By a flexible three‐component synthesis, alkoxy‐substituted enamides are easily available from lithiated alkoxyallenes, nitriles and carboxylic acids (see scheme). The treatment of these versatile intermediates with trifluoroacetic acid provided 5‐acetyloxazoles in moderate to good yields. Different substituents are possible at C‐2 and C‐5 and the 5‐acetyl group is a suitable handle for further synthetic transformations.
Kept in the dark : The non‐photocatalytic generation of free radicals from fine and ultrafine TiO2 particles has been studied by means of a spin‐trapping/ESR spectroscopy technique (see figure). The amount and kind of free radicals generated depends on the crystalline structure, but not on the particle dimensions.
New Pd ‐ and Pt‐biscarbenes : The synthesis by the stoichiometric transmetalation reactions from Fischer alkoxy‐chromium(0) carbene complexes of stable mononuclear (palladium and platinum) alkoxy‐biscarbene complexes is reported. The structure, bonding situation, and the electronic and redox properties of these complexes are studied by a combination of experimental and computational (DFT) methods.
Exciton migration! Spectroscopic analyses and extensive molecular dynamics studies revealed a well‐defined 41 helix in which the perylene molecules (see figure) form four “helter‐skelter‐like” overlapping pathways along which excitons and electrons can rapidly migrate.
Cage me! A linear dumbbell‐shaped bipyridinium molecule can template cage formation around itself through sixfold imine bond formation to give an interlocked [2]rotaxane as the single product (see picture). This highly efficient [2+3] clipping occurs despite the symmetry mismatch between the template and the formed macrobicycle.
A new way to make a bang : Several functionalized 1‐ethyl‐5‐aminotetrazoles, 1‐ethyl‐5‐nitrimino‐tetrazoles, and copper complexes have been synthesized and their chemical and energetic properties have been comprehensively characterized. The compounds belong to all classes of “energetic materials”: explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics.
Up to four adjacent stereocenters can be formed stereoselectively in the construction of a pyrrolizidine unit through a novel organocatalytic reaction that involves treatment of various dienones with ethyl isocyanoacetate (see scheme; DBU=1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene). Mechanisms for this atom‐economic, one‐pot synthesis have been proposed.
An N for Ir : The synthesis and X‐ray crystal structure of a late‐transition‐metal complex with a terminal nitrido ligand and its hydrogenation to the related amido complex are reported (see scheme).
Te for two : Supported by pyridine‐ or carbene‐based ligands, tellurium‐centered dications are prepared in high yield and include a dicationic tellurium analogue of the recently synthesized “carbodicarbene”. The key to accessing these compounds is the isolation of a base‐stabilized form of TeOTf2 (see structure), a new highly electrophilic reagent for tellurium chemistry.
Like pearls on a string , molecular building blocks have been preorganized and then interlinked on a surface (see STM images). In this way both the supramolecular self‐assembly of the reactants as well as the subsequent thermal activation to release the protecting group are controlled.
A facile, self‐seeded , solution–liquid–solid growth of soluble InP and GaP nanowires with a very low amount of native point defects with respect to the carrier concentrations have been synthesized (see scheme) and characterized. They are potentially promising building blocks in optoelectronic applications.
Reacting in the 'Ni'ck of time : The title reaction is realized by using an isolated NiII complex ( 1 ). The catalysis tolerates a wide range of important functional groups that are often incompatible with Grignard reagents in cross‐coupling reactions.
In‐source oxidation : In‐source photocatalytic redox reactions for inducing peptide fragmentation are achieved on a TiO2‐derived target plate during laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry in the presence of samples and glucose acting as both an electron donor and a hole conductor (see scheme).
