Main Content

The Frenking Group

Picture: private

After formal retirement in April 2014, I am still actively engaged in research with postdoctoral fellows and outside collaborators as professor emeritus at the Philipps University and, temporarily for several months each year, as Ikerbasque Visiting Research Professor at the Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC) at San Sebastian, Spain and as Visiting Research Professor at Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing (China). The focus of our research are dative bonding in main-group compounds and transition metal complexes, bonding analysis of molecules which possess unusual bonds and reaction mechanisms of small-molecule activation.

The following publications are representative examples of our work:

  • “Dative Bonds in Main-Group Compounds: A Case for More Arrows!” G. Frenking, Angew. Chem. 126, 6152 (2014) online (DOI); Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 53, 6040 (2014). online (DOI) [607]
  • “No Need for a Re-examination of the Electrostatic Notation of the H-Bonding.” G. Frenking and G. Caramori, Angew. Chem. 127, 2632 (2015) online (DOI); Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 54, 2596 (2015). online (DOI) [628]
  • “The boron-boron triple bond in NHC→B≡B←NHC.” N. Holzmann, M. Hermann, G. Frenking, Chem. Sci. 6, 4089 (2015). online (DOI) [632]
  • “Reaction Mechanism of the Symmetry-Forbidden [2+2] Addition of Ethylene and Acetylene to Amido-Substituted Digermynes and Distannynes Ph2N—EE—NPh2, (E=Ge, Sn): A Theoretical Study.” L. Zhao, C. Jones and G. Frenking, Chem. Eur. J. 21, 12405 (2015). online (DOI) [637]
  • “The [B3(NN)3]+ and [B3(CO)3]+ Complexes Featuring the Smallest π-Aromatic Species B3+.” J. Jin, G. Wang, M. Zhou, D. M. Andrada, M. Hermann and G. Frenking, Angew. Chem. 128, 2118 (2016) online (DOI); Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 55, 2078 (2016). online (DOI) [647]
  • “A Triatomic Silicon(0) Cluster Stabilized by a Cyclic Alkyl(amino) Carbene.” K. C. Mondal, S. Roy, B. Dittrich, D. M. Andrada, G. Frenking, H. W. Roesky, Angew. Chem. 128, 3210 (2016) online (DOI); Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 55, 3158 (2016). online (DOI) [650]
  • “The Chemical Bond in C2.” M. Hermann, G. Frenking, Chem. Eur. J. 22, 4100 (2016). online (DOI) [651]
  • “Unusually Short Be–Be Distances with and without a Bond in Be2F2 and in the Molecular Discuses Be2B8 and Be2B7−.” Z.-H. Cui, W-S. Yang, L. Zhao, Y.-H. Ding, G. Frenking, Angew. Chem. 128, 7972 (2016) online (DOI); Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 55, 7841 (2016). online (DOI) [653]
  • “Comparison of Hydrogen and Gold Bonding in [XHX]−, [XAuX]−, and Isoelectronic [NgHNg]+, [NgAuNg]+ (X=Halogen, Ng=Noble Gas).” S. J. Grabowski, J. M. Ugalde, D. Andrada and G. Frenking, Chem. Eur. J. 22, 11317 (2016). online (DOI) [654]
  • “Reaction Mechanism of the Hydrogermylation/Hydrostannylation of Unactivated Alkenes with Two-Coordinate EII Hydrides (E=Ge, Sn): A Theoretical Study.” L. Zhao, M. Hermann, C. Jones, G. Frenking, Chem. Eur. J. 22, 11728 (2016). online (DOI) [655]
  • “The Structure of the Carbene Stabilized Si2H2 May Be Equally Well Described with Coordinate Bonds as with Classical Double Bonds.” C. Mohapatra, S. Kundu, A. N. Paesch, R. Herbst-Irmer, D. Stalke, D. M. Andrada, G. Frenking and H. W. Roesky, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 138, 10429 (2016). online (DOI) [659]
  • “Gilbert Lewis and the Model of Dative Bonding.” M. Hermann, G. Frenking, Structure and Bonding 169, 131 (2016). online (DOI) [660]
  • “NHC-Stabilised Acetylene—How Far Can the Analogy Be Pushed?” D. C. Georgiou, L. Zhao, D. J. D. Wilson, G. Frenking, J. L. Dutton, Chem. Eur. J. 23, 2926 (2017). online (DOI) [671]
  • “Aromaticity, the Hückel 4n+2 Rule and Magnetic Current.” L. Zhao, R. Grande-Aztatzi, C. Forouton-Nejad, J. M. Ugalde, G. Frenking, Chemistry Select 2, 863 (2017). online (DOI) [673]
  • “Carbones as Ligands in Novel Main-Group Compounds E[C(NHC)2]2 (E=Be, B+, C2+, N3+, Mg, Al+, Si2+, P3+): A Theoretical Study.” M. Hermann, G. Frenking, Chem. Eur. J. 23, 3347 (2017). online (DOI) [674]
  • “(Review) Dative bonding in main group compounds.” L. Zhao, M. Hermann, N. Holzmann, G. Frenking, Coord. Chem. Rev. 344, 163 (2017). online (DOI) [682]
  • “Synthesis, Characterization, and Computational Analysis of the Dialanate Dianion, [H3Al-AlH3]2-: A Valence Isoelectronic Analogue of Ethane.” S. J. Bonyhady, N. Holzmann, G. Frenking, A. Stasch, C. Jones, Angew. Chem. 129, 8647 (2017) online (DOI); Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 56, 8527 (2017). online (DOI) [686]
  • “Carbodicarbenes: Unexpected π-Accepting Ability during Reactivity with Small Molecules.” W.-C. Chen, W.-C. Shih, T. Jurca, L. Zhao, D. M. Andrada, C.-J. Peng, C.-C. Chang, S.-k. Liu, Y.-P. Wang, Y.-S. Wen, G. P. A. Yap, C.-P. Hsu, G. Frenking, T.-G. Ong, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 139, 12830 (2017). online (DOI) [692]
  • (Updated review) “Energy decomposition analysis.” L. Zhao, M. von Hopffgarten, D. M. Andrada, G. Frenking, WIREs Comput. Mol. Sci. 8, e1345 (2018). online (DOI) [703]
  • “Dative and Electron-Sharing Bonding in C2F4.” D. M. Andrada, J. L. Casalz-Sainz, A. M. Pendas, G. Frenking, Chem. Eur. J. 24, 9083 (2018). online (DOI) [706]
  • “Observation of alkaline earth complexes M(CO)8 (M = Ca, Sr, or Ba) that mimic transition metals.” X. Wu, L. Zhao, J. Jin, S. Pan, W. Li, X. Jin, G. Wang, M. Zhou, G. Frenking, Science 361, 912 (2018). online (DOI) [711]