Alkali‐Metal Azides Interacting with Metal–Organic Frameworks

Interactions between alkali‐metal azides and metal–organic framework (MOF) derivatives, namely, the first and third members of the isoreticular MOF (IRMOF) family, IRMOF‐1 and IRMOF‐3, are studied within the density functional theory (DFT) paradigm. The investigations take into account different models of the selected IRMOFs. The mutual influence between the alkali‐metal azides and the π rings or Zn centers of the involved MOF derivatives are studied by considering the interactions both of the alkali‐metal cations with model aromatic centers and of the alkali‐metal azides with distinct sites of differently sized models of IRMOF‐1 and IRMOF‐3. Several exchange and correlation functionals are employed to calculate the corresponding interaction energies. Remarkably, it is found that, with increasing alkali‐metal atom size, the latter decrease for cations interacting with the π‐ring systems and increase for the azides interacting with the MOF fragments. The opposite behavior is explained by stabilization effects on the azide moieties and determined by the Zn atoms, which constitute the inorganic vertices of the IRMOF species. Larger cations can, in fact, coordinate more efficiently to both the aromatic center and the azide anion, and thus stabilizing bridging arrangements of the azide between one alkali‐metal and two Zn atoms in an η² coordination mode are more favored.     

Alkali‐Metal‐Ion‐Assisted Hydrogen Atom Transfer in the Homocysteine Radical

Intramolecular hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) was examined in homocysteine (Hcy) thiyl radical/alkali metal ion complexes in the gas phase by combination of experimental techniques (ion‐molecule reactions and infrared multiple photon dissociation spectroscopy) and theoretical calculations. The experimental results unequivocally show that metal ion complexation (as opposed to protonation) of the regiospecifically generated Hcy thiyl radical promotes its rapid isomerisation into an α‐carbon radical via HAT. Theoretical calculations were employed to calculate the most probable HAT pathway and found that in alkali metal ion complexes the activation barrier is significantly lower, in full agreement with the experimental data. This is, to our knowledge, the first example of a gas‐phase thiyl radical thermal rearrangement into an α‐carbon species within the same amino acid residue and is consistent with the solution phase behaviour of Hcy radical.     

Metal‐Functionalized Silicene for Efficient Hydrogen Storage

First‐principles calculations based on density functional theory are used to investigate the electronic structure along with the stability, bonding mechanism, band gap, and charge transfer of metal‐functionalized silicene to envisage its hydrogen‐storage capacity. Various metal atoms including Li, Na, K, Be, Mg, and Ca are doped into the most stable configuration of silicene. The corresponding binding energies and charge‐transfer mechanisms are discussed from the perspective of hydrogen‐storage compatibility. The Li and Na metal dopants are found to be ideally suitable, not only for strong metal‐to‐substrate binding and uniform distribution over the substrate, but also for the high‐capacity storage of hydrogen. The stabilities of both Li‐ and Na‐functionalized silicene are also confirmed through molecular dynamics simulations. It is found that both of the alkali metals, Li⁺ and Na⁺, can adsorb five hydrogen molecules, attaining reasonably high storage capacities of 7.75 and 6.9 wt %, respectively, with average adsorption energies within the range suitable for practical hydrogen‐storage applications.     

Entrapment of Elusive Guests within Metal‐Seamed Nanocapsules

Anions play a crucial role in locking alkali metals on the interior of metal–organic capsules that contain structural water gates. This role is further evidenced when stitching‐up the capsule seam, resulting in either expulsion or trapping of cesium ions depending on the anion employed.     

Alkali‐Metal‐Ion‐Functionalized Graphene Oxide as a Superior Anode Material for Sodium‐Ion Batteries

Although graphene oxide (GO) has large interlayer spacing, it is still inappropriate to use it as an anode for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) because of the existence of H‐bonding between the layers and ultralow electrical conductivity which impedes the Na⁺ and e^? transformation. To solve these issues, chemical, thermal, and electrochemical procedures are traditionally employed to reduce GO nanosheets. However, these strategies are still unscalable, consume high amounts of energy, and are expensive for practical application. Here, for the first time, we describe the superior Na storage of unreduced GO by a simple and scalable alkali‐metal‐ion (Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺)‐functionalized process. The various alkali metals ions, connecting with the oxygen on GO, have played different effects on morphology, porosity, degree of disorder, and electrical conductivity, which are crucial for Na‐storage capabilities. Electrochemical tests demonstrated that sodium‐ion‐functionalized GO (GNa) has shown outstanding Na‐storage performance in terms of excellent rate capability and long‐term cycle life (110 mAh g^?1 after 600 cycles at 1 A g^?1) owing to its high BET area, appropriate mesopore, high degree of disorder, and improved electrical conductivity. Theoretical calculations were performed using the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) to further study the Na‐storage capabilities of functionalized GO. These calculations have indicated that the Na?O bond has the lowest binding energy, which is beneficial to insertion/extraction of the sodium ion, hence the GNa has shown the best Na‐storage properties among all comparatives functionalized by other alkali metal ions.     

Metal‐Modified Nucleic Acids: Metal‐Mediated Base Pairs,Triples, and Tetrads

The incorporation of metal ions into nucleic acids by means of metal‐mediated base pairs represents a promising and prominent strategy for the site‐specific decoration of these self‐assembling supramolecules with metal‐based functionality. Over the past 20 years, numerous nucleoside surrogates have been introduced in this respect, broadening the metal scope by providing perfectly tailored metal‐binding sites. More recently, artificial nucleosides derived from natural purine or pyrimidine bases have moved into the focus of Ag^I‐mediated base pairing, due to their expected compatibility with regular Watson–Crick base pairs. This minireview summarizes these advances in metal‐mediated base pairing but also includes further recent progress in the field. Moreover, it addresses other aspects of metal‐modified nucleic acids, highlighting an expansion of the concept to metal‐mediated base triples (in triple helices and three‐way junctions) and metal‐mediated base tetrads (in quadruplexes). For all types of metal‐modified nucleic acids, proposed or accomplished applications are briefly mentioned, too.     

In Situ Formation of Liquid Metals via Galvanic Replacement Reaction to Build Dendrite‐Free Alkali‐Metal‐Ion Batteries

Galvanic replacement reactions have been studied as a versatile route to synthesize nanostructured alloys. However, the galvanic replacement chemistry of alkali metals has rarely been explored. A protective interphase layer will be formed outside templates when the redox potential exceeds the potential windows of nonaqueous solutions, and the complex interfacial chemistry remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate the formation of room‐temperature liquid metal alloys of Na and K via galvanic replacement reaction. The fundamentals of the reaction at such low potentials are investigated via a combined experimental and computational method, which uncovers the critical role of solid‐electrolyte interphase in regulating the migration of Na ions and thus the alloying reaction kinetics. With in situ formed NaK liquid alloys as an anode, the dendritic growth of alkali metals can be eliminated thanks to the deformable and self‐healing features of liquid metals. The proof‐of‐concept battery delivers reasonable electrochemical performance, confirming the generality of this in situ approach and design principle for next‐generation dendrite‐free batteries.     

Complexing properties of 3′,5′‐disubstituted‐4′‐hydroxybenzyl armed monoaza‐12‐crown‐4 and armed monoaza‐15‐crown‐5 ethers and crystal structures of the alkali metal ion complexes

A series of monoaza‐15‐crown‐5 ethers (2b‐2h) having 4′‐hydroxy‐3′,5′‐disubstituted benzyl groups have been prepared by the Mannich reaction of 2,6‐disubstituted phenols with the corresponding N‐methoxymethylmonoaza‐crown ethers. Competitive transport through a chloroform membrane by 12‐crown‐4 derivatives (lithium, potassium and cesium) and 15‐crown‐5 derivatives (sodium, potassium and cesium) were measured under basic‐source phase and acidic‐receiving phase conditions. All ligands transported size‐matched alkali‐metal cations. Ligands 1h and 2h with two fluorine atoms in the side arm gave higher metal ion transport rates than those of dimethyl‐ (1a and 2a), diisopropyl‐ (1b and 2b), and butylmethyl‐ (1d and 2d) derivatives. X‐ray crystal structures of six alkali metal complexes with monoaza‐12‐crown‐4‐derivatives ( 1b‐LiSCN, 1b‐KSCN, 1c‐NaSCN, 1d‐LiSCN, 1f‐RbSCN and 1h‐LiSCN ) and three alkali metal complexes with 15‐crown‐5 derivatives ( 2b‐KSCN, 2c‐KSCN , and 2e‐KSCN ) along with crystal structures of some new ligands (1b, 1c, 1d, 1f, and 2c) are also reported. These X‐ray analyses indicate that the crystal structures of the alkali metal ion complexes of these new armed‐crown ethers changed depending on the substituents at the 3′‐ and 5′‐positions of the appended hydroxybenzyl arms.     

Metal‐Free Boron‐Containing Heterogeneous Catalysts

Metal‐free catalysts have distinct advantages over metal and metal oxide catalysts, such as lower cost as well as higher reliability and sustainability. Among the nonmetal compounds used in catalysis, boron‐containing compounds with a few unique properties have been developed. In this Minireview, the recent advances in the field of boron‐containing metal‐free catalysts are presented, including binary and ternary boron‐containing catalytic materials. Additionally, the three main applications in catalysis are considered, namely, electrocatalysis, thermal catalysis, and photocatalysis, with the role of boron discussed in depth for each specific catalytic application. Boron‐containing compounds could have a substantial impact on the field of metal‐free catalysts in the future.     

Metal‐Nitrogen‐doped Porous Carbons Derived from Metal‐Containing Ionic Liquids for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

This study describes a self‐doping and additive‐free strategy for the synthesis of metal‐nitrogen‐doped porous carbon materials (CMs) via carbonizing well‐tailored precursors, metal‐containing ionic liquids (M‐ILs). The organic skeleton in M‐ILs serves as both carbon and nitrogen sources, while metal ions acts as porogen and metallic dopants. A high nitrogen content, appropriate content of metallic species and hierarchical porosity synergistically endow the resultant CMs (MIBA‐M‐T) as effective electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). MIBA‐Fe‐900 with a high specific surface area of 1567 m² g^?1 exhibits an activity similar to that of Pt/C catalyst, a higher tolerance to methanol than Pt/C, and long‐term durability. This work supplies a simple and convenient route for the preparation of metal‐containing carbon electrocatalysts.     

Metal‐Ion Metathesis and Properties of Triarylboron‐Functionalized Metal–Organic Frameworks

An anionic metal–organic framework, H₃[(Mn₄Cl)₃ L ₈]?30 H₂O?2.5 DMF?5 Diox ( UPC‐15 ), was successfully prepared by the reaction of MnCl₂ with tris(p‐carboxylic acid)tridurylborane (H₃ L ) under solvothermal conditions. UPC‐15 with wide‐open pores (～18.8 Å) is constructed by packing of octahedral and cuboctahedral cages, and exhibits high gas‐sorption capabilities. Notably, UPC‐15 shows selective adsorption of cationic dyes due to the anion framework. Moreover, the catalytic and magnetic properties were investigated, and UPC‐15 can highly catalyze the cyanosilylation of aromatic aldehydes. UPC‐15 exhibits the exchange of metal ions from Mn to Cu in a single‐crystal‐to‐single‐crystal manner to generate UPC‐16 , which could not be obtained by the direct solvothermal reaction of CuCl₂ and H₃ L. UPC‐16 exhibits similar properties for gas sorption, dye separation, and catalytic activity. However, the magnetic behaviors for UPC‐15 and UPC‐16 are distinct due to the metal‐specific properties. Below 47 K, UPC‐15 exhibits a ferromagnetic coupling but UPC‐16 shows a dominant antiferromagnetic behavior.     

DABCOnium: An Efficient and High‐Voltage Stable Singlet Oxygen Quencher for Metal–O2 Cells

Singlet oxygen (¹O₂) causes a major fraction of the parasitic chemistry during the cycling of non‐aqueous alkali metal‐O₂ batteries and also contributes to interfacial reactivity of transition‐metal oxide intercalation compounds. We introduce DABCOnium, the mono alkylated form of 1,4‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO), as an efficient ¹O₂ quencher with an unusually high oxidative stability of ca. 4.2 V vs. Li/Li⁺. Previous quenchers are strongly Lewis basic amines with too low oxidative stability. DABCOnium is an ionic liquid, non‐volatile, highly soluble in the electrolyte, stable against superoxide and peroxide, and compatible with lithium metal. The electrochemical stability covers the required range for metal–O₂ batteries and greatly reduces ¹O₂ related parasitic chemistry as demonstrated for the Li–O₂ cell.     

Autocatalytic Carbonyl Arylation through In Situ Release of Aryl Nucleophiles from N‐Aryl‐N′‐Silyldiazenes

A method for the catalytic generation of functionalized aryl alkali metals is reported. These highly reactive intermediates are liberated from silyl‐protected aryl‐substituted diazenes by the action of Lewis basic alkali metal silanolates, resulting in desilylation and loss of N₂. Catalytic quantities of these Lewis bases initiate the transfer of the aryl nucleophile from the diazene to carbonyl and carboxyl compounds with superb functional‐group tolerance. The aryl alkali metal can be decorated with electrophilic substituents such as methoxycarbonyl or cyano as well as halogen groups. The synthesis of a previously unknown cyclophane‐like [4]arene macrocycle from a 1,3‐bisdiazene combined with a 1,4‐dialdehyde underlines the potential of the approach.     

Target Self‐Enhanced Selectivity in Metal‐Specific DNAzymes

Highly selective recognition of metal ions by rational ligand design is challenging, and simple metal binding by biological ligands is often obscured by nonspecific interactions. In this work, binding‐triggered catalysis is used and metal selectivity is greatly increased by increasing the number of metal ions involved, as exemplified in a series of in vitro selected RNA‐cleaving DNAzymes. The cleavage junction is modified with a glycyl–histidine‐functionalized tertiary amine moiety to provide multiple potential metal coordination sites. DNAzymes that bind 1, 2, and 3 Zn²⁺ ions, increased their selectivity for Zn²⁺ over Co²⁺ ions from approximately 20‐, 1000‐, to 5000‐fold, respectively. This study offers important insights into metal recognition by combining rational ligand design and combinatorial selection, and it provides a set of new DNAzymes with excellent selectivity for Zn²⁺ ions.     

Complexation‐Induced Supramolecular Assembly Drives Metal‐Ion Extraction

Combining experiment with theory reveals the role of self‐assembly and complexation in metal‐ion transfer through the water–oil interface. The coordinating metal salt Eu(NO₃)₃ was extracted from water into oil by a lipophilic neutral amphiphile. Molecular dynamics simulations were coupled to experimental spectroscopic and X‐ray scattering techniques to investigate how local coordination interactions between the metal ion and ligands in the organic phase combine with long‐range interactions to produce spontaneous changes in the solvent microstructure. Extraction of the Eu³⁺–3(NO₃^?) ion pairs involves incorporation of the “hard” metal complex into the core of “soft” aggregates. This seeds the formation of reverse micelles that draw the water and “free” amphiphile into nanoscale hydrophilic domains. The reverse micelles interact through attractive van der Waals interactions and coalesce into rod‐shaped polynuclear Eu^III‐containing aggregates with metal centers bridged by nitrate. These preorganized hydrophilic domains, containing high densities of O‐donor ligands and anions, provide improved Eu^III solvation environments that help drive interfacial transfer, as is reflected by the increasing Eu^III partitioning ratios (oil/aqueous) despite the organic phase approaching saturation. For the first time, this multiscale approach links metal‐ion coordination with nanoscale structure to reveal the free‐energy balance that drives the phase transfer of neutral metal salts.     

Time‐Resolved In Situ X‐ray Diffraction Reveals Metal‐Dependent Metal–Organic Framework Formation

Versatility in metal substitution is one of the key aspects of metal‐organic framework (MOF) chemistry, allowing properties to be tuned in a rational way. As a result, it important to understand why MOF syntheses involving different metals arrive at or fail to produce the same topological outcome. Frequently, conditions are tuned by trial‐and‐error to make MOFs with different metal species. We ask: is it possible to adjust synthetic conditions in a systematic way in order to design routes to desired phases? We have used in situ X‐ray powder diffraction to study the solvothermal formation of isostructural M₂(bdc)₂dabco (M=Zn, Co, Ni) pillared‐paddlewheel MOFs in real time. The metal ion strongly influences both kinetics and intermediates observed, leading in some cases to multiphase reaction profiles of unprecedented complexity. The standard models used for MOF crystallization break down in these cases; we show that a simple kinetic model describes the data and provides important chemical insights on phase selection.     

A Transition‐Metal‐Free Synthesis of Multisubstituted Imidazoles

A novel and simple t‐BuOLi/I₂‐mediated synthesis of 1,2,4‐trisubstituted imidazoles was developed without transition‐metal added. The transition‐metal‐free strategy tolerated a range of substrates and provided products in moderate to good yields with 100% regioselectivity.     

Metal‐Xenon Complexes

Long after the first isolation of a xenon compound in 1962 the first compounds with metal‐xenon bonds are prepared. The metal atoms are so far Au and Hg. The most stable metal xenon compounds decompose under loss of xenon slightly above room temperature. They can only exist if solvents and counter ions are weaker bases than atomic xenon. Solvents and counter ions used so far are HF, (SbF₆)^—, and (Sb₂F₁₁)^—.     

Carbon‐Based Metal‐Free Catalysts for Electrocatalysis beyond the ORR

Besides their use in fuel cells for energy conversion through the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), carbon‐based metal‐free catalysts have also been demonstrated to be promising alternatives to noble‐metal/metal oxide catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in metal–air batteries for energy storage and for the splitting of water to produce hydrogen fuels through the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This Review focuses on recent progress in the development of carbon‐based metal‐free catalysts for the OER and HER, along with challenges and perspectives in the emerging field of metal‐free electrocatalysis.     

Metal‐Ion Metathesis in Metal–Organic Frameworks: A Synthetic Route to New Metal–Organic Frameworks

A porous metal–organic framework, Mn(H₃O)[(Mn₄Cl)₃(hmtt)₈] (POST‐65), was prepared by the reaction of 5,5′,10,10′,15,15′‐hexamethyltruxene‐2,7,12‐tricarboxylic acid (H₃hmtt) with MnCl₂ under solvothermal conditions. POST‐65(Mn) was subjected to post‐synthetic modification with Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu according to an ion‐exchange method that resulted in the formation of three isomorphous frameworks, POST‐65(Co/Ni/Cu), as well as a new framework, POST‐65(Fe). The ion‐exchanged samples could not be prepared by regular solvothermal reactions. The complete exchange of the metal ions and retention of the framework structure were verified by inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectrometry (ICP‐AES), powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface‐area analysis. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffractions studies revealed a single‐crystal‐to‐single‐crystal (SCSC)‐transformation nature of the ion‐exchange process. Hydrogen‐sorption and magnetization measurements showed metal‐specific properties of POST‐65.