Front Cover: Synthesis of Substituted Indazole Acetic Acids by N−N Bond Forming Reactions (Eur. J. Org. Chem. 29/2023)

Herein, we report on the discovery and development of novel cascade N−N bond forming reactions for the synthesis of rare indazole acetic acid scaffolds. This approach allows for convenient synthesis of three distinct indazole acetic acid derivatives (unsubstituted, hydroxy, and alkoxy) by heating 3-amino-3-(2-nitroaryl)propanoic acids with an appropriate nucleophile/solvent under basic conditions. The reaction tolerates a range of functional groups and electronic effects and, in total, 23 novel indazole acetic acids were synthesized and characterized. This work offers a valuable strategy for the synthesis of useful scaffolds for drug discovery programs.     

Cover Feature: Coordination-Cage-Catalysed Hydrolysis of Organophosphates: Cavity- or Surface-Based? (Chem. Eur. J. 14/2020)

The hydrophobic central cavity of a water-soluble M₈L₁₂ cubic coordination cage can accommodate a range of phospho-diester and phospho-triester guests such as the insecticide “dichlorvos” (2,2-dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate) and the chemical warfare agent analogue di(isopropyl) chlorophosphate. The accumulation of hydroxide ions around the cationic cage surface due to ion-pairing in solution generates a high local pH around the cage, resulting in catalysed hydrolysis of the phospho-triester guests. A series of control experiments unexpectedly demonstrates that—in marked contrast to previous cases—it is not necessary for the phospho-triester substrates to be bound inside the cavity for catalysed hydrolysis to occur. This suggests that catalysis can occur on the exterior surface of the cage as well as the interior surface, with the exterior-binding catalysis pathway dominating here because of the small binding constants for these phospho-triester substrates in the cage cavity. These observations suggest that cationic but hydrophobic surfaces could act as quite general catalysts in water by bringing substrates into contact with the surface (via the hydrophobic effect) where there is also a high local concentration of anions (due to ion pairing/electrostatic effects).     

Cover Feature: The Role of Common Alcoholic Sacrificial Agents in Photocatalysis: Is It Always Trivial? (Chem. Eur. J. 64/2021)

Photocatalytic hydrogen production is proposed as a sustainable energy source. Simultaneous reduction and oxidation of water is a complex multistep reaction with high overpotential. Photocatalytic processes involving semiconductors transfer electrons from the valence band to the conduction band. Sacrificial substrates that react with the photochemically formed holes in the valence band are often used to study the mechanism of H₂ production, as they scavenge the holes and hinder charge carrier recombination (electron-hole pairs). Here, we show that the desired sacrificial agent is one forming a radical that is a fairly strong reducing agent, and whose oxidized form is not a good electron acceptor that might suppress the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In an acidic medium, methanol was found to fulfill both these requirements better than ethanol and propan-2-ol in the TiO₂-(M⁰-NPs) (M=Au or Pt) system, whereas in an alkaline medium, the alcohols exhibit a reverse order of activity. Moreover, we report that CH₂(OH)₂ is by far the most efficient sacrificial agent in a nontrivial mechanism in acidic media. Our study provides general guidelines for choosing an appropriate sacrificial substrate and helps to explain the variance in the performance of alcohol scavenger-based photocatalytic systems.     

Front Cover: Non-conventional Behavior of a 2,1-Benzazaphosphole: Heterodiene or Hidden Phosphinidene? (Chem. Eur. J. 52/2021)

The titled 2,1-benzazaphosphole ( 1 ) (i. e. ArP, where Ar=2-(DippN=CH)C₆H₄, Dipp=2,6-iPr₂C₆H₃) showed a spectacular reactivity behaving both as a reactive heterodiene in hetero-Diels-Alder (DA) reactions or as a hidden phosphinidene in the coordination toward selected transition metals (TMs). Thus, 1 reacts with electron-deficient alkynes RC≡CR (R=CO₂Me, C₅F₄N) giving 1-phospha-1,4-dihydro-iminonaphthalenes 2 and 3 , that undergo hydrogen migration producing 1-phosphanaphthalenes 4 and 5 . Compound 1 is also able to activate the C=C double bond in selected N-alkyl/aryl-maleimides RN(C(O)CH)₂ (R=Me, tBu, Ph) resulting in the addition products 7–9 with bridged bicyclic [2.2.1] structures. The binding of the maleimides to 1 is semi-reversible upon heating. By contrast, when 1 was treated with selected TM complexes, it serves as a 4e donor bridging two TMs thus producing complexes [μ-ArP(AuCl)₂] ( 10 ), [(μ-ArP)₄Ag₄][X]₄ (X=BF₄ ( 11 ), OTf ( 12 )) and [μ-ArP(Co₂(CO)₆)] ( 13 ). The structure and electron distribution of the starting material 1 as well as of other compounds were also studied from the theoretical point of view.     

Cover Feature: Mechanism of Oxidative Activation of Fluorinated Aromatic Compounds by N-Bridged Diiron-Phthalocyanine: What Determines the Reactivity? (Chem. Eur. J. 63/2019)

The biodegradation of compounds with C−F bonds is challenging due to the fact that these bonds are stronger than the C−H bond in methane. In this work, results on the unprecedented reactivity of a biomimetic model complex that contains an N-bridged diiron-phthalocyanine are presented; this model complex is shown to react with perfluorinated arenes under addition of H₂O₂ effectively. To get mechanistic insight into this unusual reactivity, detailed density functional theory calculations on the mechanism of C₆F₆ activation by an iron(IV)-oxo active species of the N-bridged diiron phthalocyanine system were performed. Our studies show that the reaction proceeds through a rate-determining electrophilic C−O addition reaction followed by a 1,2-fluoride shift to give the ketone product, which can further rearrange to the phenol. A thermochemical analysis shows that the weakest C−F bond is the aliphatic C−F bond in the ketone intermediate. The oxidative defluorination of perfluoroaromatics is demonstrated to proceed through a completely different mechanism compared to that of aromatic C−H hydroxylation by iron(IV)-oxo intermediates such as cytochrome P450 Compound I.     

Cover Feature: Are the Accompanying Cations of Doping Anions Influential in Conducting Organic Polymers? The Case of the Popular PEDOT (Chem. Eur. J. 63/2019)

Conducting organic polymers (COPs) are made of a conjugated polymer backbone supporting a certain degree of oxidation. These positive charges are compensated by the doping anions that are introduced into the polymer synthesis along with their accompanying cations. In this work, the influence of these cations on the stoichiometry and physicochemical properties of the resulting COPs have been investigated, something that has previously been overlooked, but, as here proven, is highly relevant. As the doping anion, metallacarborane [Co(C₂B₉H₁₁)₂]⁻ was chosen, which acts as a thistle. This anion binds to the accompanying cation with a distinct strength. If the binding strength is weak, the doping anion is more prone to compensate the positive charge of the polymer, and the opposite is also true. Thus, the ability of the doping anion to compensate the positive charges of the polymer can be tuned, and this determines the stoichiometry of the polymer. As the polymer, PEDOT was studied, whereas Cs⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Li⁺, and H⁺ as cations. Notably, with the [Co(C₂B₉H₁₁)₂]⁻ anions, these cations are grouped into two sets, Cs⁺ and H⁺ in one and Na⁺, K⁺, and Li⁺ in the second, according to the stoichiometry of the COPs: 2:1 EDOT/[Co(C₂B₉H₁₁)₂]⁻ for Cs⁺ and H⁺, and 3:1 EDOT/[Co(C₂B₉H₁₁)₂]⁻ for Na⁺, K⁺, and Li⁺. The distinct stoichiometries are manifested in the physicochemical properties of the COPs, namely in the electrochemical response, electronic conductivity, ionic conductivity, and capacitance.     

Cover Picture: Harnessing the Structure and Dynamics of the Squalene-Hopene Cyclase for (−)-Ambroxide Production (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 22/2023)

Terpene cyclases offer enormous synthetic potential, given their unique ability to forge complex hydrocarbon scaffolds from achiral precursors within a single cationic rearrangement cascade. Harnessing their synthetic power, however, has proved to be challenging owing to their generally low catalytic performance. In this study, we unveiled the catalytic potential of the squalene-hopene cyclase (SHC) by harnessing its structure and dynamics. First, we synergistically tailored the active site and entrance tunnel of the enzyme to generate a 397-fold improved (−)-ambroxide synthase. Our computational investigations explain how the introduced mutations work in concert to improve substrate acquisition, flow, and chaperoning. Kinetics, however, showed terpene-induced inactivation of the membrane-bound SHC to be the major turnover limitation in vivo. Merging this insight with the improved and stereoselective catalysis of the enzyme, we applied a feeding strategy to exceed 10⁵ total turnovers. We believe that our results may bridge the gap for broader application of SHCs in synthetic chemistry.     

Cover Feature: Copper and Nickel Complexes of Oxamate−Phenol Containing Ligands: A Structural Dichotomy in Oxidized Species (Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 15/2023)

The copper and nickel complexes of two tetradentate ligands derived from bis(aminophenol) and bis(phenol) architectures connected by an oxamate linker were isolated. Depending on the metal and ligand, the complex is isolated with either an intact (deprotonated) ligand ( 1²⁻ ), one-electron oxidized ligand ( 2⁻ ) or quinone form ( 3 ). Surprisingly, the Mannich base is easier to oxidize than the amidophenol derivatives. The complexes were characterized by X-ray diffraction, cyclic voltammetry, UV-Vis-NIR and EPR spectroscopies. Complex 1 shows two reversible oxidation waves assigned to the successive iminosemiquinone/aminophenolate redox systems. Complex 2⁻ shows an intense NIR feature, as well as an EPR signal at g_iso=2.043, consistent with a metallic contribution to the main ligand radical SOMO. Complex 3 shows the typical feature of an isolated Cu(II) complex. Spectro-electrochemistry coupled to DFT calculations demonstrate a ligand-centered oxidative redox chemistry for all the complexes.     

Methylpyrazine Ammoxidation over Binary Oxide Systems: V. Effect of Phosphorus Additives on the Physicochemical and Catalytic Properties of a Vanadium–Titanium Catalyst in Methylpyrazine Ammoxidation

Oxide vanadium–titanium catalysts modified by phosphorus additives (20V₂O₅–(80 –n)TiO₂–nP₂O₅, n = 1, 3, 5, 10, and 15 wt %) are studied in methylpyrazine ammoxidation. Two regions of compositions are found corresponding to radically different catalytic properties, namely, catalysts with a low (5 wt % P₂O₅) and high (10 wt % P₂O₅) concentration of the additive. In the first case, the introduction of phosphorus is accompanied by a gradual increase in the activity. In the second case, an increase in the additive concentration results in a decrease in the activity and selectivity to the target product, pyrazineamide, and a simultaneous increase in the selectivities to by-products, pyrazine and carbon oxides. The catalysts are characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, differential dissolution, IR, and NMR spectroscopic data. As in the binary system, the active sites of the samples with a low concentration of phosphorus contain V⁵⁺ cations in a strongly distorted octahedral oxygen environment, which are strongly bound to a support due to the formation of V–O–Ti bonds. The catalytic properties of the samples containing 10 wt % P₂O₅ are due to the presence of the phase of a triple V–P–Ti compound with an atomic ratio V : P : Ti approximately equal to 1 : 1 : 1. The V⁵⁺ cations in this compound occur in a weakly distorted tetrahedral oxygen environment and are bound to the tetrahedral P⁵⁺ cations.