An Isolable Gallium-Substituted Nitrilimine and its Reactivity with B−H,Si−H and B−B Bonds

Reaction of the Ga(I) compound NacNacGa ( 9 ) with the diazo compound N₂CHSiMe₃ affords the nitrilimine compound NacNacGa(N-NCSiMe₃)(CH₂SiMe₃) ( 10 ). Carrying out this reaction in the presence of pyridine does not lead to C−H activation on the transient alkylidene NacNacGa=CHSiMe₃ but generates a metallated diazo species NacNacGa(NHN=CHSiMe₃)(CN₂SiMe₃) ( 13 ) that further rearranges into the isonitrile compound NacNacGa(NHN=CHSiMe₃)(N(NC)SiMe₃) ( 15 ). Reactions of 10 with the silane H₃SiPh and the borane HBcat furnished products of 1,3 addition to the nitrilimine moiety NacNacGa{N(ER_n)NCSiMe₃}(CH₂SiMe₃), whereas reaction with the diborane B₂cat₂ gave the product of formal nitrene insertion into the B−B bond. DFT calculations suggest that the interaction of 9 with N₂CHSiMe₃ proceeds through intermediate formation of an alkylidene compound that undergoes CH activation with a second molecule of N₂CHSiMe₃. Insertion into the B−B bond likely proceeds through an initial 1,3-addition of the diborane, followed by boryl migration to the former nitrene center.     

Quantitative Assessment of B−B−B,B−Hb−B,and B−Ht Bonds: From BH3 to B12H122−

We report the thermodynamic stabilities and the intrinsic strengths of three-center-two-electron B−B−B and B−H_b−B bonds ( : bridging hydrogen), and two-center-two-electron B−H_t bonds ( : terminal hydrogen) which can be served as a new, effective tool to determine the decisive role of the intermediates of hydrogenation/dehydrogenation reactions of borohydride. The calculated heats of formation were obtained with the G4 composite method and the intrinsic strengths of B−B−B, B−H_b−B, and B−H_t bonds were derived from local stretching force constants obtained at the B3LYP-D2/cc-pVTZ level of theory for 21 boron-hydrogen compounds, including 19 intermediates. The Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules (QTAIM) was used to deepen the inside into the nature of B−B−B, B−H_b−B, and B−H_t bonds. We found that all of the experimentally identified intermediates hindering the reversibility of the decomposition reactions are thermodynamically stable and possess strong B−B−B, B−H_b−B, and B−H_t bonds. This proves that thermodynamic data and intrinsic B−B−B, B−H_b−B, and B−H_t bond strengths form a new, effective tool to characterize new (potential) intermediates and to predict their role for the reversibility of the hydrogenation/dehydrogenation reactions.     

Planar Hypercoordinate Carbons in Alkali Metal Decorated CE32− and CE22− Dianions

After exploring the potential energy surfaces of M_mCE₂^p (E=S−Te, M=Li−Cs, m=2, 3 and p=m-2) and M_nCE₃^q (E=S−Te, M=Li−Cs, n=1, 2, q=n-2) combinations, we introduce 38 new global minima containing a planar hypercoordinate carbon atom (24 with a planar tetracoordinate carbon and 14 with a planar pentacoordinate carbon). These exotic clusters result from the decoration of V-shaped CE₂²⁻ and Y-shaped CE₃²⁻ dianions, respectively, with alkali counterions. All these 38 systems fulfill the geometrical and electronic criteria to be considered as true planar hypercoordinate carbon systems. Chemical bonding analyses indicate that carbon is covalently bonded to chalcogens and ionically connected to alkali metals.     

Metal-Free Intermolecular C−H Borylation of N-Heterocycles at B−B Multiple Bonds

Carbene-stabilized diborynes of the form LBBL (L=N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) or cyclic alkyl(amino)carbene (CAAC)) induce rapid, high yielding, intermolecular ortho-C−H borylation at N-heterocycles at room temperature. A simple pyridyldiborene is formed when an NHC-stabilized diboryne is combined with pyridine, while a CAAC-stabilized diboryne leads to activation of two pyridine molecules to give a tricyclic alkylideneborane, which can be forced to undergo a further H-shift resulting in a zwitterionic, doubly benzo-fused 1,3,2,5-diazadiborinine by heating. Use of the extended N-heteroaromatic quinoline leads to a borylmethyleneborane under mild conditions via an unprecedented boron-carbon exchange process.     

Direct versus indirect many-body methods for calculating vertical electron affinities: applications to F−, OH− , NH2−, CN−, Cl−, SH− and PH2−

Electron propagator theory (EPT) is applied to calculating vertical ionization energies of the anions F⁻, Cl⁻, OH⁻,SH⁻, NH₂⁻, PH₂⁻ and CN⁻. Third-order and outer valence approximation (OVA) quasiparticle calculations are compared with ΔMBPT(4) (MBPT, many-body perturbation theory) results using the same basis sets. Agreement with experiment is satisfactory for EPT calculations except for F⁻ and OH⁻, while the ΔMBPT treatments fail for CN⁻. EPT(OVA) estimates are reliable when the discrepancy between second- and third-order results is small. Computational aspects are discussed, showing relative merits of direct and indirect methods for evaluating electron binding energies.     

Low-voltage thin-layer electrophoresis of inorganic anions on silica gel-G and titanium (IV) tungstate layers: separation of coexisting F−, Cl−, Br− and I−, I−, IO3− and IO4−, Fe(CN)64− and Fe(CN)63−

The electrophoretic behavior of twenty anions has been studied on silica gel-G, titanium (IV) tungstate and silica gel-G- titanium (IV) tungstate admixture layers using 0.1 M solutions of oxalic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid and acetic acid as background electrolyte. The mechanism of migration is explained in terms of adsorption and the solubility of various sodium or potassium salts of the anions in water. Titanium (IV) tungstate behaves only as an adsorbent and not as an ion exchanger. Being a cation exchanger, there is no exchange phenomenon occurring with anions. The migration of halides increase linearly with an increase in the bare ion radii of these ions. Differential migration of the anions on silica gel-G layers led to binary, ternary and quaternary separations of similar anions such as F⁻ – Cl⁻ – Br⁻ – I⁻, I⁻ – IO₃⁻ – IO₄⁻, BrO₃⁻ – IO₃⁻ and Fe(CN)₆³⁻ – Fe(CN)₆⁴⁻. The two cyanoferrate ions are separated from industrial waste water and from fixer and bleach solutions. The migration of anions has also been found to be in accordance with their lyotropic numbers.

     

Recent Progress in the Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Activation of Si−Si Bonds To Form C−Si Bonds

Disilanes possessing a Si−Si bond are unique element–element species. Transition-metal-catalyzed activation of the Si−Si bond allows many useful transformations that generate diverse organosilanes. This Minireview highlights impressive developments in this field over the past decade, with an emphasis on the formation of vinyl-, aryl-, and acylsilanes by C(sp²)−Si bond formation as well as the formation of allyl- and alkylsilanes by C(sp³)−Si bond formation.     

Observation of Transition-Metal–Boron Triple Bonds in IrB2O− and ReB2O−

Multiple bonds between boron and transition metals are known in many borylene (:BR) complexes via metal d_π→BR back-donation, despite the electron deficiency of boron. An electron-precise metal–boron triple bond was first observed in BiB₂O⁻ [Bi≡B−B≡O]⁻ in which both boron atoms can be viewed as sp-hybridized and the [B−BO]⁻ fragment is isoelectronic to a carbyne (CR). To search for the first electron-precise transition-metal-boron triple-bond species, we have produced IrB₂O⁻ and ReB₂O⁻ and investigated them by photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum-chemical calculations. The results allow to elucidate the structures and bonding in the two clusters. We find IrB₂O⁻ has a closed-shell bent structure (C_s, ¹A′) with BO⁻ coordinated to an Ir≡B unit, (⁻OB)Ir≡B, whereas ReB₂O⁻ is linear (C_∞v, ³Σ⁻) with an electron-precise Re≡B triple bond, [Re≡B−B≡O]⁻. The results suggest the intriguing possibility of synthesizing compounds with electron-precise M≡B triple bonds analogous to classical carbyne systems.     

Unusual Nitrene Oxidation Product Formation by Metathesis Involving the Dioxygen O−O and Borylnitrene B−N Bonds

The reaction of dioxygen with nitrenes can have significant energy barriers, although both reactants are triplet diradicals and the formation of nitroso-O-oxides is spin-allowed. By means of matrix-isolation infrared spectroscopy in solid argon, nitrogen, and neon, and through high-level computational quantum chemistry, it is shown herein that a 3-nitreno-1,3,2-benzodioxaborole CatBN (Cat=catecholato) reacts with dioxygen under cryogenic conditions thermally at temperatures as low as 7 K to produce two distinct products, an anti-nitroso-O-oxide and a nitritoborane CatBONO. The computed barriers for the formation of nitroso-O-oxide isomers are very low. Whereas anti-nitroso-O-oxide is kinetically trapped, its bisected isomer has a very low barrier for metathesis, yielding the CatBO+NO radicals in a strongly exothermic reaction; these radicals can combine under matrix-isolation conditions to give nitritoborane CatBONO. The trapped isomer, anti-nitroso-O-oxide, can form the nitritoborane CatBONO only after photoexcitation, possibly involving isomerization to the bisected isomer of anti-nitroso-O-oxide.     

Hydrosilane σ-Adduct Intermediates in an Adaptive Zinc-Catalyzed Cross-dehydrocoupling of Si−H and O−H Bonds

Three-coordinate ^PhBOX ZnR (^PhBOX =phenyl-(4,4-dimethyl-oxazolinato; R=Me: 2 a , Et: 2 b ) catalyzes the dehydrocoupling of primary or secondary silanes and alcohols to give silyl ethers and hydrogen, with high turnover numbers (TON; up to 10⁷) under solvent-free conditions. Primary and secondary silanes react with small, medium, and large alcohols to give various degrees of substitution, from mono- to tri-alkoxylation, whereas tri-substituted silanes do not react with MeOH under these conditions. The effect of coordinative unsaturation on the behavior of the Zn catalyst is revealed through a dramatic variation of both rate law and experimental rate constants, which depend on the concentrations of both the alcohol and hydrosilane reactants. That is, the catalyst adapts its mechanism to access the most facile and efficient conversion. In particular, either alcohol or hydrosilane binds to the open coordination site on the ^PhBOX ZnOR catalyst to form a ^PhBOX ZnOR(HOR) complex under one set of conditions or an unprecedented σ-adduct ^PhBOX ZnOR(H−SiR′₃) under other conditions. Saturation kinetics provide evidence for the latter species, in support of the hypothesis that σ-bond metathesis reactions involving four-centered electrocyclic 2σ–2σ transition states are preceded by σ-adducts.     

Untersuchungen in den Systemen: V−B,Nb−B,V−B−Si und Ta−B−Si

Zusammenfassung Mit Hilfe röntgenographischer Messungen werden die Boride von Vanadin und Niob untersucht, wobei eine neue Phase der ungefähren Zusammensetzung V₂B identifiziert wird, welche mit der entsprechenden Nb-Borid-Phase isotyp ist. Dieselbe Kristallart tritt auch im System: Ta–B auf. Die in der Literatur angegebene -Phase im Zweistoff: Nb–B erweist sich als NbO.Im System: V–B–Si wird wie im analogen Mo-System die Existenz einer ternärenT 2-Phase Me₅(Si_1/3, B_2/3)₃ nach-gewiesen¹; ihre Gitterkonstanten werden ermittelt.Im Schnitt Ta₂Si–Ta₂B besteht ein geringes Lösungs-vermögen der beiden Phasen ineinander. Durch Zusatz von 20 Mol-% Ta₂Si zu Ta₂B erhält man die oben erwähnte neue Kristallart.Bei den Borid-Siliziden der Metalle aus der 4a-, 5a- und 6a-Gruppe werden die Stabilitätsbereiche derT 1-,T 2- undD 8₈-Phasen miteinander verglichen.     

α- and β-Eliminations in Transition Metal Complexes: Strategies to Cleave Unstrained C−C and C−F Bonds

Oxidative addition is the standard process for single-bond activation in transition metal catalysis and it is known to operate for many types of bonds, but challenging σ-bonds e. g. C(sp³)−F and C(sp³)−C(sp³) bonds are the exceptions in this respect. This short review aims at demonstrating how both α- and β-eliminations may be better options for activation of unstrained C−F and C−C single bonds. Selected examples of such eliminations are presented with a mechanistic focus indicating how unstrained and unactivated C−C and C−F bonds can be broken by employing α- and β-eliminations in transition metal hydrocarbyl ligands. Our examples show that the reaction barrier in β-eliminations is controlled by the s-character of the participating bonds where a higher s-character gives a better overlap in the multi-center transition state thereby increasing the reactivity; still β-aryl eliminations can compete with the classical β-hydrogen eliminations in certain cases.     

Direct Trifluoromethylselenolation and Fluoroalkylselenolation of C−H Bonds: Recent Advances in Reagents Development and Reactions

Due to their high lipophilicity and strong electron-withdrawing property, more and more attention has been paid to introducing trifluoromethylseleno and fluoroalkylseleno moieties into organic molecules. In this short review, we categorize the synthesis of compounds that combine selenium and fluorinated moieties into two main types: trifluoromethylselenolation (CF₃Se) and fluoroalkylselenolation (R_fSe, except CF₃Se). This review aims to provide a summary of the recent advances in direct C−H trifluoromethylselenolation and fluoroalkylselenolation from the synthesis of trifluoromethylselenolation and fluoroalkylselenolation reagents to their application. Based on the method of how the R_fSe group was introduced, the main content is divided into three parts: transition-metal-free reactions, transition-metal-mediated/catalyzed reactions and photo-catalyzed reactions. The general substrate scope, mechanism and limitations would also be discussed so that we hope the review will serve as an inspiration for further research in this appealing research field.     

Remote Radical Desaturation of Unactivated C−H Bonds in Amides

Desaturation of inert aliphatic C−H bonds in alkanes to form the corresponding alkenes is challenging. In this communication, a new and practical strategy for remote site-selective desaturation of amides via radical chemistry is reported. The readily installed N-allylsulfonylamide moiety serves as an N radical precursor. Intramolecular 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer from an inert C−H bond to the N-radical generates a translocated C-radical which is subsequently oxidized and deprotonated to give the corresponding alkene. The commercially available methanesulfonyl chloride is used as reagent and a Cu/Ag-couple as oxidant. The remote desaturation is realized on different types of unactivated sp³-C−H bonds. The potential synthetic utility of this method is further demonstrated by the dehydrogenation of natural product derivatives and drugs.     

Adsorption of Cl−, Br−, and I− ions from 0.1 M solutions in methanol on Ga, (In-Ga), and (Tl-Ga) electrodes

Adsorption of Cl^?, Br^?, and I^? (Hal^?) ions from 0.1 M solutions in methanol (MeOH) is studied on the liquid renewable Ga, (In-Ga), and (Tl-Ga) electrodes by the methods of differential capacitance and jet electrode. It is shown that the adsorption parameters and the series of surface activity of halide ions in MeOH essentially depend on the metal nature. On the (In-Ga) and (Tl-Ga) electrodes, as well as on the Hg electrode, the surface activity of halide ions increases in the series: Cl^? < Br^? < I^?; on the Ga electrode, it varies in another series: Br^? < Cl^? < I^?. The data for the Ga/MeOH interface support the result, which was first obtained on the Ga/N-methyl formamide (N-MF) interface, that the effect of inversion of surface activity series can be observed not only in the aprotic solvents, but also in the protic solvents. The data, which were obtained in MeOH, are compared with the corresponding data, which were obtained in N-MF, dimethyl formamide (DMF), acetonitrile (AN), and water. For Ga, (In-Ga), and (Tl-Ga) electrodes, the adsorption of Hal^? varies in the series: H₂O < MeOH ≈ N-MF < DMF < AN. The data obtained in MeOH indicate that the energy of metal-Hal^? interaction (ΔG _M-Hal) increases in the series (Tl-Ga) < (In-Ga) < Ga as the electronic work function increases. This is in agreement with the data, which were obtained in other solvents, and is the evidence for the donor-acceptor nature of metal-Hal^? interaction, where the Hal^? ions are the donors of electron pair with respect to the metal.     

Raman intensities of liquids: Absolute scattering activities and electro-optical parameters of the halate ions ClO3−, BrO3−, and IO3− in aqueous solutions

Absolute Raman scattering activities of aqueous solutions of sodium bromate and lithium iodate have been measured against NaClO₄ as an external standard. Electro-optical parameters (EOPs) for the BrO and IO bonds were calculated. Equilibrium bond polarizabilities were estimated from refractive index measurements in connection with Raman intensities of the bending modes. Relations between Bragg—Slater radii and EOPs are discussed. EOPS calculated from experimental data are compared with those from ab initio calculations.     

N−X⋅⋅⋅O−N Halogen Bonds in Complexes of N-Haloimides and Pyridine-N-oxides: A Large Data Set Study

N−X⋅⋅⋅⁻O−N⁺ halogen-bonded systems formed by 27 pyridine N-oxides (PyNOs) as halogen-bond (XB) acceptors and two N-halosuccinimides, two N-halophthalimides, and two N-halosaccharins as XB donors are studied in silico, in solution, and in the solid state. This large set of data (132 DFT optimized structures, 75 crystal structures, and 168 ¹H NMR titrations) provides a unique view to structural and bonding properties. In the computational part, a simple electrostatic model (SiElMo) for predicting XB energies using only the properties of halogen donors and oxygen acceptors is developed. The SiElMo energies are in perfect accord with energies calculated from XB complexes optimized with two high-level DFT approaches. Data from in silico bond energies and single-crystal X-ray structures correlate; however, data from solution do not. The polydentate bonding characteristic of the PyNOs’ oxygen atom in solution, as revealed by solid-state structures, is attributed to the lack of correlation between DFT/solid-state and solution data. XB strength is only slightly affected by the PyNO oxygen properties [(atomic charge (Q), ionization energy (I_s,min) and local negative minima (V_s,min)], as the σ-hole (V_s,max) of the donor halogen is the key determinant leading to the sequence N-halosaccharin>N-halosuccinimide>N-halophthalimide on the XB strength.