Metal-free and highly regioselective synthesis of N-heteroaryl substituted pyrazoles from α,β-unsaturated N-tosylhydrazones and heteroaryl chlorides

A cascade cyclization/nucleophilic aromatic substitution (S_NAr) reaction of α,β-unsaturated N-tosylhydrazones with N-heteroaryl chlorides was developed for the synthesis of N-heteroaryl pyrazole derivatives. This one-pot reaction provided bi(heteroaryl) derivatives in good to excellent yields and with excellent regioselectivity. The procedure is operationally simple and applicable to large-scale synthesis.     

Unprecedented [5.5.5.6]Dioxafenestrane Ring Construction in Fungal Insecticidal Sesquiterpene Biosynthesis

Fenestranes, a specific class of natural products, contain four fused rings that share a central quaternary carbon atom. The fungal natural product penifulvin A ( 1 ) is a potent insecticidal sesquiterpene that features the [5.5.5.6]dioxafenestrane ring. Although the chemical synthesis of 1 has been achieved recently, the enzymes catalysing the cyclization and oxidation of FPP to 1 remain unknown. In this work, we identified a concise pathway that uses only three enzymes to produce 1 . A new sesquiterpene cyclase (PeniA) generates the angular triquinane scaffold silphinene ( 6 ). A cytochrome P450 (PeniB) and a flavin‐dependent monooxygenase (PeniC) catalyse a series of oxidation reactions to transform 6 into 1 , including oxidation of the C15 methyl group to a carboxylate moiety, oxidative coupling of the C15 carboxylate and the C1‐C2 olefin to form a γ‐lactone, and Baeyer–Villiger oxidation to form a δ‐lactone. Our results demonstrate the highly concise and efficient ways in which fungal biosynthetic pathways can generate complex sesquiterpene scaffolds.     

Structural Transformation in Metal–Organic Frameworks for Reversible Binding of Oxygen

Polycyclic aromatic derivatives can trap ¹O₂ to form endoperoxides (EPOs) for O₂ storage and as sources of reactive oxygen species. However, these materials suffer from structural amorphism, which limit both practical applications and fundamental studies on their structural optimization for O₂ capture and release. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) offer advantages in O₂ binding, such as clear structure–performance relationships and precise controllability. Herein, we report the reversible binding of O₂ is realized via the chemical transformation between anthracene‐based and the corresponding EPO‐based MOF. It is shown that anthracene‐based MOF, the framework featuring linkers with polycyclic aromatic structure, can rapidly trap ¹O₂ to form EPOs and can be restored upon UV irradiation or heating to release O₂. Furthermore, we confirm that photosensitizer‐incorporated anthracene‐based MOF are promising candidates for reversible O₂ carriers controlled by switching Vis/UV irradiation.     

Designing a Perylene Diimide/Fullerene Hybrid as Effective Electron Transporting Material in Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells with Enhanced Efficiency and Stability

Electron transport materials (ETM) play an important role in the improvement of efficiency and stability for inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). This work reports an efficient ETM, named PDI‐C₆₀, by the combination of perylene diimide (PDI) and fullerene. Compared to the traditional PCBM, this strategy endows PDI‐C₆₀ with slightly shallower energy level and higher electron mobility. As a result, the device based on PDI‐C₆₀ as electron transport layer (ETL) achieves high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.6 %, which is significantly higher than those of the control devices of PCBM (16.6 %) and PDI (13.8 %). The high PCE of the PDI‐C₆₀‐based device can be attributed to the more matching energy level with the perovskite, more efficient charge extraction, transport, and reduced recombination rate. To the best of our knowledge, the PCE of 18.6 % is the highest value in the PSCs using PDI derivatives as ETLs. Moreover, the device with PDI‐C₆₀ as ETL exhibits better device stability due to the stronger hydrophobic properties of PDI‐C₆₀. The strategy using the PDI/fullerene hybrid provides insights for future molecular design of the efficient ETM for the inverted PSCs.     

Facile Generation of Polymer–Alloy Hybrid Layers for Dendrite‐Free Lithium‐Metal Anodes with Improved Moisture Stability

Lithium‐metal anodes are recognized as the most promising next‐generation anodes for high‐energy‐storage batteries. However, lithium dendrites lead to irreversible capacity decay in lithium‐metal batteries (LMBs). Besides, the strict assembly‐environment conditions of LMBs are regarded as a challenge for practical applications. In this study, a workable lithium‐metal anode with an artificial hybrid layer composed of a polymer and an alloy was designed and prepared by a simple chemical‐modification strategy. Treated lithium anodes remained dendrite‐free for over 1000 h in a Li–Li symmetric cell and exhibited outstanding cycle performance in high‐areal‐loading Li–S and Li–LiFePO₄ full cells. Moreover, the treated lithium showed improved moisture stability that benefits from the hydrophobicity of the polymer, thus retaining good electrochemical performance after exposure to humid air.     

Phosphorus Analogues of Methyl Nitrite and Nitromethane: CH3OPO and CH3PO2

Methoxyphosphinidene oxide (CH₃OPO) and isomeric methyldioxophosphorane (CH₃PO₂) are key intermediates in the degradation of organophosphorus compounds (OPCs). Unlike the nitrogen analogues CH₃ONO and CH₃NO₂, the experimental data for these two prototypical OPCs are scarce. By high‐vacuum flash pyrolysis (HVFP) of the diazide CH₃OP(O)(N₃)₂ at 1000 K, the cis and trans conformers of CH₃OPO have been generated in the gas phase and subsequently isolated in cryogenic Ar and N₂ matrices for IR spectroscopic characterization. Upon 266 nm laser irradiation of CH₃OPO, cis→trans conformational conversion occurs with concurrent isomerization to CH₃PO₂. The spectroscopic identification of CH₃OPO and CH₃PO₂ is supported by D‐, ¹³C‐, and ¹⁸O‐isotope labeling and quantum chemical calculations at the CCSD(T)‐F12a/cc‐pVTZ‐F12 level using configuration‐selective vibrational configuration interaction (VCI).     

Insight into Three‐Coordinate Aluminum Species on Ethanol‐to‐Olefin Conversion over ZSM‐5 Zeolites

Commercial bioethanol can be readily converted into ethylene by a dehydration process using solid acids, such as Brønsted acidic H‐ZSM‐5 zeolites, and thus, it is an ideal candidate to replace petroleum and coal for the sustainable production of ethylene. Now, strong Lewis acidic extra‐framework three‐coordinate Al³⁺ species were introduced into H‐ZSM‐5 zeolites to improve their catalytic activity. Remarkably, Al³⁺ species working with Brønsted acid sites can accelerate ethanol dehydration at a much lower reaction temperature and shorten the unsteady‐state period within 1–2 h, compared to >9 h for those without Al³⁺ species, which can significantly enhance the ethanol dehydration efficiency and reduce the cost. The reaction mechanism, studied by solid‐state NMR, shows that strong Lewis acidic EFAl‐Al³⁺ species can collaborate with Brønsted acid sites and promote ethanol dehydration either directly or indirectly via an aromatics‐based cycle to produce ethylene.     

The mechanism of ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide by ICl3 catalysts: Halogen bond catalysis or participating in reactions?

The mechanism of ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide by iodine trichloride (ICl₃) catalyst has been explored by using density functional theory (DFT) calculations and three catalytic pathways were proposed. The first and second pathways belong to the halogen bond catalysis, and the third pathway involves the ICl₃ catalysts participating in reactions. When the carbonyl group was maintained involved in the reaction and activated catalytically by the halogen bond, there are two possible pathways. The first pathway involves only one transition state, and the second pathway requires two transition states. There is another pathway in which ICl₃ directly participates in the reaction, it is named the third pathway. Two different transition states of the four-membered rings are generated successively, the transfer of I─O bonds determined the progress of the reaction. Theoretical calculations in this work provide the most basic understanding of ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide by ICl₃ catalysts. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

二氢嘧啶并[4,5-d]嘧啶类衍生物作为集落刺激因子-1受体激酶抑制剂的分子对接和定量构效关系研究

集落刺激因子-1受体激酶（CSF-1R）属于Ⅲ型受体酪氨酸激酶家族成员,其在调控单核巨噬细胞系中发挥重要作用。CSF-1R及其配体异常表达与肿瘤发展过程密切相关。因此,CSF-1R信号传导可成为抗肿瘤治疗的有吸引力的靶标。本文用比较分子场分析法（CoMFA）和比较分子相似性指数分析法（CoMSIA）研究了54个二氢嘧啶并[4,5-d]嘧啶类CSF-1R激酶抑制剂的三维定量构效关系（3D-QSAR）。基于配体叠合,CoMFA和CoMSIA模型的交叉验证系数（q2）分别为0.725和0.636,拟合验证系数（r2）分别为0.960和0.958,结果表明这两种模型均具有较好的预测能力。所建模型的等势图能直观反映分子不同取代基对活性的影响,其中立体场和疏水场对活性的贡献较大。通过分子对接研究显示,氨基酸残基Cys666、Asp796在配体和受体结合过程中产生作用,分子对接的结合模式与3D-QSAR得到的结果一致。这些信息为进一步优化CSF-1R激酶抑制剂提供了理论基础。     

CeO2 promoting allyl alcohol synthesis from glycerol direct conversion over MoFe/CeO2 oxide catalysts: morphology and particle sizes dependent

Research on Chemical Intermediates - MoFe-N, MoFe/c–CeO2, MoFe/p1–CeO2, and MoFe/p2–CeO2 (where N, c, and p stand for non-supported, nanocube, and nanoparticle) oxide catalysts...