Cooperativity between Lewis acids and transition metals – COLAMET

Ambiphilic ligands enable the introduction of Lewis acids nearby transition metals and thereby open the route to completely new catalytic approaches involving intramolecular Lewis acid assistance. In this perspective, the COLAMET project aims at identifying and understanding how and under which conditions Lewis acids can cooperate with transition metals, a prerequisite to subsequent catalytic developments. Two key situations relevant to a variety of catalytic transformations are considered: the activation of strong H–E and C–X bonds thanks to Lewis acid assistance and the generation of electrophilic metal centers by internal cationisation. The reactivity of complexes deriving from ambiphilic ligands and catalytic applications will be explored by a joint experimental / computational approach. New ligand platforms will be designed in order to achieve the required properties and maximize Lewis acid / transition metal cooperativity.