Selective hydrogen peroxide oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides or sulfones with MWW-type titanosilicate zeolite catalyst under organic solvent-free conditions

Selective oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides and sulfones with hydrogen peroxide under organic solvent-free conditions was demonstrated by the MWW-type titanosilicate zeolite catalyst. Sulfides were oxidized smoothly to give sulfoxides with good selectivities at ambient temperature using 1.0–1.2 equiv of hydrogen peroxide with the MWW-type titanosilicate zeolite catalyst. Especially, the Ti-MWW with an interlayer-expanded structure (Ti-IEZ-MWW) catalyst showed high activity with good chemoselectivity for the oxidation of various sulfides. The catalyst is recyclable for at least five cycles, and the only byproduct is water. Sulfides were directly oxidized to give sulfones in high yields by 2.5 equiv of hydrogen peroxide with the MWW-type titanosilicate zeolite catalyst under organic solvent-free conditions.     

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in Asia

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is an analytical detection technique based on atomic emission spectroscopy to measure the elemental composition. LIBS has been extensively studied and developed due to the non-contact, fast response, high sensitivity, real-time and multi-elemental detection features. The development and applications of LIBS technique in Asia are summarized and discussed in this review paper. The researchers in Asia work on different aspects of the LIBS study in fundamentals, data processing and modeling, applications and instrumentations. According to the current research status, the challenges, opportunities and further development of LIBS technique in Asia are also evaluated to promote LIBS research and its applications.     

Rhodium(I)‐Catalyzed Cyclization of Allenynes with a Carbonyl Group through Unusual Insertion of a CO Bond into a Rhodacycle Intermediate

Rhodium(I)‐catalyzed cyclization of allenynes with a tethered carbonyl group was investigated. An unusual insertion of a C?O bond into the C(sp²)–rhodium bond of a rhodacycle intermediate occurs via a highly strained transition state. Direct reductive elimination from the obtained rhodacyle intermediate proceeds to give a tricyclic product containing an 8‐oxabicyclo[3.2.1]octane skeleton, while β‐hydride elimination from the same intermediate gives products that contain fused five‐ and seven‐membered rings in high yields.     

Visible‐Light‐Mediated Addition of α‐Aminoalkyl Radicals to [60]Fullerene by Using Photoredox Catalysts

The functionalization of fullerene has been extensively studied and various fullerene derivatives have been synthesized. We have succeeded in the functionalization of [60]fullerene by using α‐aminoalkyl radicals generated by visible‐light‐mediated single‐electron oxidation of α‐silylamines as synthetic intermediates. In these reactions, the introduction of diarylamino groups, which are useful electron donors, has been easily achieved.     

Organic Dicarboxylate Negative Electrode Materials with Remarkably Small Strain for High‐Voltage Bipolar Batteries

As advanced negative electrodes for powerful and useful high‐voltage bipolar batteries, an intercalated metal–organic framework (iMOF), 2,6‐naphthalene dicarboxylate dilithium, is described which has an organic‐inorganic layered structure of π‐stacked naphthalene and tetrahedral LiO₄ units. The material shows a reversible two‐electron‐transfer Li intercalation at a flat potential of 0.8 V with a small polarization. Detailed crystal structure analysis during Li intercalation shows the layered framework to be maintained and its volume change is only 0.33 %. The material possesses two‐dimensional pathways for efficient electron and Li⁺ transport formed by Li‐doped naphthalene packing and tetrahedral LiO₃C network. A cell with a high potential operating LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ spinel positive and the proposed negative electrodes exhibited favorable cycle performance (96 % capacity retention after 100 cycles), high specific energy (300 Wh kg^?1), and high specific power (5 kW kg^?1). An 8 V bipolar cell was also constructed by connecting only two cells in series.     

Macrocyclic Metal Complexes Bearing Rigid Polyaromatic Ligands: Synthesis and Catalytic Activity

We synthesised palladium and platinum complexes possessing cyclic and acyclic pincer‐type polyaromatic ligands and investigated their structural effect on the catalysis. The pincer‐type bis(6‐arylpyridin‐2‐yl)benzene skeleton was constructed via Kröhnke pyridine synthesis under transition metal‐free conditions on gram‐scale quantity. Ligand structure significantly influenced catalytic activity toward the platinum‐catalysed hydrosilylation of diphenyl acetylenes, despite the ligand‐independence of the conformations and electronic properties of these complexes.     

Carbometalation and Heterometalation of Carbon‐Carbon Multiple‐Bonds Using Group‐13 Heavy Metals: Carbogallation,Carboindation, Heterogallation,and Heteroindation

Organogallium and ‐indium compounds are useful reagents in organic synthesis because of their moderate stability, efficient reactivity and high chemoselectivity. Carbogallation and ‐indation of a carbon‐carbon multiple bond achieves the simultaneous formation of carbon‐carbon and carbon‐metal bonds. Heterogallation and ‐indation construct carbon‐heteroatom and carbon‐metal bonds. Therefore, these reaction systems represent a significant synthetic method for organogalliums and ‐indiums. Many chemists have attempted to apply various types of unsaturated compounds such as alkynes, alkenes, and allenes to these reaction systems. This minireview provides an overview of carboindation and ‐gallation as well as heteroindation and ‐gallation.