Redox-Active Supramolecular Heteroleptic M4L2L′2 Assemblies with Tunable Interior Binding Site

Three Pt₄L₂L′₂ heteroleptic rectangles ( 1 – 3 ), containing ditopic redox-active bis-pyridine functionalized perylene bisimide (PBI) ligands PBI-pyr₂ ( L ) are reported. Co-ligand L′ is a dicarboxylate spacer of varying length, leading to modified overall size of the assemblies. ¹H NMR spectroscopy reveals a trend in the splitting and upfield chemical shift of the PBI-hydrogens in the rectangles with respect to free PBI, most pronounced with the largest strut length ( 3 ) and least with the smallest strut length ( 1 ). This is attributed to increased rotational freedom of the PBI-pyr ₂ ligand over its longitudinal axis (N_py-N_py), due to increased distance between the PBI-surfaces, which is corroborated by VT-NMR measurements and DFT calculations. The intramolecular motion entails desymmetrization of the two PBI-ligands, in line with cyclic voltammetry (CV) data. The first (overall two-electron) reduction event and re-oxidation for 1 display a subtle peak-to-peak splitting of 60 mV, whilst increased splitting of this event is observed for 2 and 3 . The binding of pyrene in 1 is probed to establish proof of concept of host-guest chemistry enabled by the two PBI-motifs. Fitting the binding curve obtained by ¹H NMR titration with a 1:1 complex formation model led to a binding constant of 964±55 m ⁻¹. Pyrene binding is shown to directly influence the redox-chemistry of 1 , resulting in a cathodic and anodic shift of approximately 46 mV on the first and second reduction event, respectively.     

Electrochemical Iodine-Mediated Oxidation of Enamino-Esters to 2H-Azirine-2-Carboxylates Supported by Design of Experiments

An electrochemical iodine-mediated transformation of enamino-esters for the synthesis of 2H-azirine-2-carboxylates is presented. In addition, a thermic conversion of azirines to 4-carboxy-oxazoles in quantitative yield without purification was described. Both classes 2H-azirines-2-carboxylates and the 4-carboxy-oxazoles are substructures in natural products and therefore are of considerable interest for synthetic and pharmaceutical chemists. The optimization was not performed in a conventional manner with a one-factor-at-a-time process but with a Design of Experiments (DoE) approach. Beside a broad substrate scope the reaction was also employed to a robustness screen, a sensitivity assessment, and complemented with mechanistic considerations from cyclic voltammetry experiments.     

Solution-Based,Anion-Doping of Li4Ti5O12 Nanoflowers for Lithium-Ion Battery Applications

Solution-based, anionic doping represents a convenient strategy with which to improve upon the conductivity of candidate anode materials such as Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ (LTO). As such, novel synthetic hydrothermally-inspired protocols have primarily been devised herein, aimed at the large-scale production of unique halogen-doped, micron-scale, three-dimensional, hierarchical LTO flower-like motifs. Although fluorine (F) doping has been explored, the use of chlorine (Cl) dopants is the primary focus here. Several experimental variables, such as dopant amount, lithium hydroxide concentration, and titanium butoxide purity, were probed and perfected. Furthermore, the Cl doping process did not damage the intrinsic LTO morphology. The analysis, based on interpreting a compilation of SEM, XRD, XPS, and TEM-EDS results, was used to determine an optimized dopant concentration of Cl. Electrochemical tests demonstrated an increased capacity via cycling of 12 % for a Cl-doped sample as compared with pristine LTO. Moreover, the Cl-doped LTO sample described in this study exhibited the highest discharge capacity yet reported at an observed rate of 2C for this material at 143mAh g⁻¹. Overall, these data suggest that the Cl dopant likely enhances not only the ion transport capabilities, but also the overall electrical conductivity of our as-prepared structures. To help explain these favorable findings, theoretical DFT calculations were used to postulate that the electronic conductivity and Li diffusion were likely improved by the presence of increased Ti³⁺ ion concentration coupled with widening of the Li migration channel.     

CoO–xCo(OH)2 supported silver nanoparticles: electrosynthesis in acetonitrile and catalytic activity

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Photochemical and Electrochemical Strategies for Hydrodefluorination of Fluorinated Organic Compounds

Hydrodefluorination (HDF) is a very important fundamental transformation for conversion of the C−F bond into the C−H bond in organic synthesis. In the past decade, much progress has been achieved with HDF through the utility of low-valent metals, transition-metal complexes and main-group Lewis acids. Recently, novel methods have been introduced for this purpose through photo- and electrochemical pathways, which are of great significance, due to their considerable environmental and economical advantages. This Review highlights the HDF of fluorinated organic compounds (FOCs) through photo- and electrochemical strategies, along with mechanistic insights.     

Electrochemical Characterization and Voltammetric Determination of Benzoyl Derivatives of Phenobarbital Using Glassy Carbon Electrode

The electrochemical behavior of a number of benzoyl barbiturates was studied using a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The kinetics of the electrode process is determined, the contribution of physical adsorption to the electrochemical process is estimated, and the mechanism of the possible electrochemical reaction is proposed. It is shown that the electrochemical reduction potentials of benzoyl phenobarbital derivatives are determined by the LUMO energies, calculated by the B3LYP 6‐311+G method. It is established that the process is quasi‐reversible, complicated by adverse reactions. The influence of halogen type and its position in the benzoyl residue of the studied substances on the analytical signal is established. The effective values of the dissociation constants of various forms of benzoyl derivatives were calculated using the example of halonal, for which the values 3.16 ? 10^?8 and 6.31 ? 10^?12, respectively, were found.     

Engineering nanostructures of CuO-based photocatalysts for water treatment: Current progress and future challenges

Nowadays, increasing extortions regarding environmental problems and energy scarcity have stuck the development and endurance of human society. The issue of inorganic and organic pollutants that exist in water from agricultural, domestic, and industrial activities has directed the development of advanced technologies to address the challenges of water scarcity efficiently. To solve this major issue, various scientists and researchers are looking for novel and effective technologies that can efficiently remove pollutants from wastewater. Nanoscale metal oxide materials have been proposed due to their distinctive size, physical and chemical properties along with promising applications. Cupric Oxide (CuO) is one of the most commonly used benchmark photocatalysts in photodegradation owing to the fact that they are cost-effective, non-toxic, and more efficient in absorption across a significant fraction of solar spectrum. In this review, we have summarized synthetic strategies of CuO fabrication, modification methods with applications for water treatment purposes. Moreover, an elaborative discussion on feasible strategies includes; binary and ternary heterojunction formation, Z-scheme based photocatalytic system, incorporation of rare earth/transition metal ions as dopants, and carbonaceous materials serving as a support system. The mechanistic insight inferring photo-induced charge separation and transfer, the functional reactive radical species involved in a photocatalytic reaction, have been successfully featured and examined. Finally, a conclusive remark regarding current studies and unresolved challenges related to CuO are put forth for future perspectives.     

O-Alkyldithiophosphate Nickel Complexes with dcpf Ligand as Efficient Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution

Six new O-alkyldithiophosphate nickel complexes with dcpf ligand, [(dcpf)Ni(S₂P{O}OR)] (dcpf = 1,1′-bis (dicyclohexylphosphino)ferrocene, R = CH₃ ( 1 ), CH₃CH₂ ( 2 ), Ph ( 3 ), 4-MeC₆H₄ ( 4 ), PhCH₂ ( 5 ) and PhCH₂CH₂ ( 6 )), have been synthesized by the treatment of dcpf with ((RO)₂PS₂)₂Ni in satisfactory yields. These complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, spectroscopy (FTIR, UV–vis, ¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P NMR), thermogravimetric analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The nickel atom in 1 , 2 ·CH₂Cl₂, 3 ·CH₂Cl₂, 4 ·2CH₂Cl₂·THF, and 2( 5 )·hexane adopts a slightly distorted square-planar coordination environment finished by two phosphorus atoms of dcpf ligand and two sulfur atoms of O-alkyldithiophosphate ligand. Furthermore, the electrochemical properties for complexes 1 – 6 were also investigated by cyclic voltammetry. With the addition of 120 mM trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), the turnover frequency (TOF) values for 1 – 6 are estimated to be 1243.83, 1046.54, 1331.71, 2545.29, 1899.03, and 1191.37 s⁻¹, with the overpotential (η) values of 0.62, 0.58, 0.71, 0.67, 0.60, and 0.56 V, respectively. The result of electrochemical studies indicates that all complexes can be used as efficient molecular eletrocatalysts for the reduction of protons to hydrogen in the presence of TFA in MeCN.     

Electrochemically Assisted Cycloaddition of Carbon Dioxide to Styrene Oxide on Copper/Carbon Hybrid Electrodes: Active Species and Reaction Mechanism

A novel electrochemically assisted cycloaddition process is proposed, in which highly efficient coupling of CO₂ with styrene oxide (SO) can be achieved to form styrene carbonate (SC) as a high-value-added product. A series of Cu catalysts with different morphologies and chemical states were fabricated on carbon paper (CP) by using in-situ electrodeposition, and the sample with nano-dendrimer structure was found to exhibit a relatively high activity of 74.8 % SC yield with 92.7 % SO conversion under gentle reaction conditions, thus showing its potential for practical applications. The relatively high electrochemically active surface area and charge transfer ability of dendrimer-like Cu benefited the electrochemical reaction. In particular, the Cu²⁺ species that were formed in situ during the reaction played a vital role in enhancing the activity and selectivity of the proposed Cu/CP hybrid catalyst. Cu²⁺ atoms served as active sites that can not only electrochemically activate CO₂ but also facilitate the ring opening of SO. Mechanistic analysis suggested that the reaction followed electrochemical and liquid-phase heterogeneous paths, which provide a new green and sustainable route for efficient utilization of CO₂ resources for fine chemical electrosynthesis.     

Impedance Response of a Thin Film on an Electrode: Deciphering the Influence of the Double Layer Capacitance

The different contributions of the interfacial capacitance are identified in the case of passive materials or thin protective coatings deposited on the electrode surface. The method is based on a graphical analysis of the EIS results to determine both the passive-film capacitance in the high-frequency domain and the double-layer capacitance in the low-frequency domain. The proposed analysis is shown to be independent of the physicochemical origins of the frequency dispersion of the interfacial capacitances which results, from an analysis point of view of the experimental results, in the use of a constant-phase element However, for a correct evaluation of the thin-film properties such as its thickness, the high-frequency data must be corrected for the double-layer contribution. In particular, it is shown that if the double-layer capacitance gives a frequency-dispersed response, it is necessary to correct the high-frequency part for the double-layer constant-phase elements. This is first demonstrated on synthetic data and then used for the determination of the thickness of thin oxide film formed on Al in neutral pH solution.