Facile and efficient macrolactonization of hydroxycarboxylic acid via ethoxyvinyl esters (EVEs), which can give 9‐ to 14‐membered macrolactones in good yields, has been developed (see scheme; DCE = 1,2‐dichloroethane). The method is useful for acid‐/base‐sensitive substrates and applicable to the compound with many functional groups.
The true ground state of 1 is a matter of debate, but for clarity and convenience the allene resonance form 1 a , is the most appropriate. The arguments for aromaticity made by Christl and Engels are shown to be incorrect.
Electrocatalytic or not? Carbon nanotubes (CNTs; see figure) are at the forefront of electrochemical research, but care should be taken when describing the electrochemistry, which is often caused by defects or impurities. A discussion on this aspect of their chemistry as well as important applications of CNTs for sensing and energy storage are presented.
Silica scaffolding : By employing functionalized mesoporous SBA‐15 silica, novel fluorescent cruciform‐silica hybrid materials are generated which preserve the desirable solution properties of cruciforms in the solid state for potential use in sensory schemes.
The perfect blend : A new class of self‐assembling cyclooligomers with mixed urea/amide backbone is described (see figure). A high level of hierarchical and directional control is achieved: depending on the level of backbone preorganization, columnar or tubular arrangements with either parallel or antiparallel growing modes can be selected.
X‐ray vision : Single‐crystal XRD experiments (see picture) reveal the excited‐state structure of the photomagnetic heterobimetallic title complex. The system shows a decrease in all the iron–ligand bond lengths, suggesting that photoexcitation involves a ligand‐to‐metal charge transfer or a change in the superexchange coupling between the metal centers.
Golden capillaries : A gold‐immobilized capillary column reactor allows oxidation of alcohols to carbonyl compounds using molecular oxygen. These capillary columns (see picture) can be used for at least four days without loss of activity.
Click to fill the gap : The in situ modular fabrication of molecular transport junctions in nanogaps generated by on‐wire lithography is achieved by using click chemistry (see picture). The formation of molecular junctions proceeds in high yields and can be used to test different molecules; the triazole group also maintains conjugation in the molecular wires. Raman spectroscopy is used to characterize the molecular assembly processes.
Small with control : For miniaturization of protein aggregation experiments the interfacial chemistry must be controlled to avoid protein aggregation caused by interfacial adsorption. Plug‐based microfluidics with defined surface chemistry (see schematic picture) can then be used to perform hundreds of aggregation experiments with volume‐limited samples, such as cerebrospinal fluid from mice.
Controlled synthesis based on spectroscopic characterization, structure, and catalytic performance of mesoporous silica SBA‐15‐supported vanadium oxide model catalysts (see TEM image) are reviewed. The effect of water on the structure and dispersion of highly dispersed vanadium oxide is discussed in the light of recent results in multiple in situ spectroscopy.
Changing places : Intramolecular B(pin)/H exchange took place in the presence of a platinum–phosphane catalyst, giving synthetically useful cis‐β‐methyl‐substituted alkenylboronates stereoselectively (see scheme; B(pin)=4,4,5,5‐tetramethyl‐1,3,2‐dioxaborolan‐2‐yl).
Lighting up : A G‐quadruplex‐specific fluorescent probe was designed combining the specificity of the pyridodicarboxamide motif for guanine quadruplexes and the fluorescence properties of thiazole orange. While the assembly of the two partners through a flexible linker leads to a nonselective probe, merging them in a single, rigid scaffold leads to a dye that elicits the properties required for G‐quadruplex sensing.
Michael, Henry, and Henry : A new one‐pot reaction of α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes and β‐dicarbonyls, which involves a Michael reaction catalyzed by diarylprolinol ethers and an inter–intramolecular Henry tandem reaction catalyzed by TBAF (see scheme), has been developed. The reaction proceeds in high enantio‐ and diastereoselectivity for a wide range of unsaturated aldehydes and β‐dicarbonyl reagents.
New route to gas‐phase OH. : UV photolysis of gaseous o‐nitrobenzaldehyde forms OH radicals via the transformation into the ketene or o‐nitrosobenzoic acid intermediate (see figure). The OH. product is monitored by single‐photon laser‐induced fluorescence (LIF).
