimulating reviews covering a wide span of topics. This Issue aims at highlighting © 2019 American Chemical Society
Didier Bourissou*
University of Toulouse − CNRS
AUTHOR INFORMATION Corresponding Author
*E-mail:
[email protected]. ORCID
Didier Bourissou: 0000-0002-0249-1769 Notes
Views expressed in this editorial are those of the author and not necessarily the views of the ACS. Biography
Didier Bourissou studied chemistry at the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris and obtained his Ph.D. degree in 1998 under the supervision of G. Bertrand in Toulouse (Dina Surdin Award). He then worked with F. Mathey and P. Le Floch at the Ecole Polytechnique in Palaiseau as a research associate. He was appointed as a CNRS junior researcher in 1998. Since 2006, he has held a senior scientist position (Directeur de Recherche) at the CNRS, and from 2006 to 2018, he has been Associate Professor at the Ecole Polytechnique in Palaiseau. He has been Director of the Laboratory of Fundamental and Applied Heterochemistry at the University Paul Sabatier in Toulouse since 2011. He was awarded the Bronze (2005) and Silver (2016) Medals of the CNRS (French National Research Council), the Clavel Lespiau Distinction (2006) from the French Academy of Sciences), the Acros Special Issue: Frontiers in Main Group Chemistry Published: July 24, 2019 8229
DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00300 Chem. Rev. 2019, 119, 8229−8230
Chemical Reviews
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Award (2009) and Organic Division Award (2018) from the French Chemical Society in recognition of his work. His research interests concern new bonding situations and reactivity patterns arising from the main group elements, the transition metals, and their interplay. He has pioneered ambiphilic ligands in the mid 2000s and developed the concept of σ-acceptor ligands. Part of his research also deals with noninnocent pincer complexes and unusual behavior of the coinage metals, in particular gold. He is also interested in biodegradable polymers (ring-opening polymerization, organic and dual catalysis, drug delivery systems).
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DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00300 Chem. Rev. 2019, 119, 8229−8230
