Design and Synthesis of Heterogeneous Frustrated Lewis Pairs for Hydrogenation: From Molecular Immobilization to Defects Engineering

Abstract The concept of “Frustrated Lewis pairs” (FLPs), which emerged from the discovery that H 2 can be reversibly activated by combinations of sterically encumbered Lewis acids and bases. Since then, the field of FLP chemistry has expanded enormously. One of the most remarkable achievements is the development of FLP catalysts for hydrogenation, which are environmentally friendly and have potential industrial application prospects. In recent years, this unique catalysis concept has pushed the study of FLP chemistry to a new direction: heterogeneous FLP catalysts. This review outlines the recent research progress of new strategies to design and synthesize heterogeneous FLPs for hydrogenation reaction, and prospects the development of novel heterogeneous FLP catalysts.