Hydrido Complexes of Calcium: A New Family of Molecular Alkaline-Earth-Metal Compounds

Abstract

The application of solid calcium hydride CaH₂ has been mostly confined to its use as a desiccant, although its catalytic activity has long been known. Since the first isolation of a well-defined molecular calcium hydride in 2006, the past decade has witnessed a gradual emergence of this new family of compounds. Although the detrimental Schlenk equilibrium has kept the number of examples low, the novelty of their reactivity, especially in small-molecule activation, holds great promise. This Minireview gives an overview of the molecular calcium hydrides reported to date, highlighting their synthesis, structure, and reactivity.

Keywords: H2 activation; calcium; catalysis; hydrides; reactivity.