New Frontiers in Alkali-Metal Nickelates

Chimia (Aarau). 2023 Apr 26;77(4):242-245. doi: 10.2533/chimia.2023.242.

Abstract

Recent advances in heterobimetallic chemistry have revealed the potential for mixed-metal systems to facilitate reactions that are unattainable with their single-metal components. This perspective explores the pairing of nickel(0) complexes with organo-alkali-metal reagents, which yield highly reactive alkali-metal nickelates. These previously underexplored systems have re-emerged as a promising area of research, with recent studies uncovering their unique bonding and structural motifs. Furthermore, the discovery of nickelates as potential intermediates in cross-coupling reactions has provided the foundation for the development and mechanistic understanding of stoichiometric and catalytic transformations.

Keywords: Alkali-Metals; Catalysis; Cross-Coupling; Heterobimetallics; Nickel.