Despite recent progress in the chemistry of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs), direct FLP-catalyzed hydrogenation of CO 2 remains elusive. From a nearinfinite array of plausible Lewis pairs, it is challenging to identify individual combinations that are appropriate for catalyzing this reaction. To this end, we propose a mapping of the chemical composition of FLPs to their activity towards direct catalytic hydrogenation of CO 2 into formate. The maps, built upon linear scaling relationships, pinpoint specific FLP combinations with the proper complementary acidity and basicity to optimally balance the energetics of the catalytic cycle. One such combination was experimentally validated to achieve hitherto unreported catalytic turnover for this transformation.

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Reductive coupling of amines with CO2 and H2 can be catalyzed by transition metals. However, functional group (FG) tolerance is improved when using auxiliary main group hydrides (instead of H2),...

A ‘frustrated Lewis pair’-type mechanism allows the first observation of reversible H2 addition to a single-site main-group complex.

Over the last decade there has been an explosion in the reactivity and applications of frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) chemistry. Despite this, the Lewis acids (LAs) in these transformations are often boranes, with heavier p-block elements receiving surprisingly little attention. The novel LA Bn3SnOTf (1) has been synthesized from simple, inexpensive starting materials and has been spectroscopically and structurally characterized. Subtle modulation of the electronics at the tin centre has led to an increase in its Lewis acidity in comparison with previously reported R3SnOTf LAs, and has facilitated low temperature hydrogen activation and imine hydrogenation. Deactivation pathways of the R3Sn+ LA core have also been investigated.This article is part of the themed issue ‘Frustrated Lewis pair chemistry’.