Alkaline earth metals: heterometallic bonding.

The alkaline earth metals are notorious for their tendency to form ionic compounds of their dications. In recent years, however, chemists have found ways to kinetically skirt around the edges of these thermodynamic sinks, thereby providing access to new pastures of molecular alkaline earth element chemistry. Most prominently, novel low-oxidation state reagents have enabled the synthesis of a wide range of complexes with alkaline earth-metal interactions. There is a growing appreciation of the remarkable properties of these heterometallic complexes, which display unique electronic structures and reactivity patterns. This Frontier article outlines recent advances in the field and proposes pathways to future breakthroughs.