Salen-type aluminum and zinc complexes as two-faced Janus compounds: contribution to molecular sensing and polymerization catalysis

Abstract

The aim of the present review is to highlight the most recent achievements in different fields of application of salen-based zinc and aluminum complexes. More specifically this article focuses on the use of aluminum and zinc salen-type complexes as optical probes for biologically relevant molecules, as catalysts for the ring opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic esters and co-polymerization of epoxides and anhydrides (ROCOP) and in the chemical fixation of carbon dioxide (CO₂). The intention is to provide an overview of the most recent results from our group within the framework of the state-of-art-results in the literature.