Cavity-separated Lewis Pairs, a new platform for cooperative activation in the catalytic conversion of small molecules – CaSPair

Inspired by Frustrated Lewis Pairs and cooperative catalysis, the CasPair project will study new catalysts in which the inclusion of a Lewis partner inside a cavity controls frustration of a Lewis pair to form an unexplored Cavity-Separated Lewis Pair (SLP). The congestion of the reactive center inside a cavity opens new venues by ensuring separation of the Lewis pair while maintaining a controlled access to the active sites, providing a long range separation to avoid poisoning by the reagents or products, controlling the approach of the substrates to the reactive centers to favor chemo- and regio-selectivities.

The CaSPair project aims at synthesizing the first SLPs, based on cyclodextrin scaffolds, and at using them as ligands in transition metal-based catalysts or as metal-free systems for the activation and catalytic conversion of small molecules such as CO2 and H2, whose activation is challenging, as they are non-polar and feature strong bonds.