Abstract
Historically, group-1 alkali metal chemistry is dominated by +1 oxidation state. As the least electronegative elements in the Periodic Table, zero-valent alkali metals are prone to give out their only valence shell electron, i.e., acting as strong reductants.
Move the electron the other way round, i.e., chemical reduction of these alkali metal cations (AM+) into zero-valent AM0, or even one step further, to the negatively charged alkalides AM-,[1] are grand challenges faced by the synthetic inorganic chemistry community. Subvalent alkali metal molecular chemistry at 0 and -1 oxidation states remains largely untapped.
Herein, I will summarize our recent efforts in three frontiers: (1) solid-state synthesis of group-1 free-electron reagents, i.e., electrides, and their reactivity [2]; (2) solid-state synthesis of a sodide (Na-) complex, the electron transfer mechanism, and its redox reactivity [3]; (3) the first selective chemical reduction of AM+.[4]
References
1. Am. Chem. Soc. 1974, 96, 7203.
2. Chem 2023, 9, 576; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 28914.
3. Inorg. Chem. 2024, 63, 15247.
4. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 17007.
