Inorganic coordination polymers. X. Observations on the formation and nature of poly(di-μ-diphenylphosphinato-hydroxyaquochromium (III)),{Cr(H2O)(OH)-[OP(C6H5)2O]2}x

Under different conditions two products, one green and one brown, were obtained by the air oxidation of chromium(II) diphenylphosphinate. Air oxidation of an aqueous suspension of the phosphinate apparently yields a mixture in which the green form predominates. As initially isolated, the green form is a low molecular weight polymer corresponding to {Cr(H₂O)(OH)[OP(C₆H₅)₂O]₂}_n, with n approximately 11. It spontaneously polymerizes further in organic solvents to high molecular weight polymers of the same composition, with n in the range 150–200. This polymerization reaction in volves the elimination of water and is probably a reaction between endgroups resulting in a basically linear polymer. The brown product, corresponding to low molecular weight {Cr₂(H₂O)(OH)₂[OP(C₆H₅)₂O]₄}_p, also polymerizes spontaneously but at a faster rate and to a gel. The polymer so produced is less soluble than that produced from the low molecular weight green product and is probably crosslinked.     

Iron-Catalyzed Highly Enantioselective cis-Dihydroxylation of Trisubstituted Alkenes with Aqueous H2O2

Reliable methods for enantioselective cis-dihydroxylation of trisubstituted alkenes are scarce. The iron(II) complex cis-α-[Fe^II(2-Me₂-BQPN)(OTf)₂], which bears a tetradentate N₄ ligand (Me₂-BQPN=(R,R)-N,N′-dimethyl-N,N′-bis(2-methylquinolin-8-yl)-1,2-diphenylethane-1,2-diamine), was prepared and characterized. With this complex as the catalyst, a broad range of trisubstituted electron-deficient alkenes were efficiently oxidized to chiral cis-diols in yields of up to 98 % and up to 99.9 % ee when using hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) as oxidant under mild conditions. Experimental studies (including ¹⁸O-labeling, ESI-MS, NMR, EPR, and UV/Vis analyses) and DFT calculations were performed to gain mechanistic insight, which suggested possible involvement of a chiral cis-Fe^V(O)₂ reaction intermediate as an active oxidant. This cis-[Fe^II(chiral N₄ ligand)]²⁺/H₂O₂ method could be a viable green alternative/complement to the existing OsO₄-based methods for asymmetric alkene dihydroxylation reactions.     

Reoxidation of Transition‐metal Catalysts with O2

Transition‐metal catalyzed oxidation reactions are central components of organic chemistry. On behalf of green and sustainable chemistry, molecular oxygen (O₂) has been considered as an ideal oxidant due to its natural, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly characters, and therefore offers attractive academic and industrial prospects. In recent years, some powerful organic oxidation methods have been continuously developed. Among them, the use of molecular oxygen (O₂) as a green and sustainable oxidant has attracted considerable attentions. However, the development of new transition metal‐catalyzed protocols using O₂ as an ideal oxidant is highly desirable but very challenging because of the low standard electrode potential of O₂ to reoxidize the transition‐metal catalysts. In this Account, we highlight some of our progress toward the use of transition‐metal catalyzed aerobic oxidation reactions. Through the careful selection of ligand and the acidic additives, we have successfully realized the reoxidation of Cu, Pd, Mn, Fe, Ru, Rh, and bimetallic catalysts under O₂ or air atmosphere (1 atm) for the oxidative coupling, oxygenation reactions, oxidative C‐H/C‐C bond cleavage, oxidative annulation, and olefins difunctionalization reactions. Most of the reactions can tolerate a range of functional groups. These methods provide new strategies for the green synthesis of alkynes, (α ‐keto)amides/esters, ketones/diones, O/N‐heterocycles, β ‐azido alcohols, and nitriles. The high efficiency, low cost, and simple operation under air make these methodologies very attractive and practical. We will also discuss the mechanisms of these reactions which might be useful to promote the new type of aerobic oxidative reaction design.     

Alum (KAl(SO4)2 · 12H2O) Catalyzed One-Pot Synthesis of Coumarins under Solvent-Free Conditions

Alum (KAl(SO₄)₂ · 12H₂O) is used as an efficient catalyst in the Pechmann condensation of phenol derivatives with β-keto esters leading to the formation of coumarins in excellent yields under solvent-free conditions. This methodology offers significant improvements for the synthesis of coumarins with regard to the yield of products, simplicity in operation, and green aspects by avoiding toxic catalysts and solvents.     

Synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles using microorganisms

A low-cost green and reproducible microbes (Lactobacillus sp. and Sachharomyces cerevisae) mediated biosynthesis of TiO₂ nanoparticles is reported. The synthesis is performed akin to room temperature in the laboratory ambience. X-ray and transmission electron microscopy analyses are performed to ascertain the formation of TiO₂ nanoparticles. Individual nanoparticles as well as a few aggregate having the size of 8–35 nm are found. Concentric Scherrer rings in the selected area electron diffraction pattern indicated that the nanoparticles are having all possible orientations. A possible involved mechanism for the biosynthesis of nano-TiO₂ has also been proposed in which pH as well as partial pressure of gaseous hydrogen (rH₂) or redox potential of the culture solution seems to play an important role in the process.     

Iron‐Catalyzed Highly Enantioselective cis‐Dihydroxylation of Trisubstituted Alkenes with Aqueous H2O2

Reliable methods for enantioselective cis‐dihydroxylation of trisubstituted alkenes are scarce. The iron(II) complex cis‐α‐[Fe^II(2‐Me₂‐BQPN)(OTf)₂], which bears a tetradentate N₄ ligand (Me₂‐BQPN=(R,R)‐N,N′‐dimethyl‐N,N′‐bis(2‐methylquinolin‐8‐yl)‐1,2‐diphenylethane‐1,2‐diamine), was prepared and characterized. With this complex as the catalyst, a broad range of trisubstituted electron‐deficient alkenes were efficiently oxidized to chiral cis‐diols in yields of up to 98 % and up to 99.9 % ee when using hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) as oxidant under mild conditions. Experimental studies (including ¹⁸O‐labeling, ESI‐MS, NMR, EPR, and UV/Vis analyses) and DFT calculations were performed to gain mechanistic insight, which suggested possible involvement of a chiral cis‐Fe^V(O)₂ reaction intermediate as an active oxidant. This cis‐[Fe^II(chiral N₄ ligand)]²⁺/H₂O₂ method could be a viable green alternative/complement to the existing OsO₄‐based methods for asymmetric alkene dihydroxylation reactions.     

Oxidation of Thiols Using K 2 S 2 O 8 in Ionic Liquid

A green, straightforward, and novel method for oxidation of thiols to the corresponding disulfides is reported using K ₂ S ₂ O₈ in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide [(bmim)Br] at 65–70°C. The corresponding disulfides were obtained in excellent yield and short reaction time.     

The [U2F12]2− Anion of Sr[U2F12]

The D_2h‐symmetric dinuclear complex anion [U₂F₁₂]^2? of pastel green Sr[U₂F₁₂] shows a hitherto unknown structural feature: The coordination polyhedra around the U atoms are edge‐linked monocapped trigonal prisms, the U^V atoms are therefore seven‐coordinated. This leads to a U–U distance of 3.8913(6) Å. A weak U^V–U^V interaction is observed for the dinuclear [U₂F₁₂]^2? complex and described by the antiferromagnetic exchange J_exp of circa ?29.9 cm^?1. The crystalline compound can be easily prepared from SrF₂ and β‐UF₅ in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride (aHF) at room temperature. It was studied by means of single crystal X‐ray diffraction, IR, Raman and UV/VIS spectroscopy, magnetic measurements, and by molecular as well as by solid‐state quantum chemical calculations.     

Fe3O4@SiO2@sulfated boric acid as superparamagnetic and recyclable nanocatalyst‐assisted,one‐pot,pseudo four‐component synthesis of 5‐amino‐2‐aryl‐3H‐chromeno[4,3,2‐de][1,6]naphthyridine‐4‐carbonitrile derivatives

The catalytic performance of the superparamagnetic nanocatalyst Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@Sulfated boric acid as a green, recyclable, and acidic solid catalyst in the synthesis of chromeno[4,3,2‐de][1,6]naphthyridine derivatives has been studied. Chromeno[4,3,2‐de][1,6]naphthyridine derivatives via a pseudo four‐component reaction from aromatic aldehydes (1 mmol), malononitrile (2 mmol), and 2′‐hydroxyacetophenone in the presence of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@Sulfated boric acid (0.004 g) as a nanocatalyst in 3 mL of water as a green solvent at 80°C has been synthesized. The advantages of this method are higher product yields in shorter reaction times, easy recyclability and reusability of the catalyst, and easy work‐up procedures. The nanocatalyst was reused at least six times. The nanocatalyst retained its stability in the reaction, and after reusability, it was separated easily from the reaction by an external magnet.     

Selective Synthesis of 2‐Aryl‐1‐benzylated‐1H‐benzimidazoles

An efficient and simple procedure was developed for the green synthesis of various 2‐aryl‐1‐ben‐zylated‐1H‐benzimidazoles in high yields by condensation of o‐phenylenediamine with aldehydes with P₂O₅/SiO₂ as catalyst under solvent‐free and ambient conditions.     

Cu@KCC-1-NH-CS2 as a new and highly efficient nanocatalyst for the synthesis of 2-amino-4H-chromene derivatives

In the present work, Cu@KCC-1-NH-CS₂ as a green, efficient, and reusable nano-reactor was designed and used for the one-pot, three-component synthesis of 2-amino-4H-chromene derivatives using the reaction of cyclic 1,3-diketones, arylglyoxals, and malononitrile, under reflux conditions in EtOH. Engineered nanocatalyst characterized using different methods including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), adsorption/desorption analysis (BET), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). According to the obtained results, presented protocol for the synthesis of 2-amino-4H-chromenes using Cu@KCC-1-NH-CS₂ gave the desired products in higher yields (89–98%) with short reaction times. Also, under mild reaction conditions this green nanocatalyst indicated recyclable behavior five times with minor reduce in its catalytic activity.     

A Green and Efficient Approach for the Synthesis of 3-Chalcogen Benzo[b]Furans via I2-Mediated Cascade Annulation Reaction of 2-Alkynylanisoles at Room Temperature in Water

Abstract

An efficient and green aqueous protocol to access 3-chalcogen benzo[b]furan derivatives has been developed. The reaction can proceed via I₂-mediated intramolecular annulation reaction of 2-alkynylanisoles with diaryl disulfides (diselenides) in water or under solvent-free conditions at room temperature. With the participation of I₂, a variety of 3-chalcogen benzo[b]furan derivatives were obtained in good to excellent yields. This reaction was considered to work via an iodocyclization cascade mechanism and the intermediate 3-iodo-2-phenylbenzofuran was detected by GC-MS.     

Intensely green quinonoid [Cr(CO)4(Ph2P)2C-C6H4-C(R)O2CR-P,P] complexes

Summary Ph₂PCH(Ph)PPh₂, prepared by treating Ph₂PCH₂Ph successively with n-BuLi and Ph₂PCl, reacts with group VI metal hexacarbonyls to give [M(CO)₄{Ph₂PCH(Ph)-PPh₂}], where M = Cr, Mo or W. The Cr complex [Cr(CO)₄{Ph₂PCH(Ph)PPh₂}] was deprotonated with MeLi and the resulting carbanion [Cr(CO)₄(Ph₂-PCPhPPh₂)]^– acylated with RCOCl (R = Ph or p-tolyl) to give the intensely green title compounds in which an aromatic ring has become a quinonoid.Author to whom all correspondence should be directed.     

Revealing the marked differences of phosphorescence efficiencies on C˄N˄N‐coordinated Pt(II) complexes: A theoretical study

In this study, green phosphorescent Pt(II) complexes with N,N‐diphenyl‐6‐(1H‐pyrazol‐1‐yl)pyridin‐2‐amine (Ndpp) coordinated ligands, [Pt (Ndpp)Cl] 2a , [Pt (Ndpp)Pb, Pb = (prop‐1‐ynyl)benzene] 2b , and [Pt (Ndpp)CN] 2a? CN were theoretically investigated by means of density functional theory and time‐dependent density functional theory calculations to reveal their marked distinct phosphorescence quantum yields. These complexes exhibit evident absorption bands in the 200–450 nm region but emit strong green light with marked differences of phosphorescence quantum yields. Compared with the complex 2a , the complex 2b possesses large oscillator strengths of absorption spectra, strong spin‐orbit coupling, and transition electric dipole moment, as well as small singlet‐triplet splitting energies, which conduces to enhancing its radiative decay. To illustrate the nonradiative decay process, the transition state (TS) between the triplet metal‐centered (³MC) state and the excited state (T₁) was optimized. The ³MC state is found to be the minimum energy crossing point (MECP) between the T₁ state and the S₀ state. Compared with the complex 2a , the complex 2b possesses a much larger energy barrier to the MECP state from the T₁ state, so it is strongly emissive in the green region. Besides, the introduction of ? CN substitutions on 2a is useful for enhancing the energy barrier to the thermal deactivation pathway of ³MLCT → TS → MECP. These results demonstrate that the modification of metal–ligand conjugation is an effective way to develop high‐performance phosphorescent materials.     

Synthesis of WOn‐WX2 (n=2.7, 2.9; X=S,Se) Heterostructures for Highly Efficient Green Quantum Dot Light‐Emitting Diodes

Preparation of two‐dimensional (2D) heterostructures is important not only fundamentally, but also technologically for applications in electronics and optoelectronics. Herein, we report a facile colloidal method for the synthesis of WO_n ‐WX₂ (n =2.7, 2.9; X=S, Se) heterostructures by sulfurization or selenization of WO_n nanomaterials. The WO_n ‐WX₂ heterostructures are composed of WO_2.9 nanoparticles (NPs) or WO_2.7 nanowires (NWs) grown together with single‐ or few‐layer WX₂ nanosheets (NSs). As a proof‐of‐concept application, the WO_n ‐WX₂ heterostructures are used as the anode interfacial buffer layer for green quantum dot light‐emitting diodes (QLEDs). The QLED prepared with WO_2.9 NP‐WSe₂ NS heterostructures achieves external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 8.53 %. To our knowledge, this is the highest efficiency in the reported green QLEDs using inorganic materials as the hole injection layer.     

Adenine Components in Biomimetic Metal–Organic Frameworks for Efficient CO2 Photoconversion

Visible‐light driven photoconversion of CO₂ into energy carriers is highly important to the natural carbon balance and sustainable development. Demonstrated here is the adenine‐dependent CO₂ photoreduction performance in green biomimetic metal–organic frameworks. Photocatalytic results indicate that AD‐MOF‐2 exhibited a very high HCOOH production rate of 443.2 μmol g^?1 h^?1 in pure aqueous solution, and is more than two times higher than that of AD‐MOF‐1 (179.0 μmol g^?1h^?1) in acetonitrile solution. Significantly, experimental and theoretical evidence reveal that the CO₂ photoreduction reaction mainly takes place at the aromatic nitrogen atom of adenine molecules through a unique o‐amino‐assisted activation rather than at the metal center. This work not only serves as an important case study for the development of green biomimetic photocatalysts used for artificial photosynthesis, but also proposes a new catalytic strategy for efficient CO₂ photoconversion.     

Diels-Alder Reactions of N-Functionalized Acryloyl α-Pyrrolidone Derivatives Using FeCl3·6H2O as an Efficient Catalyst under Solvent-free Conditions

Diels-Alder reactions of N-functionalized acryloyl α-pyrrolidone derivatives were investigated, which were catalyzed by FeCl3·6H2O as an efficient catalyst under solvent-free conditions at room temperature. The corresponding cycloadducts with functionalized-pyrrolidone were prepared in high yield with high stereoselectivity by a green chemistry procedure. N-Functionalized acryloyl pyrrolidone derivatives, a kind of pyrrolidone-functionalized chelating α,β-unsaturated ketone usable as a dienophile in Diels-Alder reaction, were synthesized by N-acylation procedure in ionic liquid as a novel synthetic method.     

Electrosynthesis of Arylsulfonamides from Amines and Sodium Sulfinates Using H2O‐NaI as the Electrolyte Solution at Room Temperature

With H₂O as the solvent and NaI as the supporting electrolyte, a green and efficient electrochemical route has been developed to synthesize arylsulfonamides via I₂ electrogenerated in situ at a graphite anode to promote the reaction of sodium sulfinates with aromatic or aliphatic primary and secondary amines. The target products could be obtained in good to excellent yields at room temperature.     

A facile and efficient method for synthesis of xanthone derivatives catalyzed by HBF4/SiO2 under solvent-free conditions

Abstract  

HBF₄/SiO₂ was used as an efficient, green, and inexpensive catalytic system for synthesis of 12-aryl or 12-alkyl-8,9,10,12-tetrahydro-11H-benzo[a]xanthen-11-one derivatives via a one-pot three-component reaction of aldehydes, 2-naphthol, and cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds. The reactions proceeded rapidly at 80 °C under solvent-free conditions and the desired products were obtained in good to excellent yields.     

Synthesis of WOn‐WX2 (n=2.7, 2.9; X=S,Se) Heterostructures for Highly Efficient Green Quantum Dot Light‐Emitting Diodes

Preparation of two‐dimensional (2D) heterostructures is important not only fundamentally, but also technologically for applications in electronics and optoelectronics. Herein, we report a facile colloidal method for the synthesis of WO_n ‐WX₂ (n =2.7, 2.9; X=S, Se) heterostructures by sulfurization or selenization of WO_n nanomaterials. The WO_n ‐WX₂ heterostructures are composed of WO_2.9 nanoparticles (NPs) or WO_2.7 nanowires (NWs) grown together with single‐ or few‐layer WX₂ nanosheets (NSs). As a proof‐of‐concept application, the WO_n ‐WX₂ heterostructures are used as the anode interfacial buffer layer for green quantum dot light‐emitting diodes (QLEDs). The QLED prepared with WO_2.9 NP‐WSe₂ NS heterostructures achieves external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 8.53 %. To our knowledge, this is the highest efficiency in the reported green QLEDs using inorganic materials as the hole injection layer.