Towards Polyoxometalate‐Cluster‐Based Nano‐Electronics

We explore the concept that the incorporation of polyoxometalates (POMs) into complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technologies could offer a fundamentally better way to design and engineer new types of data storage devices, due to the enhanced electronic complementarity with SiO₂, high redox potentials, and multiple redox states accessible to polyoxometalate clusters. To explore this we constructed a custom‐built simulation domain bridge. Connecting DFT, for the quantum mechanical modelling part, and mesoscopic device modelling, confirms the theoretical basis for the proposed advantages of POMs in non‐volatile molecular memories (NVMM) or flash‐RAM.     

Chemoselective hydrosilylation of hydroxyketones

A chemoselective method for the hydrosilylation of ketones has been developed, using the combination of triphenylsilane and a catalyst prepared from Ni(COD)₂ and the simple N-heterocyclic carbene IMes. The most notable feature of this method is that free hydroxyls are largely unaffected, thus providing a simple one-step procedure for the conversion of hydroxyketones to mono-protected diols, wherein the protecting group is exclusively installed on the ketone-derived hydroxyl. The process is typically high yielding with both simple ketones and more complex hydroxyketone substrates.     

The response of a spherical droplet on a wall executing small sinusoidal vibrations

Meccanica - This study concerns the response of a spherical drop, attached to a sinusoidally vibrating wall. Given that the drop is spherical, the model is more realistic than that of a 2D drop...     

Preparation of Bottlebrush Polymers via a One‐Pot Ring‐Opening Polymerization (ROP) and Ring‐Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) Grafting‐Through Strategy

Bottlebrush polymers are synthesized using a tandem ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) and ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) strategy. For the first time, ROP and ROMP are conducted sequentially in the same pot to yield well‐defined bottlebrush polymers with molecular weights in excess of 10⁶ Da. The first step of this process involves the synthesis of a polylactide macromonomer (MM) via ROP of d ,l ‐lactide initiated by an alcohol‐functionalized norbornene. ROMP grafting‐through is then carried out in the same pot to produce the bottlebrush polymer. The applicability of this methodology is evaluated for different MM molecular weights and bottlebrush backbone degrees of polymerization. Size‐exclusion chromatographic and ¹H NMR spectroscopic analyses confirm excellent control over both polymerization steps. In addition, bottlebrush polymers are imaged using atomic force microscopy and stain‐free transmission electron microscopy on graphene oxide.

     

Quantitative Design of Bright Fluorophores and AIEgens by the Accurate Prediction of Twisted Intramolecular Charge Transfer (TICT)

Inhibition of TICT can significantly increase the brightness of fluorescent materials. Accurate prediction of TICT is thus critical for the quantitative design of high‐performance fluorophores and AIEgens. TICT of 14 types of popular organic fluorophores were modeled with time‐dependent density functional theory (TD‐DFT). A reliable and generalizable computational approach for modeling TICT formations was established. To demonstrate the prediction power of our approach, we quantitatively designed a boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY)‐based AIEgen which exhibits (almost) barrierless TICT rotations in monomers. Subsequent experiments validated our molecular design and showed that the aggregation of this compound turns on bright emissions with ca. 27‐fold fluorescence enhancement, as TICT formation is inhibited in molecular aggregates.     

Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Unfunctionalized Tetrasubstituted Acyclic Olefins

Asymmetric hydrogenation has evolved as one of the most powerful tools to construct stereocenters. However, the asymmetric hydrogenation of unfunctionalized tetrasubstituted acyclic olefins remains the pinnacle of asymmetric synthesis and an unsolved challenge. We report herein the discovery of an iridium catalyst for the first, generally applicable, highly enantio‐ and diastereoselective hydrogenation of such olefins and the mechanistic insights of the reaction. The power of this chemistry is demonstrated by the successful hydrogenation of a wide variety of electronically and sterically diverse olefins in excellent yield and high enantio‐ and diastereoselectivity.     

Phosphonate‐Modified UiO‐66 Brønsted Acid Catalyst and Its Use in Dehydra‐Decyclization of 2‐Methyltetrahydrofuran to Pentadienes

Phosphorus‐modified all‐silica zeolites exhibit activity and selectivity in certain Brønsted acid catalyzed reactions for biomass conversion. In an effort to achieve similar performance with catalysts having well‐defined sites, we report the incorporation of Brønsted acidity to metal–organic frameworks with the UiO‐66 topology, achieved by attaching phosphonic acid to the 1,4‐benzenedicarboxylate ligand and using it to form UiO‐66‐PO₃H₂ by post‐synthesis modification. Characterization reveals that UiO‐66‐PO₃H₂ retains stability similar to UiO‐66, and exhibits weak Brønsted acidity, as demonstrated by titrations, alcohol dehydration, and dehydra‐decyclization of 2‐methyltetrahydrofuran (2‐MTHF). For the later reaction, the reported catalyst exhibits site‐time yields and selectivity approaching that of phosphoric acid on all‐silica zeolites. Using solid‐state NMR and deprotonation energy calculations, the chemical environments of P and the corresponding acidities are determined.