Synthesis and Self‐Organization of Zinc β‐(Dialkoxyphosphoryl)porphyrins in the Solid State and in Solution

The first synthesis and self‐organization of zinc β‐phosphorylporphyrins in the solid state and in solution are reported. β‐Dialkoxyphosphoryl‐5,10,15,20‐tetraphenylporphyrins and their Zn^II complexes have been synthesized in good yields by using Pd‐ and Cu‐mediated carbon–phosphorous bond‐forming reactions. The Cu‐mediated reaction allowed to prepare the mono‐β‐(dialkoxyphosphoryl)porphyrins 1 Zn – 3 Zn starting from the β‐bromo‐substituted zinc porphyrinate ZnTPPBr (TPP=tetraphenylporphyrin) and dialkyl phosphites HP(O)(OR)₂ (R=Et, iPr, nBu). The derivatives 1 Zn – 3 Zn were obtained in good yields by using one to three equivalents of CuI. When the reaction was carried out in the presence of catalytic amounts of palladium complexes in toluene, the desired zinc derivative 1 Zn was obtained in up to 72 % yield. The use of a Pd‐catalyzed C? P bond‐forming reaction was further extended to the synthesis of β‐poly(dialkoxyphosphoryl)porphyrins. An unprecedented one‐pot sequence involving consecutive reduction and phosphorylation of H₂TPPBr₄ led to the formation of a mixture of the 2,12‐ and 2,13‐bis(dialkoxy)phosphorylporphyrins 5 H₂ and 6 H₂ in 81 % total yield. According to the X‐ray diffraction studies, 1 Zn and 3 Zn are partially overlapped cofacial dimers formed through the coordination of two Zn centers by two phosphoryl groups belonging to the adjacent molecules. The equilibrium between the monomeric and the dimeric species exists in solutions of 1 Zn and 3 Zn in weakly polar solvents according to spectroscopic data (UV/Vis absorption and NMR spectroscopy). The ratio of each form is dependent on the concentration, temperature, and traces of water or methanol. These features demonstrated that zinc β‐phosphorylporphyrins can be regarded as new model compounds for the weakly coupled chlorophyll pair in the photosynthesis process.     

Attachment of a Hydrogen‐Bonding Carboxylate Side Chain to an [FeFe]‐Hydrogenase Model Complex: Influence on the Catalytic Mechanism

Azapropanedithiolate (adt)‐bridged model complexes of [FeFe]‐hydrogenase bearing a carboxylic acid functionality have been designed with the aim of decreasing the potential for reduction of protons to hydrogen. Protonation of the bisphosphine complexes 4 – 6 has been studied by in situ IR and NMR spectroscopy, which revealed that protonation with triflic acid most likely takes place first at the N‐bridge for complex 4 but at the Fe? Fe bond for complexes 5 and 6 . Using an excess of acid, the diprotonated species could also be observed, but none of the protonated species was sufficiently stable to be isolated in a pure state. Electrochemical studies have provided an insight into the catalytic mechanisms under strongly acidic conditions, and have also shown that complexes 3 and 6 are electro‐active in aqueous solution even in the absence of acid, presumably due to hydrogen bonding. Hydrogen evolution, driven by visible light, has been observed for three‐component systems consisting of [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺, complex 1 , 2 , or 3 , and ascorbic acid in CH₃CN/D₂O solution by on‐line mass spectrometry.     

Phosphine Ligands in the Palladium‐Catalysed Methoxycarbonylation of Ethene: Insights into the Catalytic Cycle through an HP NMR Spectroscopic Study

Novel cis‐1,2‐bis(di‐tert‐butyl‐phosphinomethyl) carbocyclic ligands 6 – 9 have been prepared and the corresponding palladium complexes [Pd(O₃SCH₃)(L‐L)][O₃SCH₃] (L‐ L=diphosphine) 32 – 35 synthesised and characterised by NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction. These diphosphine ligands give very active catalysts for the palladium‐catalysed methoxycarbonylation of ethene. The activity varies with the size of the carbocyclic backbone, ligands 7 and 9 , containing four‐ and six‐membered ring backbones giving more active systems. The acid used as co‐catalyst has a strong influence on the activity, with excess trifluoroacetic acid affording the highest conversion, whereas excess methyl sulfonic acid inhibits the catalytic system. An in operando NMR spectroscopic mechanistic study has established the catalytic cycle and resting state of the catalyst under operating reaction conditions. Although the catalysis follows the hydride pathway, the resting state is shown to be the hydride precursor complex [Pd(O₃SCH₃)(L‐ L)][O₃SCH₃], which demonstrates that an isolable/detectable hydride complex is not a prerequisite for this mechanism.     

Two Different Green Catalytic Systems for One‐Pot Regioselective and Chemoselective Synthesis of Some Pyrimido[4,5‐d]Pyrimidinone Derivatives in Water

In this work, we have developed green and efficient regioselective and chemoselective syntheses of 5‐aryloyl‐1,3‐dimethyl‐7‐thioxo‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydropyrimido[4,5‐d ]pyrimidine‐2,4(1H ,3H )‐dione and 5‐aryloyl‐1,3‐dimethyl‐2,7‐dithioxo‐2,3,5,6,7,8‐hexahydropyrimido[4,5‐d ]pyrimidin‐4(1H )‐one derivatives via one‐pot three‐component Biginelli‐like condensation of arylglyoxal monohydrates, N ,N‐dimethylbarbituric acid or N ,N‐dimethyl‐2‐thiobarbituric acid, and thiourea in water at 50°C. The presence of two different green catalytic systems (ZrOCl₂.8H₂O and also DABCO) proceeded efficiently to afford the desired products in good‐to‐excellent yields. An aqueous reaction medium, high regioselectivity and chemoselectivity, simple operation and suitable yields of products are the important features of these green protocols.     

Phenylene‐bridged β‐Ketoiminate Dilanthanide Aryloxides: Synthesis,Structure, and Catalytic Activity for Addition of Amines to Carbodiimides

The synthesis and reactivity of a series of bimetallic lanthanide aryloxides stabilized by a p‐phenylene‐bridged bis(β‐ketoiminate) ligand is presented. The reaction of 1,4‐diaminobenzene with acetylacetone in a 1:2.5 molar ratio in absolute ethanol gave the compound 1,4‐bis(4‐imino‐2‐pentanone)benzene ( 1 ) (LH₂) in high yield. Compound 1 reacted with (ArO)₃Ln(THF)₂ (ArO = 2,6‐tBu₂‐4‐MeC₆H₂O, THF = tetrahydrofuran) in a 1:2 molar ratio in THF, after workup, to give the corresponding dilanthanide aryloxides L[Ln(OAr)₂(THF)]₂ [Ln = Yb ( 2 ), Y ( 3 ), Sm ( 4 ), Nd ( 5 ), La ( 6 )] in high isolated yields. Compound 1 and complexes 2 – 6 were fully characterized, including X‐ray crystal structure analyses for complexes 2 , 3 , 5 , and 6 . Complexes 2 – 6 can be used as efficient pre‐catalysts for catalytic addition of amines to carbodiimides, and the ionic radii of the central metal atoms have a significant effect on the catalytic activity with the increasing sequence of La ( 6 ) < Nd ( 5 ) ≈ Sm ( 4 ) < Y ( 3 ) ≈ Yb ( 2 ). The catalytic addition reaction with 2 showed a good scope of substrates including primary and secondary amines.     

Photoinduced Charge Separation in Zinc–Porphyrin/Tungsten–Alkylidyne Dyads: Generation of Reactive Porphyrin and Metallo Radical States

The luminescent tungsten–alkylidyne metalloligand [WCl(≡C‐4,4′‐C₆H₄CC‐py)(dppe)₂] ( 1 ; dppe=1,2‐bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) and the zinc–tetraarylporphyrins ZnTPP and ZnTP_ClP (TPP=tetraphenylporphyrin, TP_ClP=tetra(p‐chlorophenyl)porphyrin) self‐assemble in fluorobenzene solution to form the dyads ZnTPP( 1 ) and ZnTP_ClP( 1 ), in which the metalloligand is axially coordinated to the porphyrin. Excitation of the porphyrin‐centered S₁ excited states of these dyads initiates intramolecular energy‐transfer (ZnPor→ 1 ) and electron‐transfer ( 1 →ZnPor) processes, which together efficiently quench the S₁ state (～90 %). Transient‐absorption spectroscopy and an associated kinetic analysis reveal that the net product of the energy‐transfer process is the ³[dπ*] state of coordinated 1 , which is formed by S₁→¹[dπ*] singlet–singlet (Förster) energy transfer followed by ¹[dπ*]→³[dπ*] intersystem crossing. The data also demonstrate that coordinated 1 reductively quenches the porphyrin S₁ state to produce the [ZnPor^?][ 1⁺ ] charge‐separated state. This is a rare example of the reductive quenching of zinc porphyrin chromophores. The presence in the [ZnPor^?][ 1⁺ ] charge‐separated states of powerfully reducing zinc–porphyrin radical anions, which are capable of sensitizing a wide range of reductive electrocatalysts, and the 1⁺ ion, which can initiate the oxidation of H₂, produces an integrated photochemical system with the thermodynamic capability of driving photoredox processes that result in the transfer of renewable reducing equivalents instead of the consumption of conventional sacrificial donors.     

Pd‐Iminocarboxylate Complexes and Their Behavior in Ethylene Polymerization

Designing co‐catalyst‐free late transition metal complexes for ethylene polymerization is a challenging task at the interface of organometallic and polymer chemistry. Herein, a set of new, co‐catalyst‐free, single‐component catalytic systems for ethylene polymerization have been unraveled. Treatment of anthranilic acid with various aldehydes produced four iminocarboxylate ligands ( L1 – L4 ) in very good to excellent yield (75–92 %). The existence of 2‐((2‐methoxybenzylidene)amino) benzoic acid ( L1 ) has been unambiguously demonstrated using NMR spectroscopy, MS and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. A neutral Pd‐iminocarboxylate complex [{N O}PdMe(L1)] (N O=κ²‐N,O‐ArCHNC₆H₄CO₂ with Ar=2‐MeOC₆H₄) C1 was prepared by treating stoichiometric amount of L1.Na with palladium precursor. The identity of C1 was confirmed by 1–2D NMR spectroscopy and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction studies. Along the same lines, palladium complexes C2 – C4 were prepared from ligands L2 – L4 respectively. In‐situ high‐pressure NMR investigations revealed that these Pd complexes are amenable to ethylene insertion and undergo facile β‐H elimination to produce propylene. These palladium complexes were then evaluated in ethylene polymerization reaction and various reaction parameters were screened. When C1 – C4 were exposed to ethylene pressures of 10–50 bar, formation of low‐molecular‐weight polyethylene was observed.     

Phenalenyl‐Based Organozinc Catalysts for Intramolecular Hydroamination Reactions: A Combined Catalytic,Kinetic, and Mechanistic Investigation of the Catalytic Cycle

Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of two organozinc complexes that contain symmetrical phenalenyl (PLY)‐based N,N‐ligands. The reactions of phenalenyl‐based ligands with ZnMe₂ led to the formation of organozinc complexes [N(Me),N(Me)‐PLY]ZnMe ( 1 ) and [N(iPr),N(iPr)‐PLY]ZnMe ( 2 ) under the evolution of methane. Both complexes ( 1 and 2 ) were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The solid‐state structures of complexes 1 and 2 were determined by single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography. Complexes 1 and 2 were used as catalysts for the intramolecular hydroamination of unactivated primary and secondary aminoalkenes. A combined approach of NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations was utilized to obtain better insight into the mechanistic features of the zinc‐catalyzed hydroamination reactions. The progress of the catalysis for primary and secondary aminoalkene substrates with catalyst 2 was investigated by detailed kinetic studies, including kinetic isotope effect measurements. These results suggested pseudo‐first‐order kinetics for both primary and secondary aminoalkene activation processes. Eyring and Arrhenius analyses for the cyclization of a model secondary aminoalkene substrate afforded ΔH^≠=11.3 kcal mol^?1, ΔS^≠=?35.75 cal K^?1 mol^?1, and E_a=11.68 kcal mol^?1. Complex 2 exhibited much‐higher catalytic activity than complex 1 under identical reaction conditions. The in situ NMR experiments supported the formation of a catalytically active zinc cation and the DFT calculations showed that more active catalyst 2 generated a more stable cation. The stability of the catalytically active zinc cation was further supported by an in situ recycling procedure, thereby confirming the retention of catalytic activity of compound 2 for successive catalytic cycles. The DFT calculations showed that the preferred pathway for the zinc‐catalyzed hydroamination reactions is alkene activation rather than the alternative amine‐activation pathway. A detailed investigation with DFT methods emphasized that the remarkably higher catalytic efficiency of catalyst 2 originated from its superior stability and the facile formation of its cation compared to that derived from catalyst 1 .     

A Cheap and Efficient Methodology for the Solvent‐Free,One‐pot and Multi‐component Synthesis of 3,4‐Dihydropyrimidin‐2(1H)‐ones Catalyzed by Mesoporous NH4H2PO4/MCM‐48 and Comparison of Its Catalytic Efficacy with NH4H2PO4/MCM‐41

The catalytic efficiency of ammonium dihydrogenphosphate was evaluated in the two heterogeneous forms of NH₄H₂PO₄/MCM‐48 and NH₄H₂PO₄/MCM‐41, as mesoporous catalysts, in the solvent free synthesis of 3,4‐dihydropyrimidin‐2(1H)‐ones through one‐pot three‐component condensation of ethyl acetoacetate, an aryl aldehyde and urea. Different reaction parameters including catalytic efficacy, solvent effect, and urea concentration are considered.     

Fabrication of Ruthenium Nanoparticles in Porous Organic Polymers: Towards Advanced Heterogeneous Catalytic Nanoreactors

A novel strategy has been adopted for the construction of a copolymer of benzene–benzylamine‐1 (BBA‐1), which is a porous organic polymer (POP) with a high BET surface area, through Friedel–Crafts alkylation of benzylamine and benzene by using formaldehyde dimethyl acetal as a cross‐linker and anhydrous FeCl₃ as a promoter. Ruthenium nanoparticles (Ru NPs) were successfully distributed in the interior cavities of polymers through NaBH₄, ethylene glycol, and hydrothermal reduction routes, which delivered Ru‐A, Ru‐B, and Ru‐C materials, respectively, and avoided aggregation of metal NPs. Homogeneous dispersion, the nanoconfinement effect of the polymer, and the oxidation state of Ru NPs were verified by employing TEM, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy mapping, cross polarization magic‐angle spinning ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analytical tools. These three new Ru‐based POP materials exhibited excellent catalytic performance in the hydrogenation of nitroarenes at RT (with a reaction time of only ≈30 min), with high conversion, selectivity, stability, and recyclability for several catalytic cycles, compared with other traditional materials, such as Ru@C, Ru@SiO₂, and Ru@TiO₂, but no clear agglomeration or loss of catalytic activity was observed. The high catalytic performance of the ruthenium‐based POP materials is due to the synergetic effect of nanoconfinement and electron donation offered by the 3D POP network. DFT calculations showed that hydrogenation of nitrobenzene over the Ru (0001) catalyst surface through a direct reaction pathway is more favorable than that through an indirect reaction pathway.     

Electronic aspects of LADH catalytic mechanism

Electronic aspects of the catalytic mechanism of liver alcohol dehydrogenase (LADH) are studied with the help of ab initio analytical gradient SCF MO methods. Three points are considered: (i) role of the catalytic zinc; (ii) geometry and electronic structure of the transition state for the hydride transfer reactions; and (iii) factors affecting the energy gap for the hydride transfer step, namely, substrate binding to zinc, reaction field, and serine 48 effects on the potential energy profile. The coordination sphere of the catalytic zinc has been modeled with an ammonia molecule and two SH^? groups; complexes with CH₃O^?, CH₃OH, and CH₂O have been studied; a (6, 2, 2, 2, 1/6, 2, 1/3, 2) basis set has been used for Zn⁺⁺; a (5, 2, 1, 1/3, 2) was used for oxygen, carbon, and sulfur; and a (3, 1) was used for hydrogen atoms. The hydride step was studied with two model systems: pyridinium cation/1,4-dihydropyridine coupled to the CH₃O^?/CH₂O reaction, and cyclopropenyl cation/cyclopropene coupled to the CH₃O^?/CH₂O system. For the latter, the role of Ser48 has been studied at the supermolecule level. The calculation on the hydride transfer step has been done at a 4–31G basis set level. The results obtained shed new light on the sources of catalytic activity of liver alcohol dehydrogenases.     

Mechanism of Ketone Allylation with Allylboronates as Catalyzed by Zinc Compounds: A DFT Study

The mechanism of the allylation reaction between 4‐chloroacetophenone and pinacol allylboronates catalyzed by ZnEt₂ with alcohols was investigated using density functional theory (DFT) at the M05‐2X/6‐311++G(d,p) level. The calculations reveal that the reaction prefers to proceed through a double γ‐addition stepwise reaction mechanism rather than a Lewis acid‐catalyzed concerted one. The intermediate with a four‐coordinated boron center, which is formed through proton transfer from EtOH to the ethyl group of ZnEt₂ mediated by the boron center, is the active species and an entrance for the catalytic cycle. The latter is composed of three elementary steps: 1) boron to zinc transmetalation leading to the formation of allylzincate species, 2) electrophilic addition of ketone to allylzincate species, and 3) generation of the final product with recovery of the catalyst. The boron to zinc transmetalation step has the largest energy barrier of 61.0 kJ mol^?1 and is predicted to be the rate‐determining step. The calculations indicate that the additive EtOH plays important roles both in lowering the activation free energy for the formation of the four‐coordinated boron active intermediate and in transforming the low catalytic activity ZnEt₂ into high activity zinc alkoxide species. The alcohols with a less sterically encumbering R group might be the effective additives. The substituted groups on the allylboronates might primarily affect the boron to zinc transmetalation, and the allylboronates with substituents on the C_γ atom is poor in reactivity. The comparison of the catalytic effect between the zinc compounds investigated suggest that Zn(OEt)₂, Zn(OH)₂, and ZnF₂ exhibit higher catalytic efficiency for the boron to zinc transmetalation due to the activation of the B? C_α bond through orbital interactions between the p orbitals of the EtO, OH, F groups and the empty p orbital of the boron center.     

New anticancer zinc(II) complexes comprising thiosemicarbazones of saturated ring: structure,DNA/protein binding,DNA cleavage,topoisomerase‐1 inhibition and anti‐proliferation studies

The reaction of the thiosemicarbazones (CH₂)₄C?NN(H)C(?S)NHR (R = H, Me) with zinc(II) acetate in methanolic solution proceeds readily under mild conditions to form stable mononuclear complexes Zn[(CH₂)₄C?NN?C(S)NHR]₂. DNA interaction studies show that the zinc(II) complexes bind to DNA via groove mode and exhibit efficient DNA cleavage activity in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Also, the complexes display a binding affinity to bovine serum albumin protein with K_BSA values of ca 10⁵ M^?1. Topoisomerase catalytic inhibition studies suggest that both complexes are efficient topoisomerase‐I impeders. Furthermore, the anti‐proliferative effects of the two complexes on five human tumor cell lines (Caki‐2, MCF‐7, CaSki, NCI‐H322M and Co‐115) indicate that both complexes have the potential to act as effective anticancer drugs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Potassium tert‐Butoxide Catalyzed Synthesis and Characterization of Novel 3‐Aryl‐3‐(phenylthio)‐1‐(thiophen‐3‐yl)propan‐1‐one Derivatives

A series of thiophenyl‐containing 3‐thiophene derivatives ( 4a – 4i ) were prepared via the reaction of chalcone‐analogua compounds ( 3a – 3i ) and thiophenol in the presence of catalytic amount of KOBu‐t in CH₂Cl₂ with moderate to high yields. The mechanistic pathway of the reaction was explained by the Michael‐type addition of thiophenol to chalcone derivatives ( 3a – 3i ).     

Carbonylative Coupling of Alkyl Zinc Reagents with Benzyl Bromides Catalyzed by a Nickel/NN2 Pincer Ligand Complex

An efficient catalytic protocol for the three‐component assembly of benzyl bromides, carbon monoxide, and alkyl zinc reagents to give benzyl alkyl ketones is described, and represents the first nickel‐catalyzed carbonylative coupling of two sp³‐carbon fragments. The method, which relies on the application of nickel complexed with an NN₂‐type pincer ligand and a controlled release of CO gas from a solid precursor, works well with a range of benzylic bromides. Mechanistic studies suggest the intermediacy of carbon‐centered radicals.     

Catalytic Enantioselective Aza‐Reformatsky Reaction with Cyclic Imines

A catalytic highly enantioselective aza‐Reformatsky reaction with cyclic aldimines and ketimines for the synthesis of chiral β‐amino esters with good yields and excellent enantioselectivities is reported. A readily available diaryl prolinol is used as a chiral ligand, ZnMe₂ as a zinc source and ethyl iodoacetate as reagent in the presence of air atmosphere. The reaction with cyclic ketimines generates a quaternary stereocenter with excellent levels of enantioselectivity. Furthermore, five‐membered N‐sulfonyl ketimines were used as electrophiles with good enantiomeric excesses, under the optimized reaction conditions. Moreover, several chemical transformations were performed with the chiral β‐amino esters.     

Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity of a Zinc Porphyrin for CO2 Reduction: Cooperative Effects of Triazole Units in the Second Coordination Sphere

The control of the second coordination sphere in a coordination complex plays an important role in improving catalytic efficiency. Herein, we report a zinc porphyrin complex ZnPor8T with multiple flexible triazole units comprising the second coordination sphere, as an electrocatalyst for the highly selective electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) to carbon monoxide (CO). This electrocatalyst converted CO₂ to CO with a Faradaic efficiency of 99 % and a current density of −6.2 mA cm⁻² at −2.4 V vs. Fc/Fc⁺ in N,N-dimethylformamide using water as the proton source. Structure-function relationship studies were carried out on ZnPor8T analogs containing different numbers of triazole units and distinct triazole geometries; these unveiled that the triazole units function cooperatively to stabilize the CO₂-catalyst adduct in order to facilitate intramolecular proton transfer. Our findings demonstrate that incorporating triazole units that function in a cooperative manner is a versatile strategy to enhance the activity of electrocatalytic CO₂ conversion.     

Catalytic behavior tuning via structural modifications of silylated-diphosphine Ni(II) complexes for ethylene selective dimerization

The methylene spacers and an uncoordinated diphenylphosphine moiety in the scaffold of the CH₃Si(CH₂)_n(PPh₂)₃ and Si(CH₂PPh₂)₄-type silylated diphosphine Ni(II) complex systems have a marked impact on their catalytic performance in selective ethylene dimerization. Ni(II)-based precatalyst 1 , bearing two methylene spacers in its framework, exhibited the highest catalytic activity of 1.29 × 10⁸ g (mol_Ni)^-1 h^-1, while precatalyst 3 , with three methylene spacers, affords the highest product selectivity (88%) toward the C₄ fraction. Crystallographic investigations revealed that the precatalyst 3 adopts the mononuclear bidentate binding mode and the steric constraints of its uncoordinated diphenylphosphine moiety may successfully tailor the catalytic environment of the catalyst. The precatalyst 4 may form a dinuclear complex and exhibits high catalytic activity by changing the ligand/Ni molar ratio. The high C₄ selectivity of precatalyst 3 has been rationalized by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and found to be consistent with the experimental results. The study also revealed that designing new systems of Ni(II)-based complexes and their systematic modifications may further provide potential and industrially viable catalyst systems for selective ethylene oligomerization.     

Noncovalent Synthesis of Hierarchical Zinc Phosphates from a Single Zn4O12P4 Double‐Four‐Ring Building Block: Dimensionality Control through the Choice of Auxiliary Ligands

In contrast to the well‐known reaction of phosphonic acids RP(O)(OH)₂ with divalent transition‐metal ions that yields layered metal phosphonates [RPO₃M(H₂O)]_n, the 2,6‐diisopropylphenyl ester of phosphoric acid, dippH₂, reacts with zinc acetate in methanol under ambient conditions to afford tetrameric zinc phosphate [(ArO)PO₃Zn(MeOH)]₄ ( 1 ). The coordinated methanol in 1 can be readily exchanged by stronger Lewis basic ligands at room temperature. This strategy opens up a new avenue for building double‐four‐ring (D4R) cubane‐based supramolecular assemblies through strong intercubane hydrogen‐bonding interactions. Seventeen pyridinic ligands have been used to synthesize as many D4R cubanes [(ArO)PO₃Zn(L)]₄ ( 2 – 18 ) from 1 . The ligands have been chosen in such a way that the majority of them contain an additional functional group that could be used for noncovalent synthesis of extended structures. When the ligand does not contain any other hydrogen‐bonding donor–acceptor sites (e.g., 2,4,6‐trimethylpyridine (collidine)), zero‐dimensional D4R cubanes have been obtained. The use of pyridine, lutidine, 2‐aminopyridine, and 2,6‐diaminopyridine, however, results in the formation of linear or zigzag one‐dimensional assemblies of D4R cubanes through strong intermolecular C? H???O or N? H???O interactions. Construction of two‐dimensional assemblies of zinc phosphates has been achieved by employing 2‐hydroxypyridine or 2‐methylimidazole as the exo‐cubane ligand on zinc centers. The introduction of an alcohol side chain on the pyridinic ligand in such a way that the ? CH₂OH group cannot participate in intracubane hydrogen bonding (e.g., pyridine‐3‐methanol, pyridine‐4‐methanol, and 3,5‐dimethylpyrazole‐N‐ethanol) leads to the facile noncovalent synthesis of three‐dimensional framework structures. Apart from being useful as building blocks for noncovalent synthesis of zeolite‐like materials, compounds 1 – 18 can also be thermolyzed at approximately 500 °C to yield high‐purity zinc pyrophosphate (Zn₂P₂O₇) ceramic material.     

Enhanced Catalytic Activity and Unexpected Products from the Oxidation of Cyclohexene by Organic Nanoparticles of 5,10,15,20‐Tetrakis‐(2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluorophenyl)porphyrinatoiron(III) in Water by Using O2

The catalytic oxidation of alkenes by most iron porphyrins using a variety of oxygen sources, but generally not dioxygen, yields the epoxide with minor quantities of other products. The turnover numbers for these catalysts are modest, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand depending on the porphyrin structure, axial ligands, and other reaction conditions. Halogenation of substituents increases the activity of the metalloporphyrin catalyst and/or makes it more robust to oxidative degradation. Oxidation of cyclohexene by 5,10,15,20‐tetrakis‐(2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluorophenyl)porphyrinato iron(III), ([Fe^III(tppf₂₀)]) and H₂O₂ is typical of the latter: the epoxide is 99 % of the product and turnover numbers are about 350. 1 – 4 Herein, we report that dynamic organic nanoparticles (ONPs) of [Fe^III(tppf₂₀)] with a diameter of 10 nm, formed by host–guest solvent methods, catalytically oxidize cyclohexene with O₂ to yield only 2‐cyclohexene‐1‐one and 2‐cyclohexene‐1‐ol with approximately 10‐fold greater turnover numbers compared to the non‐aggregated metalloporphyrin in acetonitrile/methanol. These ONPs facilitate a greener reaction because the reaction solvent is 89 % water and O₂ is the oxidant in place of synthetic oxygen sources. This reactivity is unexpected because the metalloporphyrins are in close proximity and oxidative degradation of the catalyst should be enhanced, thus causing a significant decrease in catalytic turnovers. The allylic products suggest a different oxidative mechanism compared to that of the solvated metalloporphyrins. These results illustrate the unique properties of some ONPs relative to the component molecules or those attached to supports.