Predicting Dinitrogen Coupling with a Series of Small Molecules Catalyzed by a Pincer Complex

Due to consumption of more than 2% of the world‘s annual energy supply by Haber–Bosch process and the strongest triple bond (N≡N) in nature, directly coupling N₂ with small molecules is particularly important and challenging, let alone in a catalytic fashion. Here we first demonstrate that a NNN-type pincer phosphorus complex could act as a catalyst to couple dinitrogen with a series of small molecules including carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, N-ethylidenemethylamine, and acetonitrile in the presence of diborane(4) under a mild condition by theoretical calculations. N₂ fixation proceeds via a stepwise mechanism involving initial N₂ activation by diborane(4), followed by intramolecular isomerization to a key intermediate (zwitterion). Such a zwitterion can be used to couple a series of small molecules with activation barriers of 23.5–25.2 kcal mol⁻¹. All these findings could be particularly useful for main group chemistry aimed at N₂ activation.     

Circularly polarized luminescence based on small organic fluorophores

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) has attracted attention as a next-generation light signal because of its carrying more information compared with normal and linearly polarized lights as well as its potential wide application in information fields. Recently, much attention has been paid to small organic molecules-based CPL emitters because of easy synthesis, fine structural modification at molecular level, and tunable wide range emission wavelength. This review highlights the development of small organic molecules-based CPL emitters in the past 5 years (2017–2021). The progress suggests that small organic molecules-based CPL emitters provide a simple and efficient way to generate CPL.     

WWW small molecule modeling

Computational chemistry and molecular modeling sites have proliferated on the Internet's world wide web. This paper provides present links to some of the more most useful ones for small organic molecule modeling, and offering free resources.     

Molecular self-assembling of chiral and racemic butan-2-ol in carbon tetrachloride solutions

The self-association of (R)-, (S)- and (RS)-butan-2-ol in their carbon tetrachloride solutions was studied through the mid-infrared (mid-IR) and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic observations. The mid-IR and NIR spectra for each chiral butan-2-ol were compared with those for the racemic (RS)-butan-2-ol. Although it has been reported that the hydrogen bonding among the chiral butan-2-ol molecules was stronger than that among the racemic ones, any distinguishable differences between the chiral and the racemic butan-2-ol in CCl₄ solution or even in their pure liquid state were not observed both in their mid-IR and NIR spectra. A superior analytical method, assuming a successive association process for the alcohol molecules, was applied to the analysis of the sharp band at 3630 cm⁻¹ (the OH-stretching vibration mode attributed to free OH-monomer) for the (R)-, (S)- or (RS)-butan-2-ol in CCl₄. The mean association number N for each alcohol increased with increasing in concentration until 0.12 mol dm⁻³ and then becomes constant (about four). On the other hand, Zanker's plotting method, assuming an equilibrium between monomers and only one kind of polymer species, was also applied to the analysis of the above spectroscopic results; the association number n evaluated from the Zanker's method fairly agreed with the N value in the concentration region of 0.12–0.60 mol dm⁻³.     

Synthesis and structure of some cis-and trans-myrtanylstannanes

Enantiomerically pure cis- and trans-myrtanylstannanes cis-MyrSnPh₃ (1), trans-MyrSnPh₃ (2), cis-MyrSnPh₂Cl (3), trans-MyrSnPh₂Cl (4), cis-MyrSnPhCl₂ (5), trans-MyrSnPhCl₂ (6), cis-MyrSnCl₃ (7), trans-MyrSnCl₃ (8) were synthesized and fully characterized by ¹H, ¹³C and ¹¹⁹Sn NMR spectroscopy. The molecular structures of 1, 3, 6, 7, and [trans-MyrSn(OH)Cl₂ · H₂O]₂ (8a) a hydrolysis product of 8, were determined by X-ray crystallography.     

H原子与CO2分子碰撞的化学反应与能量转移

Collisions between hot H atoms and CO2 molecules were studied experimentally by time-resolved Fourier transform infrared emission spectroscopy. H atoms with three translational energies, 174.7, 241.0 and 306.2 kJ/mol respectively, were generated by UV laser photolysis to initiate a chemical reaction of H+CO2!OH+CO. Vibrationally excited CO (v≤2) was observed in the spectrum, where CO was the product of the reaction. The highly efficient T-V energy transfer from the hot H atoms to the CO2 was verified too. The highest vibrational level of v=4 in CO2 (v≤3) was found. Rate ratio of the chemical reaction to the energy transfer was estimated as 10.     

Chiral Derivatives of Achiral Molecules: Standard Classes and the Problem of a Right-Left Classification

Chemistry judging by its applications, physics according to its methods, and heavily reliant upon the tools of mathematics—that is what makes theoretical chemistry. And yet that is where its strength lies—in the variety of these sciences. It is quite natural that, in answer to specific problems, results and methods can sometimes be developed whose scope extends far beyond the original application. Rather it is a mark of quality if consequences can be found in chemistry and physics and the pathway leads via new mathematical procedures and concepts. Regrettably, any publication aiming to present such aspects will usually encounter little resonance since the linguistic confusion in science, its disciplines, and subdisciplines, lies like a veil over our understanding. The author nevertheless wishes to attempt to present, in a series of articles, results of research into chemical themes in a manner designed to appeal to the interest of chemists, without neglecting interdisciplinary aspects. All that is required to understand the argumentation is a lively interest. The first two articles are concerned with the chirality of molecules, and in particular with questions relating to the chirality phenomenon of molecules in the framework of molecular classes. In view of the algebraic nature of the mathematical methods adopted, it is not surprising that precise statements result. It appears of primary interest to establish the degree to which such statements can be considered valid for molecular models or molecules themselves.     

Separations based on the mechanical forces of light

A photon as a particle has an energy and a momentum. In a matter-photon interaction, the matter and photons may exchange their momenta observing the momentum conservation law. The consequence of the momentum transfer from a photon to a matter particle is a mechanical force exerted on the particle. Several separation methods based on this force of light are reviewed. Photophoresis separations for micron-sized particles and optical force chromatography for chemical-sized molecules are discussed.     

单分子结的构筑及分子电导性质的测试

分子电子学已成为21世纪研究的热点. 通过将具有特定功能的分子连接在纳米尺度金属电极之间从而构筑包括分子导线、开关、整流器在内的各种分子尺度电子器件, 这引起了科学家们广泛的研究兴趣. 在分子电子学研究中, 构筑金属/分子/金属(MMM)分子结是研究分子器件中电子传输性质的关键. 尽管已经取得了很大的进展, 目前在纳米尺度下构筑稳定可靠的MMM分子结并测试单个分子的电学性质仍然面临很多挑战. 本文着重对单分子电学性质的测试技术和相关理论研究的最新进展以及存在的挑战做了概述.