Platinum Group Organometallics Based on “Pincer” Complexes: Sensors, Switches, and Catalysts

TLDR: This review discusses the synthetic methodologies that are currently available for the preparation of platinum group metal complexes containing pincer ligands and especially emphasizes different applications that have been realized in materials science such as the development and engineering of sensors, switches, and catalysts.

Abstract: Since the first reports in the late 1970s on transition metal complexes contain- ing pincer-type ligands—named after the particular coordination mode of these ligands—these systems have at- tracted increasing interest owing to the unusual properties of the metal centers imparted by the pincer ligand. Typical- ly, such a ligand comprises an anionic aryl ring which is ortho,ortho-disubsti- tuted with heteroatom substituents, for example, CH2NR2 ,C H 2PR2 or CH2SR, which generally coordinate to the met- al center, and therefore support the MC s bond. This commonly results in a terdentate and meridional coordina- tion mode consisting of two metalla- cycles which share the MC bond. Detailed studies of the formation and the properties of a large variety of pincers containing platinum group metal complexes have provided direct access to both a fundamental under- standing of a variety of reactions in organometallic chemistry and to a range of new applications of these complexes. The discovery of alkane dehydrogenation catalysts, the mecha- nistic elucidation of fundamental transformations (for example, CC bond activation), the construction of the first metallodendrimers for sustain- able homogeneous catalysis, and the engineering of crystalline switches for materials processing represent only a few of the many highlights which have emanated from these numerous inves- tigations. This review discusses the synthetic methodologies that are cur- rently available for the preparation of platinum group metal complexes con- taining pincer ligands and especially emphasizes different applications that have been realized in materials science such as the development and engineer- ing of sensors, switches, and catalysts.