Proving and Probing the Presence of the Elusive C−H⋅⋅⋅O Hydrogen Bond in Liquid Solutions at Room Temperature

Hydrogen bonds (H bonds) play a major role in defining the structure and properties of many substances, as well as phenomena and processes. Traditional H bonds are ubiquitous in nature, yet the demonstration of weak H bonds that occur between a highly polarized C−H group and an electron-rich oxygen atom, has proven elusive. Detailed here are linear and nonlinear IR spectroscopy experiments that reveal the presence of H bonds between the chloroform C−H group and an amide carbonyl oxygen atom in solution at room temperature. Evidence is provided for an amide solvation shell featuring two clearly distinguishable chloroform arrangements that undergo chemical exchange with a time scale of about 2 ps. Furthermore, the enthalpy of breaking the hydrogen bond is found to be 6–20 kJ mol⁻¹. Ab-initio computations support the findings of two distinct solvation shells formed by three chloroform molecules, where one thermally undergoes hydrogen-bond making and breaking.     

Rhoda-Electrocatalyzed C−H Methylation and Paired Electrocatalyzed C−H Ethylation and Propylation

The use of electricity over traditional stoichiometric oxidants is a promising strategy for sustainable molecular assembly. Herein, we describe the rhoda-electrocatalyzed C−H activation/alkylation of several N-heteroarenes. This catalytic approach has been successfully applied to several arenes, including biologically relevant purines, diazepam, and amino acids. The versatile C−H alkylation featured water as a co-solvent and user-friendly trifluoroborates as alkylating agents. Finally, the rhoda-electrocatalysis with unsaturated organotrifluoroborates proceeded by paired electrolysis.     

Kinetics of Crystalline Iodine Dissolution in Ethanol at Room Temperature and at 60°С

The kinetics of crystalline iodine dissolution in ethanol at room temperature and 60°C is studied using the electronic absorption spectra of iodine solutions. Dissolution is shown to proceed for more than three months. It is found that the process begins with the formation of hydroiodic acid HI and is complete with the formation of I ₃ ^? anions.     

Room Temperature Anhydrous Suzuki–Miyaura Polymerization Enabled by C−S Bond Activation

The Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling is one of the most important and powerful methods for constructing C−C bonds. However, the protodeboronation of arylboronic acids hinder the development of Suzuki–Miyaura coupling in the precise synthesis of conjugated polymers (CPs). Here, an anhydrous room temperature Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction between (hetero)aryl boronic esters and aryl sulfides was explored, of which universality was exemplified by thirty small molecules and twelve CPs. Meanwhile, the mechanistic studies involving with capturing four coordinated borate intermediate revealed the direct transmetalation of boronic esters in the absence of H₂O suppressing the protodeboronation. Additionally, the room temperature reaction significantly reduced the homocoupling defects and enhanced the optoelectronic properties of the CPs. In all, this work provides a green protocol to synthesize alternating CPs.     

Close-Shell Reductive Elimination versus Open-Shell Radical Coupling for Site-Selective Ruthenium-Catalyzed C−H Activations by Computation and Experiments

Ruthenium-catalyzed σ-bond activation-assisted meta-C−H functionalization has emerged as a useful tool to forge distal C−C bonds. However, given the limited number of mechanistic studies, a clear understanding of the origin of the site-selectivity and the complete reaction pattern is not available. Here, we present systematic computational studies on ruthenium-catalyzed C−H functionalization with primary, secondary, tertiary alkyl bromides and aryl bromides. The C−H scission and the C−C formation were carefully examined. Monocyclometalated ruthenium(II) complexes were identified as the active species, which then underwent inner-sphere single electron transfer (ISET) to activate the organic bromides. The site-selectivity results from the competition between the close-shell reductive elimination and the open-shell radical coupling. Based on this mechanistic understanding, a multilinear regression model was built to predict the site-selectivity, which was further validated by experiments.     

Fischer–Tropsch Chemistry at Room Temperature?

The unique catalytic activity of vanadium nitrogenase suggests a new direction for the direct production of biofuels from CO with either synthetic catalysts or nitrogenase-containing bacteria. The reduction of CO by V?nitrogenase to light hydrocarbons shows striking similarities to the established Fischer-Tropsch process; however, the enzyme does not use H(2) directly for this reaction. ADP=adenosine diphosphate, ATP= adenosine triphosphate.     

CuMoO4 Bimetallic Nanoparticles,An Efficient Catalyst for Room Temperature C−S Cross-Coupling of Thiols and Haloarenes

Cu^II catalyst is less efficient at room temperature for C−S cross-coupling. C−S cross-coupling by Cu^II catalyst at room temperature is not reported; however, doping of copper with molybdenum metal has been realized here to be more efficient for C−S cross-coupling in comparison to general Cu^II catalyst. The doped catalyst CuMoO₄ nanoparticle is found to be more efficient than copper. The catalyst works under mild conditions without any ligand at room temperature and is recyclable and effective for a wide range of thiols and haloarenes (ArI, ArBr, ArF) from milligram to gram scale. The copper-based bimetallic catalyst is developed and recognized for C−S cross-coupling of haloarenes with alkyl and aryl thiols.     

Transition Metal-Free Aromatic C−H,C−N,C−S and C−O Borylation

Aromatic organoboron compounds are highly valuable building blocks in organic chemistry. They were mainly synthesized through aromatic C−H and C−Het borylation, in which transition metal-catalysis dominate. In the past decade, with increasing attention to sustainable chemistry, numerous transition metal-free C−H and C−Het borylation transformations have been developed and emerged as efficient methods towards the synthesis of aromatic organoboron compounds. This account mainly focuses on recent advances in transition metal-free aromatic C−H, C−N, C−S, and C−O borylation transformations and provides insights to where further developments are required.     

Ruthenium-Catalyzed Activation of Nonpolar C−C Bonds via π-Coordination-Enabled Aromatization

Activation of C−C bonds allows editing of molecular skeletons, but methods for selective activation of nonpolar C−C bonds in the absence of a chelation effect or a driving force derived from opening of a strained ring are scarce. Herein, we report a method for ruthenium-catalyzed activation of nonpolar C−C bonds of pro-aromatic compounds by means of π-coordination-enabled aromatization. This method was effective for cleavage of C−C(alkyl) and C−C(aryl) bonds and for ring-opening of spirocyclic compounds, providing an array of benzene-ring-containing products. The isolation of a methyl ruthenium complex intermediate supports a mechanism involving ruthenium-mediated C−C bond cleavage.     

AIEgen with Fluorescence–Phosphorescence Dual Mechanoluminescence at Room Temperature

We report the first example of an AIEgen (DPP-BO) with fluorescence–phosphorescence dual emission under mechanical stimulation. By carefully analyzing the crystal structure of DPP-BO, the efficient intermolecular and intramolecular interactions should account for its unique mechanoluminescence (ML) properties, especially the abnormal phosphorescence, as further confirmed by controlled experiments and theoretical calculations for the presence of ISC transitions. These results provide important information for understanding the complex ML process, possibly opening up a new way to study the inherent mechanism of ML by broadening the application of AIEgens.     

Facile Synthesis of Ferrocenylenones in Free Solvent at Room Temperature

The rate of formation of aldol condensation products by being ground acetylferrocene and various aromatic aldehydes without solvent was dramatically enhanced comparing to ,the conventional methods. The yield is high (84 % - 96 %) at room temperature.     

Rhodium‐Catalyzed C?H Alkynylation of Arenes at Room Temperature

The rhodium(III)‐catalyzed ortho C H alkynylation of non‐electronically activated arenes is disclosed. This process features a straightforward and highly effective protocol for the synthesis of functionalized alkynes and represents the first example of merging a hypervalent iodine reagent with rhodium(III) catalysis. Notably, this reaction proceeds at room temperature, tolerates a variety of functional groups, and more importantly, exhibits high selectivity for monoalkynylation.     

CeCl3·7H2O-Catalyzed One-Pot Synthesis of Hantzsch 1,4-Dihydropyridines at Room Temperature

An efficient synthesis of a series of 1,4-dihydropyridines was accomplished at room temperature by the reaction of aldehydes with ammonium acetate and ethyl acetoacetate catalyzed by CeCl₃·7H₂O.     

Divergent Coupling of Benzocyclobutenones with Indoles via C−H and C−C Activations

Highly selective divergent coupling reactions of benzocyclobutenones and indoles, in which the chemoselectivity is controlled by catalysts, are reported herein. The substrates undergo C2(indole)–C8(benzocyclobutenone) coupling to produce benzylated indoles and benzo[b]carbazoles in the Ni- and Ru-catalyzed reactions. A completely different selectivity pattern C2(indole)–C2(benzocyclobutenone) coupling to form arylated indoles is observed in the Rh-catalyzed reaction. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest C−H and C−C activations in the reaction pathway. Synthetic utility of this protocol is demonstrated by the selective synthesis of three different types of carbazoles from the representative products.     

Metal-Free Intermolecular C−H Borylation of N-Heterocycles at B−B Multiple Bonds

Carbene-stabilized diborynes of the form LBBL (L=N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) or cyclic alkyl(amino)carbene (CAAC)) induce rapid, high yielding, intermolecular ortho-C−H borylation at N-heterocycles at room temperature. A simple pyridyldiborene is formed when an NHC-stabilized diboryne is combined with pyridine, while a CAAC-stabilized diboryne leads to activation of two pyridine molecules to give a tricyclic alkylideneborane, which can be forced to undergo a further H-shift resulting in a zwitterionic, doubly benzo-fused 1,3,2,5-diazadiborinine by heating. Use of the extended N-heteroaromatic quinoline leads to a borylmethyleneborane under mild conditions via an unprecedented boron-carbon exchange process.     

Ruthenium-Catalyzed Hydroarylation of Methylenecyclopropanes through CH Bond Cleavage: Scope and Mechanism

Intermolecular hydroarylation reactions of highly strained methylenecyclopropanes 2-phenylmethylenecyclopropane (1), 2,2-diphenylmethylenecyclopropane (2), methylenespiropentane (3), bicyclopropylidene (4), (dicyclopropylmethylene)cyclopropane (5), and benzhydrylidenecyclopropane (6) through C?H bond functionalization of 2-phenylpyridine (7?a) and other arenes with directing groups were studied. The reaction was very sensitive to the substitution on the methylenecyclopropanes. Although these transformations involved (cyclopropylcarbinyl)-metal intermediates, substrates 1 and 4 furnished anti-Markovnikov hydroarylation products with complete conservation of all cyclopropane rings in 11-93?% yield, whereas starting materials 3 and 5 were inert toward hydroarylation. Methylenecyclopropane 6 formed the products of formal hydroarylation reactions of the longest distal C?C bond in the methylenecyclopropane moiety in high yield, and hydrocarbon 2 afforded mixtures of hydroarylated products in low yields with a predominance of compounds that retained the cyclopropane unit. As byproducts, Diels-Alder cycloadducts and self-reorganization products were obtained in several cases from substrates 1-3 and 5. The structures of the most important new products have been unambiguously determined by X-ray diffraction analyses. On the basis of the results of hydroarylation experiments with isotopically labeled 7?a-[D(5) ], a plausible mechanistic rationale and a catalytic cycle for these unusual ruthenium-catalyzed hydroarylation reactions have been proposed. Arene-tethered ruthenium-phosphane complex 53, either isolated from the reaction mixture or independently prepared, did not show any catalytic activity.     

Catalytic C−H/C−F Coupling of Azoles and Acyl Fluorides

A method for the palladium/copper-catalyzed direct acylation of azoles with acyl fluorides is described. This study reports the first examples of acyl fluorides being used as acylation reagents in transition-metal-catalyzed aromatic C−H bond functionalization reactions. Depending on the reaction temperature, decarbonylative coupling may also occur. Mechanistic studies suggest that the cleavage of the aromatic C−H bond, promoted by a copper-phosphine species, is not the rate-limiting step of this acylation.     

C−H and Si−H Activation Reactions at Ru/Ga Complexes: A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Case Study on the Ru−Ga Bond

Treatment of [Ru(COD)(MeAllyl)₂] and [Ru(COD)(COT)] with GaCp* under hydrogenolytic conditions leads to reactive intermediates which activate Si−H or C−H bonds, respectively. The product complexes [Ru(GaCp*)₃(SiEt₃)H₃] ( 1 ) and [Ru(GaCp*)₃(C₇H₇)H₃] ( 2 ) are formed with HSiEt₃ or with toluene as the solvent, respectively. While 1 was isolated and fully characterized by NMR, MS, IR and SC-XRD, 2 was too labile to be isolated and was observed and characterized in situ by using mass spectrometry, including labelling experiments for the unambiguous assignment of the elemental composition. The structural assignment was confirmed by DFT calculations. The relative energies of the four isomers possible upon toluene activation at the ortho-, meta-, para- and CH₃-positions have been determined and point to aromatic C−H activation. The Ru−Ga bond was analyzed by EDA and QTAIM and compared to the Ru−P bond in the analogue phosphine compound. Bonding analyses indicate that the Ru-GaCp* bond is weaker than the Ru-PR₃ bond.     

Murahashi Cross-Coupling at −78 °C: A One-Pot Procedure for Sequential C−C/C−C,C−C/C−N,and C−C/C−S Cross-Coupling of Bromo-Chloro-Arenes

The coupling of organolithium reagents, including strongly hindered examples, at cryogenic temperatures (as low as −78 °C) has been achieved with high-reactivity Pd-NHC catalysts. A temperature-dependent chemoselectivity trigger has been developed for the selective coupling of aryl bromides in the presence of chlorides. Building on this, a one-pot, sequential coupling strategy is presented for the rapid construction of advanced building blocks. Importantly, one-shot addition of alkyllithium compounds to Pd cross-coupling reactions has been achieved, eliminating the need for slow addition by syringe pump.