Room-Temperature Activation of Hydrogen by Semi-immobilized Frustrated Lewis Pairs in Microporous Polymer Networks

Abstract

Porous polymer networks based on sterically encumbered triphenylphosphine motifs, mimicking the basic sites employed in frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) chemistry, were synthesized via Yamamoto polymerization and their interactions with the strong Lewis acid B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 probed. The combinations yield semi-immobilized FLPs, which are able to cleave dihydrogen heterolytically at ambient temperature and low hydrogen pressure.