The study of main-group molecules that behave and react similarly to transition-metal (TM) complexes has attracted significant interest in recent decades. Most notably, the attractive idea of replacing the all-too-often rare and costly metals from catalysis has motivated efforts to develop main-group-element-mediated reactions. Main-group elements, however, lack the electronic flexibility of TM complexes that arises from combinations of empty and filled d orbitals and that seem ideally suited to bind and activate many substrates. In this review, we look at boron, an element that despite its nonmetal nature, low atomic weight, and relative redox staticity has achieved great milestones in terms of TM-like reactivity. We show how in interelement cooperative systems, diboron molecules, and hypovalent complexes the fifth element can acquire a truly metallomimetic character. As we discuss, this character is powerfully demonstrated by the reactivity of boron-based molecules with H2, CO, alkynes, alkenes and even with N2.

中文翻译：

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硼的金属模拟化学。

近几十年来，对与过渡金属（TM）配合物具有相似行为和反应的主族分子的研究引起了人们的极大兴趣。最显着的是，从催化反应中取代通常非常稀有和昂贵的金属的诱人想法激发了人们努力开发主族元素介导的反应。但是，主族元素缺乏TM复合物的电子灵活性，TM复合物是由空的和填充的d轨道的组合引起的，并且似乎非常适合结合和激活许多底物。在本综述中，我们看一下硼，尽管它具有非金属性质，低原子量和相对的氧化还原静态性，但在类似TM的反应性方面已取得了重要的里程碑。我们展示了在元素间协作系统中，硼元素如何 与次要价的配合物，第五种元素可以具有真正的金相学特征。正如我们讨论的那样，硼基分子与H2，CO，炔烃，烯烃甚至与N2的反应性有力地证明了这一特征。