Let it flow, let it flow : A procedure to generate the first solid‐supported mercuric salt, silaphenylmercuric triflate, is described. Silaphenylmercuric triflate showed remarkable catalytic activity for an indole synthesis, furanoyne cyclization, arylyne cyclization, and tandem carbocyclizations. An efficient flow reaction system for indole synthesis and arylyne cyclization is also described (see figure).
Clones on film : 7‐mer peptides that bind to azobenzene‐containing polymer films were selected from a phage library under visible light. Isolated clones showed greater affinities to the films under ultraviolet light than those under visible light. Furthermore, the peptide binding responds to the photoinduced isomerization of azobenzene groups.
Local redox conversion of nitro end groups of a 4‐nitrothiophenol self‐assembled monolayer on gold is achieved by direct‐mode scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). Potential pulses are applied to the modified gold surface leading to local reduction of nitro end groups to either hydroxylamine (?0.47 V, see picture) or amino groups (?0.6 V) exclusively beneath the positioned SECM tip.
Pd doles it out : A palladium‐catalyzed approach to indoles using the title reaction was achieved (see scheme). The oxidant used in this catalytic cycle was O2. Both N‐nonsubstituted and N‐alkyl monosubstituted anilines can be successfully transformed into the corresponding indoles by this method.
Just subtract water : Amphiphilic π‐conjugated acyclic oligopyrroles form solvent‐assisted H‐aggregates that give rise to vesicular structures in aqueous solution (see figure). The H‐aggregates are sensitive to the conditions and are transformed into J‐aggregates by the removal of water.
Shine a light with cyanates : A novel approach for the synthesis of urea complexes and homoleptic cyanates of alkaline earth metals and europium is described. The compounds have been fully characterized, including their magnetism and temperature‐dependent luminescence properties (see graphic).
The time is ripe : A general theoretical framework based on force‐transformed potential energy surfaces rationalizes the intriguing results of recent experiments in the emerging field of covalent mechanochemistry.
Acid remarks : The anhydrous diprotic boron acids H2(B12X12) (X=Cl, Br; see picture, B orange, X green) are the first examples of diprotic superacids and may be the strongest acids yet isolated. Both protons protonate benzene to give benzenium ion salts that are stable at room temperature. These acids owe their existence to the stability of the icosahedral B12 cluster with its dinegative charge buried beneath a layer of halide substituents.
Special delivery! Polyionic complex (PIC) micelles that contain the charge‐conversional moieties citaconic amide or cis‐aconitic amide were developed for cytoplasmic protein delivery. The increase of the charge density on the protein cargo helped the stability of the PIC micelles without cross‐linking, and the charge‐conversion in endosomes induced the dissociation of the PIC micelles to result in efficient endosomal release (see picture).
Rhenium does the job! A readily available rhenium complex efficiently catalyzed the direct Meyer–Schuster‐like rearrangement of different alkyl‐ and aryl‐substituted propargylic secondary and tertiary alcohols to the corresponding α,β‐unsaturated compounds, which were produced with virtually complete E stereoselectivity. The reaction proceeded under neutral conditions and no racemization of potentially enolizable stereocenters was observed.
Fast detection of cellular thiols in aqueous medium was achieved using a newly developed fluorescence probe (see picture). Based on this probe, a high‐throughput fluorescence assay for glutathione reductase was developed.
