This tutorial review provides an outline of basic concepts, historical milestones and recent advances in main group metal catalysed olefin polymerisation and ring-opening (co)polymerisation reactions.

Thermally stable hydridozinc cation catalytically converts CO2 to PhSi(OCHO)3 using PhSiH3 in the presence of a mild Lewis acid BPh3.

Bismuth compounds are gaining importancea s potential alternatives to transition-metal complexes and electrond eficient lighter p-block compounds in homogeneous catalysis. Computationalanalysiso nt he two-coordinate [(Me 2 NC 6 H 4)Bi] 2 + possessing three electrophilics ites is experimentally evidencedb yt he isolation of [{Me 2 NC 6 H 4 }Bi{OP(NMe 2) 3 } 3 ][B(3,5-C 6 H 3 Cl 2) 4 ] 2 .T hese observationsl ed us to generate dicationic organobismuth catalyst, [(Me 2 NC 6 H 4)Bi(L) 3 ] 2 + (L = aldehyde/ketone), evidenced by NMR spectroscopy in solution and by single-crystal Xray diffraction in the solids tate. It efficiently catalyzes hydrosilylation of aldehydes and ketones resulting in silyl ethers as the only products in high yields. Our investigations support ac arbonyl activation mechanism at the bismuth center followed by SiÀHa ddition. Scheme1.Synthetic route for the preparation of 1-3 and generation of the active catalyst in CH 2 Cl 2 .

A Lewis acidic cationic organoaluminum catalyst is demonstrated to perform aldehyde dimerization and ketone hydrosilylation via a carbonyl activation pathway.

Zinc has been an element of choice for carbon dioxide reduction in recent years. Zinc compounds have been showcased as catalysts for carbon dioxide hydrosilylation and hydroboration. The extent of carbon dioxide reduction can depend on various factors, including electrophilicity at the zinc center and the denticity of the ancillary ligands. In a few cases, the addition of Lewis acids to zinc hydride catalysts markedly influences carbon dioxide reduction. These factors have been investigated by exploring elementary reactions of carbon dioxide hydrosilylation and hydroboration by using cationic zinc hydrides bearing tetradentate tris[2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl]amine and tridentate N,N,N′,N′′,N′′‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine in the presence of triphenylborane and tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane.