Turning Frustration into Bond Activation: A Theoretical Mechanistic Study on Heterolytic Hydrogen Splitting by Frustrated Lewis Pairs

Just before splitting: A mechanistic model has been proposed for H2 activation by sterically demanding phosphine–borane Lewis pairs. There is theoretical evidence for noncovalent intermolecular association of donor–acceptor molecules to form a flexible but energetically strained complex, which provides preorganized active centers for heterolytic HH bond cleavage (see picture).