High Correlation between Oxidation Loci on Graphene Oxide

Recent experiments have shown the coexistence of both large unoxidized and oxidized regions on graphene oxide (GO), but the underlying mechanism for the formation of the GO atomic structure remains unknown. Now, using density functional calculations, 52 oxidation pathways for local pyrene structures on GO were identified, and a kinetic profile for graphene oxidation with a high correlation between oxidation loci was proposed, which is different from the conventional view, which entails a random distribution of oxidation loci. The high correlation is an essential nature of graphene oxidation processes and can be attributed to three crucial effects: 1) breaking of delocalized π bonds, 2) steric hindrance, and 3) hydrogen‐bond formation. This high correlation leads to the coexistence of both large unoxidized and oxidized regions on GO. Interestingly, even in oxidized regions on GO, some small areas of sp²‐hybridized domains, similar to “islands”, can persist because of steric effects.     

Tuning Lanthanide Reactivity Towards Small Molecules with Electron‐Rich Siloxide Ligands

The synthesis, structure, and reactivity of stable homoleptic heterometallic LnL₄K₂ complexes of divalent lanthanide ions with electron‐rich tris(tert‐butoxy)siloxide ligands are reported. The [Ln(OSi(OtBu)₃)₄K₂] complexes (Ln=Eu, Yb) are stable at room temperature, but they promote the reduction of azobenzene to yield the KPhNNPh radical anion as well as the reductive cleavage of CS₂ to yield CS₃^2? as the major product. The Eu^III complex of the radical anion PhNNPh is structurally characterized. Moreover, [Yb(OSi(OtBu)₃)₄K₂] can reduce CO₂ at room temperature. Release of the reduction products in D₂O shows the quantitative formation of both oxalate and carbonate in a 1:2.2 ratio. The bulky siloxide ligands enforce the labile binding of the reduction products providing the opportunity to establish a closed synthetic cycle for the Yb^II‐mediated CO₂ reduction. These studies show that the presence of four electron‐rich siloxide ligands renders their Eu^II and Yb^II complexes highly reactive.     

Self‐Healable Electrically Conducting Wires for Wearable Microelectronics

Electrically conducting wires play a critical role in the advancement of modern electronics and in particular are an important key to the development of next‐generation wearable microelectronics. However, the thin conducting wires can easily break during use, and the whole device fails to function as a result. Herein, a new family of high‐performance conducting wires that can self‐heal after breaking has been developed by wrapping sheets of aligned carbon nanotubes around polymer fibers. The aligned carbon nanotubes offer an effective strategy for the self‐healing of the electric conductivity, whereas the polymer fiber recovers its mechanical strength. A self‐healable wire‐shaped supercapacitor fabricated from a wire electrode of this type maintained a high capacitance after breaking and self‐healing.     

Selective Generation of Formamides through Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction Catalyzed by Ruthenium Carbonyl Compounds

The selective formation of dialkyl formamides through photochemical CO₂ reduction was developed as a means of utilizing CO₂ as a C₁ building block. Photochemical CO₂ reduction catalyzed by a [Ru(bpy)₂(CO)₂]²⁺ (bpy: 2,2′‐bipyridyl)/[Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺/Me₂NH/Me₂NH₂⁺ system in CH₃CN selectively produced dimethylformamide. In this process a ruthenium carbamoyl complex ([Ru(bpy)₂(CO)(CONMe₂)]⁺) formed by the nucleophilic attack of Me₂NH on [Ru(bpy)₂(CO)₂]²⁺ worked as the precursor to DMF. Thus Me₂NH acted as both the sacrificial electron donor and the substrate, while Me₂NH₂⁺ functioned as the proton source. Similar photochemical CO₂ reductions using R₂NH and R₂NH₂⁺ (R=Et, nPr, or nBu) also afforded the corresponding dialkyl formamides (R₂NCHO) together with HCOOH as a by‐product. The main product from the CO₂ reduction transitioned from R₂NCHO to HCOOH with increases in the alkyl chain length of the R₂NH. The selectivity between R₂NCHO and HCOOH was found to depend on the rate of [Ru(bpy)₂(CO)(CONR₂)]⁺ formation.     

Metal‐Free Catalyst for the Chemoselective Methylation of Amines Using Carbon Dioxide as a Carbon Source

N‐methylation of amines is an important step in the synthesis of many pharmaceuticals and has been widely applied in the preparation of other key intermediates and chemicals. Therefore, the development of efficient methylation methods has attracted considerable attention. In this respect, carbon dioxide is an attractive C₁ building block because it is an abundant, renewable, and nontoxic carbon source. Consequently, we developed a highly chemoselective, metal‐free catalytic system that operates under ambient conditions for the N‐methylation of amines.     

A Cationic Zinc Hydride Cluster Stabilized by an N‐Heterocyclic Carbene: Synthesis,Reactivity, and Hydrosilylation Catalysis

The trinuclear cationic zinc hydride cluster [(IMes)₃Zn₃H₄(THF)](BPh₄)₂ ( 1 ) was obtained either by protonation of the neutral zinc dihydride [(IMes)ZnH₂]₂ with a Brønsted acid or by addition of the putative zinc dication [(IMes)Zn(THF)]²⁺. A triply bridged thiophenolato complex 2 was formed upon oxidation of 1 with PhS? SPh. Protonolysis of 1 by methanol or water gave the corresponding trinuclear dicationic derivatives. At ambient temperature, 1 catalyzed the hydrosilylation of aldehydes, ketones, and nitriles. Carbon dioxide was also hydrosilylated under forcing conditions when using (EtO)₃SiH, giving silylformate as the main product.     

Double‐Wall Carbon Nanotube–Porphyrin Supramolecular Hybrid: Synthesis and Photophysical Studies

Double‐wall carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) with pyridyl units covalently attached to the external wall through isoxazolino linkers and carboxylic groups that have been esterified by pentyl chains are synthesized. The properties of these modified DWCNTs are then compared with an analogous sample based on single‐wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Raman spectroscopy shows the presence of characteristic radial breathing mode vibrations, confirming that the samples partly retain the integrity of the nanotubes in the case of DWCNTs, including the internal and external nanotubes. Quantification of the pyridyl content for both samples (DWCNT and SWCNT derivatives) is based on X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermogravimetric profiles, showing very similar substituent load. Both pyridyl‐containing nanotubes (DWCNTs and SWCNTs) form a complex with zinc porphyrin (ZnP), as evidenced by the presence of two isosbestic points in the absorption spectra of the porphyrin upon addition of the pyridyl‐functionalized nanotubes. Supramolecular complexes based on pyridyl‐substituted DWCNTs and SWCNTs quench the emission and the triplet excited state identically, through an energy‐transfer mechanism based on pre‐assembly of the ground state. Thus, the presence of the intact inner wall in DWCNTs does not influence the quenching behavior, with respect to SWCNTs, for energy‐transfer quenching with excited ZnP. These results sharply contrast with previous ones referring to electron‐transfer quenching, in which the double‐wall morphology of the nanotubes has been shown to considerably reduce the lifetime of charge separation, owing to faster electron mobility in DWCNTs compared to SWCNTs.     

Photochemical Behavior of Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes in the Presence of Propylamine

This report describes the photochemical behavior of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in the presence of propylamine. The SWNTs are characterized by absorption and Raman spectroscopy. The spectral changes due to photoirradiation indicate that reactions occur predominantly with the metallic SWNTs and small‐diameter SWNTs. The detection of amine radicalcation species by ESR spectroscopy reveals photoinduced electron transfer from the amine to the excited SWNTs. After exposure of the photoirradiated SWNTs to air, the characteristic spectra were recovered, except for that of the small‐diameter SWNTs. The results suggest that, after photoreduction of the SWNTs, subsequent selective sidewall functionalization of the small‐diameter SWNTs occurs.     

From Molecules to Materials: Computational Design of N‐Containing Porous Aromatic Frameworks for CO2 Capture

Porous aromatic frameworks (PAFs) are novel materials with diamond topology. With the aim of enhancing their CO₂ capture and storage capacity and investigating the effect of nitrogen and/or ‐COOH decorations on CO₂ adsorption in PAFs, a series of N‐containing PAFs were designed based on ab initio results. The interaction energies (E_int) between CO₂ and each six‐membered ring were calculated at the B2PLYP‐D2/def2‐TZVPP level, then the six‐membered rings with high CO₂‐binding affinity were selected and used in the PAFs. To explore the performance of the designed PAFs, the CO₂ uptake, selectivity of CO₂ over CH₄, H₂, and N₂, and the E_int value of CO₂ in PAFs were investigated by using grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations and ab initio calculations. This work shows that pyridine with one nitrogen atom can provide a strong physisorption site for CO₂, whereas more nitrogen atoms in heterocycles will reduce the interaction, especially at relatively low pressure. PAFs with ?COOH groups show high CO₂ capacity. Our work provides an efficient way to understand the adsorption mechanism and a supplemental approach to experimental work.