From Molecular Building Blocks to Coordination Polymers and Functional Materials

Advances in main-group chemistry have made it possible to isolate and study molecular species with unusual coordination environments, oxidation states, and bonding situations. Compounds based on elements such as phosphorus, bismuth, boron, silicon, aluminum, tin or antimony often exhibit well-defined structures and reactivity that can be explored for materials synthesis. Materials chemistry increasingly requires structural motifs and reactivity patterns that are difficult to access using conventional transition-metal precursors. Although researchers in molecular main-group chemistry and materials chemistry often publish in the same journals, there is surprisingly little interaction between the two fields. Studies of new molecules frequently stop once their structures and bonding have been established, whereas the synthesis of new materials tends to rely on familiar and readily available starting compounds. As a result, relatively little is known about how the properties of a deliberately designed molecule influence the formation and function of a solid-state material. Developing this connection remains an important challenge and an opportunity for both communities.This Research Topic aims to connect these two areas of research. We welcome contributions that follow molecular main-group species beyond their initial synthesis and characterization and examine how they can be utilized as building blocks for materials. This includes their use as linkers or in coordination networks, as precursors to inorganic polymers, and as building blocks for films, nanoparticles, or hybrid materials. A key question is what happens when unusual coordination environments or oxidation states are carried into larger structures. Do they retain their distinctive reactivity, thereby providing opportunities to tune material properties, or does their reactivity ultimately limit stability? We are interested not only in successful approaches but also in the lessons learned when things do not work as intended. Studies that address stability issues, practical limitations, unsuccessful synthetic strategies, or challenges with reproducibility are therefore strongly encouraged.We welcome Original Research, Reviews, Mini Reviews, Perspectives, and Methods papers on topics including, but not limited to, the following:• Synthesis and characterization of main-group molecular species designed as building blocks or precursors• Main-group linkers and nodes in coordination polymers and framework materials• Molecular precursor routes to extended inorganic materials• Precursor-derived films, coatings, nanoparticles, amorphous solids, and hybrid materials• Non-covalent and secondary interactions, including pnictogen bonding, as structure-directing tools• Stability, handling, and scale-up of reactive precursors, including limitations and reproducibility• Structure-property relationships linking molecular design to mechanical, electronic, or optical behavior• Computational studies that predict or rationalize precursor behavior in extended systems Topic editors: Dominikus Heift, Rafael Emilio Rodriguez-Lugo, Edwin A. Baquero Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/86482/from-molecular-building-blocks-to-coordination-polymers-and-functional-materials