Join or attack : meso‐Cyclam‐substituted heptamethine cyanine dye 1 responds very differently to the presence of metal ions and protons. Whereas the former are embraced in a host–guest complex, the latter attack the cyanine π system (see picture). In the presence of CuII, 1 selectively forms near‐infrared absorbing aggregates in buffered solution that allow the determination of citrate by using colourimetry.
Metal clamping in operation! Deprotonation of [η6‐2‐(9‐triptycyl)indene]tricarbonylchromium induces a haptotropic shift of the organometallic fragment from the six‐membered to the five‐membered ring, as in a→b . In the anion, rotation of the molecular paddlewheel is blocked by the bulky tripod. X‐ray crystal structures provide pictures of the system in both its “ON” and “OFF” states.
Fully loaded : Noncovalent anchoring of liposomes into polymer multilayered films with cholesterol‐modified polymers allows the preparation of capsosomes—liposome‐compartmentalized polymer capsules (see picture). A quantitative enzymatic reaction confirmed the presence of active cargo within the capsosomes and was used to determine the number of subcompartments within this novel biomedical carrier system.
For the first time : Thiofulminic acid (HCNS), the parent member of the nitrile sulfide family of reactive intermediates and potential interstellar species, was produced and characterized by IR spectroscopy for the first time. HCNS was generated in cryogenic matrices by 254 nm UV irradiation of 1,2,5‐thiadiazole (see figure).
In a glass house : Silica‐encapsulated self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) on tunable gold/silver nanoshells were used as labels for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). This concept combines the spectroscopic advantages arising from maximum surface coverage and uniform molecular orientation of the Raman reporter molecules within the complete monolayer together with the high chemical and mechanical stability of the glass shell.
Clicking in zeolites : Copper(I)‐exchanged zeolites proved to be practical and efficient catalysts for the cycloaddition of azomethine imines with alkynes, providing a convenient access to N,N‐bicyclic pyrazolidinone derivatives (see scheme). With high regioselectivity, 100 % atom economy, and convenient product isolation, this heterogeneously catalyzed version of the Dorn cycloaddition corresponds to click‐chemistry criteria.
Piecing it together : The first total synthesis of naturally occurring diterpene pallavicinolide A was achieved. Notable features are highlighted by three key biomimetic transformations: a base‐promoted Grob fragmentation, a singlet oxygen oxidation, and an intramolecular Diels–Alder cycloaddition.
Self‐assembly line : In the presence of a DNA analyte or low‐molecular‐weight substrates, multicomponent nucleic acids self‐assemble into cooperatively stabilized functional nanostructures (see scheme) that activate DNAzyme cascades.
Structurally well defined and thermally stable PdII complexes, derived from N4‐tetradentate dicarboxyamide/dipyridyl ligands, were evaluated as catalysts for the Heck reactions of deactivated aryl chlorides and olefins (see scheme). The concept of using an anionic carboxyamide as an ancillary ligand for palladium demonstrated here provides a new opportunity for the development of phosphine‐free transition‐metal catalysis.
Block copolymers in seconds : Catalyst‐free, ambient‐temperature click conjugation of individual polymer strands becomes possible using novel ATRP‐derived cyclopentadienyl‐capped polymers in an extremely rapid hetero‐Diels–Alder cycloaddition with macromolecules equipped with electron‐deficient dithioester end groups prepared by the RAFT process.
Please recycle! An amphiphilic polystyrene‐poly(ethylene glycol) resin‐dispersion of nanoparticles of platinum (ARP‐Pt) is developed, with the nanoparticles exhibiting a narrow size distribution throughout the resin. ARP‐Pt offers a sustainable chemistry alternative as a useful and readily recyclable catalyst for the aerobic oxidation of a wide variety of alcohols.
Shall we dance? Within the proposed mechanism for the palladium‐catalyzed title reaction, the strained alkene norbornene (or norbornadiene) enters and exits the catalytic cycle in a catalytic “square dance”, acting as both a promoter and a coupling partner in the formation of four carbon–carbon bonds, two of them by challenging C? H activation processes.
Double or nothing : The title reaction converts a range of aromatic aldehydes and allenylmethyl/allyl silanes into 1,6‐dioxecane derivatives in good to excellent yields (see scheme; Ar=aryl, Tf=triflate, THF=tetrahydrofuran, TMS=trimethylsilyl). In addition, the bisdiene product has been transformed into the corresponding tricyclic compound through a Diels–Alder reaction.
Three that matter : Metal acetylides from alkyl propiolates allow C3 homologations with transference of their versatile reactivity profile to products that can then react without further elaboration. Metal‐free acetylides, which are generated by the action of a good nucleophile on the alkyl propiolate, react with suitable electrophiles through different domino reactions to generate skeletal diversity.
Stable complexes : An extremely air‐stable μ2‐hydroxy‐bridged binuclear hafonocene perfluorooctanesulfoante complex shows high catalytic efficiency in Lewis acid‐catalyzed reactions, such as esterification, Friedel–Crafts acylation, the Mukaiyama aldol reation, and the allylation of aldehyde (see scheme).
