Aerobic and Electrochemical Oxidative Cross‐Dehydrogenative‐Coupling (CDC) Reaction in an Imidazolium‐Based Ionic Liquid

The ionic liquid 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [BMIm][BF₄] has demonstrated high efficiency when applied as a solvent in the oxidative nitro‐Mannich carbon? carbon bond formation. The copper‐catalyzed cross‐dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) between N‐phenyltetrahydroisoquinoline and nitromethane in [BMIm][BF₄] occurred with high yield under the described reaction conditions. Both the ionic liquid and copper catalyst were recycled nine times with almost no lost of activity. The electrochemical behavior of the tertiary amine substrate and β‐nitroamine product was investigated employing [BMIm][BF₄] as electrolyte solvent. The potentiostatic electrolysis in ionic liquid afforded the desired product with a high yield. This result and the cyclic voltammetric investigation provide a better understanding of the reaction mechanism, which involves radical and iminium cation intermediates.     

Ruthenium‐Catalyzed α‐(Hetero)Arylation of Saturated Cyclic Amines: Reaction Scope and Mechanism

Transition‐metal‐catalyzed sp³ C? H activation has emerged as a powerful approach to functionalize saturated cyclic amines. Our group recently disclosed a direct catalytic arylation reaction of piperidines at the α position to the nitrogen atom. 1‐(Pyridin‐2‐yl)piperidine could be smoothly α‐arylated if treated with an arylboronic ester in the presence of a catalytic amount of [Ru₃(CO)₁₂] and one equivalent of 3‐ethyl‐3‐pentanol. A systematic study on the substrate and reagent scope of this transformation is disclosed in this paper. The effect of substitution on both the piperidine ring and the arylboronic ester has been investigated. Smaller (pyrrolidine) and larger (azepane) saturated ring systems, as well as benzoannulated derivatives, were found to be compatible substrates with the α‐arylation protocol. The successful use of a variety of heteroarylboronic esters as coupling partners further proved the power of this direct functionalization method. Mechanistic studies have allowed for a better understanding of the catalytic cycle of this remarkable transformation featuring an unprecedented direct transmetalation on a Ru^II? H species.     

Synthese und Kristallstruktur eines μ-Methylen-μ-hydrido-dialanats [R2Al(μ-CH2)(μ-H)AlR2]− (R = CH(SiMe3)2)

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a μ-Methylene-μ-hydrido-dialanate [R₂Al(μ-CH₂)(μ-H)AlR₂]^? (R = CH(SiMe₃)₂) tert-Butyl lithium reacts with the recently synthesized methylene bridged dialuminium compound [(Me₃Si)₂CH]₂Al? CH₂? Al[CH(SiMe₃)₂]₂ 2 in the presence of TMEDA under β-elimination; the thereby formed hydride anion is bound in a chelating manner by both unsaturated aluminium atoms forming a 3c–2e–Al? H? Al bond. The crystal structure of the product shows two independent molecules differing only slightly in bond lengths and angles, but significantly in conformation. While one of the Al₂CH heterocycles deviates little from planarity with a rough C₂ symmetry for the whole anion, the other one is folded with an angle of 21.1° and the arrangement of the substituents is best described by C_s symmetry.     

Post‐Modification of meso–meso‐Linked Porphyrin Arrays by Iridium and Rhodium Catalyses for Tuning of Energy Gap

Skillfully attached! meso–meso‐Linked diporphyrins can be efficiently and selectively functionalized with multiple unsaturated carboxylic acid groups through iridium and rhodium catalyses. This post‐modification strategy allows fine‐tuning of energy levels of each porphyrin unit.