A Post‐Synthetically Modified MOF for Selective and Sensitive Aqueous‐Phase Detection of Highly Toxic Cyanide Ions

Selective and sensitive detection of toxic cyanide (CN^?) by a post‐synthetically altered metal–organic framework (MOF) has been achieved. A post‐synthetic modification was employed in the MOF to incorporate the specific recognition site with the CN^? ion over all other anions, such as Cl^?, Br^?, and SCN^?. The aqueous‐phase sensing and very low detection limit, the essential prerequisites for an effective sensory material, have been fulfilled by the MOF. Moreover, the present detection level meets the standard set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the permissible limit of cyanide concentration in drinking water. The utilization of MOF‐based materials as the fluorometric probes for selective and sensitive detection of CN^? ions has not been explored till now.     

Photocatalytic Synthesis of β-Keto Primary Chlorides by Selective Chlorocarbonylation of Olefins

Functionalized primary alkyl chlorides are precursors to a plethora of scaffolds but their access from chemical feedstocks remains challenging. Herein, we report a concise dual Ni/photoredox catalytic protocol for regioselective chlorocarbonylation of unactivated alkenes that enables rapid access to β-keto primary chlorides. The catalytic process features an extensive substrate scope, scalability and functional group tolerance. The Ni/photocatalytic Cl⋅ generation and subsequent cross-coupling is implicated for the process based on the control experiments and DFT study. The synthetic utility of the protocol has been further corroborated through functionalization of complex substrates and modifications of the product.     

A mild and efficient method for oxidative halodecarboxylation of α,β-unsaturated aromatic acids using lithium bromide/chloride and ceric ammonium nitrate

A mild and efficient ecofriendly method for the halodecarboxylation of α,β-unsaturated aromatic acids has been developed by using lithium bromide/chloride and ceric ammonium nitrate in acetonitrile–water at room temperature to afford the vinyl halides in moderate to good yields.     

Enantioselective C−H Functionalization Reactions under Gold Catalysis

Transition metal-catalyzed enantioselective functionalization of ubiquitous C−H bonds has proven to be promising field as it offers the construction of chiral molecular complexity in a step- and atom-economical manner. In recent years, gold has emerged as an attractive contender for catalyzing such reactions. The unique reactivities and selectivities offered by gold catalysts have been exploited to access numerous asymmetric transformations based on gold-catalyzed C−H functionalization processes. Herein, this review critically highlights the major advances and discoveries made in the enantioselective C−H functionalization under gold catalysis which is accompanied by mechanistic insights at appropriate places.     

Modular and Versatile Trans-Encoded Genetic Switches

Current bacterial RNA switches suffer from lack of versatile inputs and are difficult to engineer. We present versatile and modular RNA switches that are trans-encoded and based on tRNA-mimicking structures (TMSs). These switches provide a high degree of freedom for reengineering and can thus be designed to accept a wide range of inputs, including RNA, small molecules, and proteins. This powerful approach enables control of the translation of protein expression from plasmid and genome DNA.     

Synthesis,characterization and arsenate binding events of new mononuclear copper(II) complexes

Two new mononuclear copper (II) complexes [Cu(L)(H₂O)Cl] (1) and [Cu(L)(H₂O)(SCN)] (2) (HL = 2-[1-(2-dimethylamino-ethylimino)-ethyl]-phenol) have been synthesized and characterized in order to investigate their binding interaction with arsenate ions. Complexes 1 and 2 were synthesized by performing reaction of CuCl₂·2H₂O or CuCl₂·2H₂O/NH₄SCN, respectively, with HL using Et₃N as mild base in MeOH solution at room temperature, and characterized by employing a number of analytical techniques, for example, elemental analysis, molar electrical conductivity, FTIR, UV–Vis and mass spectrometry. Their structures, optimized at DFT/B3LYP/6-311G level, show that the copper atom in 1 and 2 exhibits a distorted square pyramidal geometry. In H₂O/MeOH (3:1; v/v) solution, complexes 1 and 2 were examined for their binding affinity towards arsenate ions. The UV–Vis spectroscopic results specify that the arsenate group binds with 1 and 2 in 1:1 M ratio. The UV–Vis titration data were successfully utilized to calculate the binding constants of arsenate-bound Cu(II) complexes, and the values are found to be 1.723 × 10⁴ M^?1 and 2.161 × 10⁴ M^?1, corresponding to 1/AsO₄^3? and 2/AsO₄^3? assemblies, respectively.     

Etherification of dimethylbutene with methanol over clay-based acid catalysts

Etherification of a typical C₆ olefin, 2,3-dimethyl-1-butene, with methanol was investigated over commercial ion-exchange resins and several clay-based acid solids prepared by sulfuric acid treatment or impregnation of sulfated zirconia and Nafion. The commercial resin catalyst Amberlyst 15 is effective but nonselective to ether production, while Nafion is less active. For two clay systems, montmorillonite-based catalysts generally exhibit higher activities than bentonite and MT-H₂SO₄will be a highly active and selective catalyst than the supported sulfated zirconia and Nafion.     

Effect of water during the quantitation of formate in photocatalytic studies on CO2 reduction in dimethylformamide

The effect of the water concentration on the quantitation of formate from dimethylformamide in the presence of electron-donating bases using ion chromatography is reported. This observation has important implications in the area of the photocatalytic reduction of CO(2), where formate levels are often used to calculate catalyst turnover numbers.     

Diverse strategies for transition metal catalyzed distal C(sp3)–H functionalizations

Transition metal catalyzed C(sp³)–H functionalization is a rapidly growing field. Despite severe challenges, distal C–H functionalizations of aliphatic molecules by overriding proximal positions have witnessed tremendous progress. While usage of stoichiometric directing groups played a crucial role, reactions with catalytic transient directing groups or methods without any directing groups are gaining more attention due to their practicality. Various innovative strategies, slowly but steadily, circumvented issues related to remote functionalizations of aliphatic molecules. A systematic compilation has been presented here to provide insights into the recent developments and future challenges in the field. The Present perspective is expected to open up a new dimension and provide an avenue for deep insights into the distal C(sp³)–H functionalizations that could be applied routinely in various pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries.

Transition metal catalyzed C(sp³)–H functionalization is a rapidly growing field.