A New Era for Modern Main Group Chemistry: From Landmark Molecules Towards the Replacement of Transition Metal Based Technologies

The recent discovery that the electronic properties of low oxidation state main group compounds can closely mimic those of transition metal complexes has prompted a competitive drive towards their technological exploitation. Here, innovative approaches will be employed to design and access a wide array of fundamentally ground-breaking main group compound classes, with a view to establishing these as environmentally benign alternatives to the expensive and toxic transition metal complexes that are essential to numerous current technologies. The involvement of a synergistic international network of collaborators will be central to the success of this project, which offers major academic, environmental and economic benefits to Australia.