Base-Promoted Difunctionalization of Alkynes: One-Pot Synthesis of Polysubstituted Chromones

A transition-metal-free one-pot procedure for the difunctionalization of alkynes by C−C triple bond oxidation and transformation towards chromone derivatives has been developed. It involves cascade reactions for carbonylation of alkynes, base-promoted C−C σ-bond cleavage, and intramolecular cyclization. This procedure provides an efficient protocol for the synthesis of polysubstituted chromones from readily available starting materials.     

Azodicarboxylate-Mediated Peptide Cyclisation: Application to Disulfide Bond Formation in Solution and Solid Phase

Cyclic peptides are important molecules, playing key roles in protein architecture, as chemical probes, and increasingly as crucial structural elements of clinically-useful therapeutics. Herein we report methodology using azodicarboxylates as efficient reagents for the facile synthesis of cyclic peptides through a disulfide bridge. The utility of this approach in both solution and solid-phase, and compatibility with common amino acid side chain functionalities is demonstrated, resulting in cyclic peptides in good yield and purity. This approach has significant potential application for synthesis of molecules of biological or therapeutic significance.     

High Valent Mercury Fluoride Ions

Mercury fluoride ions formed during the laser ablation of HgF_{2( s )} show the formation of six different cluster ion series viz., HgF_n^±, Hg_nF_n–2^±, Hg_nF_n–1^±, (HgF)_n^±, Hg_nF_n+1^±, and Hg_nF_n+2^±. Among the different ion series, the observation of high valent HgF_n^±_(n^±_{=3,4; n}⁻_=6–8) indicates the existence of corresponding molecules which signify the remarkable participation of 5d Hg electrons in the chemical bonding with F atoms and thus make Hg a truly transition metal. Further, molecular orbital calculations show a large HOMO-LUMO energy gap (≥3 eV) and high electron affinity (≥5 eV) that indicates highly stable HgF_n=3,4,6,8 with super halogen properties.     

Heteroleptic and Homoleptic Iron(III) Complexes with a Tris(N-Heterocyclic Carbene) Borate Ligand: Synthesis,Characterization, and Catalytic Application

Heteroleptic and homoleptic iron(III) complexes supported by a tris(N-heterocyclic carbene) borate ligand have been prepared and crystallographically characterized. The strong electron-donating character of the tris(carbene) donor was revealed by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and electrochemical measurements combined with quantum chemical calculations. The catalytic activity of each complex was evaluated in cyclohexane oxidation reaction using meta-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (=mCPBA) as an oxidant, and both complexes show high catalytic activity and selectivity with TON=∼350 and A/(K+L)=8–10. Mechanistic studies suggested that radical-chain processes are involved in the reaction due to mCPBA acting as a one-electron oxidant, concomitant with the pathway of metal-based reactive species. Moreover, it was found that the homoleptic and heteroleptic complexes differed significantly in the involvement of metal-based active species, with the homoleptic complex exhibiting more metal-based reactions.     

Hydrogen Peroxide Production of Individual Nanosecond Pulsed Discharges Submerged in Water of Elevated Conductivity

The production of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is a key parameter for the performance of pulsed discharges submerged in water utilized as advanced oxidation process. So far, any related assessment of the underlying mechanism was conducted for the application of several hundred discharges, which did not allow for a correlation with physical processes. Moreover, the production was rarely investigated depending on water conductivity as one of the most important parameters for the development of submerged discharges. Accordingly, hydrogen peroxide generation was investigated here for individual single discharge events instigated with 100 ns high-voltage pulses in water with three different conductivities and was associated with the discharge development, i. e. spatial expansion and dissipated electrical energy. The approach necessitated the improvement of an electrochemical flow injection analysis based on the reaction of Prussian blue with H₂O₂. Hydrogen peroxide concentrations were quadratically increasing with propagation time and stable for different water conductivities. H₂O₂ production per unit volume of a discharge was constant over time with an estimated rate constant of 3.2 mol ⋅ m⁻¹ s⁻¹, averaged over the crosssectional area of all discharge filaments. However, the individually dissipated energy increased with conductivity, hence, the production efficiency decreased from 6.1 g ⋅ kWh⁻¹ to 1.4 g ⋅ kWh⁻¹, which was explained by increased resistive losses within the bulk liquid.     

Experimental and theoretical studies of carbon monoxide oxidation over W/Cu/Ce trimetallic oxides: the effect of W addition

It is a significant method to prepare highly dispersed polymetallic oxides using in-situ doping metal organic frameworks as precursors. Herein, a series of straw-like W/Cu/Ce trimetallic oxides were prepared by using phosphotungstic ionic liquid@Ce-based metal organic framework adsorbing with copper acetylacetonate as precursors. The effect of W content on catalytic activity of W/Cu/Ce trimetallic oxides for carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation was well-investigated. Comprehensive characterization methods and density functional theory calculations were adopted to reveal the property changes of Cu/CeO₂ catalyst by the addition of W. The results demonstrated that W, Cu, and Ce are highly dispersed in the prepared W/Cu/Ce trimetallic oxides, and adding proper amount of W can improve the activity of the catalyst. H₂ temperature-program reduction profiles, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations clearly revealed that after the addition of W, the strength of Ce-O bond is weakened, the oxygen vacancy is increased, and the adsorption of CO is enhanced, respectively, which are vital reasons for its high catalytic activity. In addition, the CO oxidation reaction pathway over prepared W/Cu/Ce trimetallic oxides based on the Mars-van Krevelen mechanism was studied, and the results exhibited that CO can wrest the lattice oxygen of W/Cu/Ce trimetallic oxides to form CO₂, which is also proved to be the rate-determining step in reaction process.     

Comparative study of Co3O4-ZSM-5 catalysts synthesized by different hydrothermal methods for the catalytic oxidation of dichloromethane

In this work, various Co₃O₄-ZSM-5 catalysts were prepared by the microwave hydrothermal method (MH-Co₃O₄@ZSM-5), dynamic hydrothermal method (DH-Co₃O₄@ZSM-5), and conventional hydrothermal method (CH-Co₃O₄/ZSM-5). Their catalytic oxidation of dichloromethane (DCM) was analyzed. Detailed characterizations such as X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), H₂ temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR), temperature-programmed desorption of O₂ (O₂-TPD), temperature-programmed desorption of NH₃ (NH₃-TPD), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectra with NH₃ molecules (NH₃-DRIFT), and temperature-programmed surface reaction (TPSR) were performed. Results showed that with the assistance of microwave, MH-Co₃O₄@ZSM-5 formed a uniform core-shell structure, while the other two samples did not. MH-Co₃O₄@ZSM-5 possessed rich surface adsorbed oxygen species, higher ratio of Co³⁺/Co²⁺, strong acidity, high reducibility, and oxygen mobility among the three Co₃O₄-ZSM-5 catalysts, which was beneficial for the improvement of DCM oxidation. In the oxidation of dichloromethane, MH-Co₃O₄@ZSM-5 presented the best activity and mineralization, which was consistent with the characterizations results. Meanwhile, according to the TPSR test, HCl or Cl₂ removal from the catalyst surface was also promoted in MH-Co₃O₄@ZSM-5 by their abundant Brønsted acid sites and the promotion of Deacon reaction by Co₃O₄ or the synergistic effect of Co₃O₄ and ZSM-5. According to the results of in situ DRIFT studies, a possible reaction pathway of DCM oxidation was proposed over the MH-Co₃O₄@ZSM-5 catalysts.     

Combustion synthesis of mesoporous CoAl2O4 for peroxymonosulfate activation to degrade organic pollutants

A mesoporous cobalt aluminate (CoAl₂O₄) spinel is synthesized through a combustion method and adopted for the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to degrade organic pollutants. Multiple characterization procedures are conducted to investigate the morphology and physicochemical properties of the CoAl₂O₄ spinel. Due to its mesoporous structure, large surface area, and high electrical conductivity, the obtained CoAl₂O₄ exhibits remarkable catalytic activity for Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation. Its RhB degradation rate is 89.0 and 10.5 times greater than those of Co₃O₄ and CoAl₂O₄ spinel prepared by a precipitation method, respectively. Moreover, the mesoporous CoAl₂O₄ spinel demonstrates a broad operating pH range and excellent recyclability. The influence of several parameters (catalyst amount, PMS concentration, initial pH, and coexisting inorganic anions) on the oxidation of RhB is evaluated. Through quenching tests and electron paramagnetic resonance experiments, sulfate radicals are identified as the predominant reactive species in RhB degradation. This paper provides new insights for the development of efficient, stable, and reusable cobalt-based heterogeneous catalysts and promotes the application of persulfate activation technology for the treatment of refractory organic wastewater.     

New insight into the effect of interface supercapacitance on the performance of titanium dioxide/carbon nanowire array for photoelectrochemical water oxidation

The electrode/electrlyte interface is of great signifance to photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation as the reaction mainly occur here. Herein, we focus on the effect of supercapactance of the electrode/electrlyte interface on the performance of PEC. It is discovered that the supercapacitor on the interface is crucial because it links the charge transport and solution ion adsorption on its two sides. In this study, we demonstrate an approach to promote the performance of TiO₂ nanowire array (TiO₂ NWs) photoanode in photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) by increasing its supercapacitance. A 2−5 nm carbon layer was coated and the interface supercapacitance increases by about 150 times. This enhances the separation rate of electron-hole pairs by collecting more holes. Meanwhile, it also promotes the water oxidation rate by adsorbing more OH⁻ on its surface. As a result, the photocurrent density of C-TiO₂ NWs was about 8 times higher than that of its carbon-free counterpart. This approach of increasing the supercapacitance of photoanodes would be attractive for enhancement of the efficiency of PECs and this work demonstrate the importance of supercapacitance of the interface for PECs.     

绿色氧化法制备联苯类化合物的研究性实验设计与实践*

以苯甲醛和丙酮为原料,利用Robinson增环反应先制备3-甲基-5-苯基环己-2-烯-1-酮,再引导学生设计并研究了水相绿色氧化3-甲基-5-苯基环己-2-烯-1-酮合成联苯类化合物3-乙氧基-5-甲基-1,1′-联苯的影响因素,利用核磁共振确定了产物结构。该研究性实验教学以绿色化学为中心,结合了2步连续反应,产物易提纯且产率高,并开展了开放式大型分析仪器教学和测试,对学生有机合成实验能力和科学研究能力的培养具有很好的教学效果。