Ligand-Enforced Geometries and Associated Reactivity in P-Block Compounds

The geometry at an element centre can generally be predicted based on the number of bonding and non-bonding electron pairs it possesses. Strategies to distort p-block compounds away from these predicted geometries have gained considerable interest due to the unique structural, spectroscopic or reactivity geometric deformation engenders. Relevant geometrically constrained compounds from groups 13-16 are presented herein with a discussion of the strategies employed to access them. The reactivity of these compounds in both stoichiometric and catalytic reactions are also presented, highlighting valuable and challenging bond activations. This review presents an up-to-date summary of this exciting and rapidly growing field with a focus on understanding how the ligand employed unlocks structural features and their associated reactivity.