Asymmetric Organocatalysis: The Emerging Utility of α,β‐Unsaturated Acylammonium Salts

Although acylammonium salts are well‐studied, chiral α,β‐unsaturated acylammonium salts have received much less attention. While these intermediates are convenient synthons, which are readily available from several commodity unsaturated acids and acid chlorides, and possess three reactive sites, their application in organic synthesis has been limited because of the lack of appropriate chiral Lewis bases for their generation. In recent years, the utility of chiral, unsaturated acylammonium salts has expanded considerably, thus demonstrating the unique reactivity of this intermediate leading to the development of a diverse array of catalytic, asymmetric transformations including organocascade processes. This Minireview highlights the recent and growing interest in these intermediates which might spark further research into their untapped potential for asymmetric organocascade catalysis. A cursory comparison is made to related unsaturated iminium and acylazolium intermediates.     

Dry Reforming of Methane on a Highly‐Active Ni‐CeO2 Catalyst: Effects of Metal‐Support Interactions on C−H Bond Breaking

Ni‐CeO₂ is a highly efficient, stable and non‐expensive catalyst for methane dry reforming at relative low temperatures (700 K). The active phase of the catalyst consists of small nanoparticles of nickel dispersed on partially reduced ceria. Experiments of ambient pressure XPS indicate that methane dissociates on Ni/CeO₂ at temperatures as low as 300 K, generating CH_x and CO_x species on the surface of the catalyst. Strong metal–support interactions activate Ni for the dissociation of methane. The results of density‐functional calculations show a drop in the effective barrier for methane activation from 0.9 eV on Ni(111) to only 0.15 eV on Ni/CeO_2?x(111). At 700 K, under methane dry reforming conditions, no signals for adsorbed CH_x or C species are detected in the C 1s XPS region. The reforming of methane proceeds in a clean and efficient way.     

A Supramolecularly Activated Radical Cation for Accelerated Catalytic Oxidation

Tuning the activity of radicals is crucial for radical reactions and radical‐based materials. Herein, we report a supramolecular strategy to accelerate the Fenton reaction through the construction of supramolecularly activated radical cations. As a proof of the concept, cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) was introduced, through host–guest interactions, onto each side of a derivative of 1,4‐diketopyrrolo[3,4‐c]pyrrole (DPP), a model dye for Fenton oxidation. The DPP radical cation, the key intermediate in the oxidation process, was activated by the electrostatically negative carbonyl groups of CB[7]. The activation induced a drastic decrease in the apparent activation energy and greatly increased the reaction rate. This facile supramolecular strategy is a promising method for promoting radical reactions. It may also open up a new route for the catalytic oxidation of organic pollutants for water purification and widen the realm of supramolecular catalysis.     

Quantum dot FRET biosensors that respond to pH, to proteolytic or nucleolytic cleavage, to DNA synthesis, or to a multiplexing combination

Fluorescent acceptors have been immobilized on nanoparticulate quantum dots (QDs), which serve in turn as their FRET donors. The broad excitation and narrow emission bands of QDs mark them as having excellent potential as donors for FRET and, in principle, differently colored QDs could be excited simultaneously. The present work describes the preparation and operation of FRET-based QD bioprobes individually able to detect the actions of protease, deoxyribonuclease, DNA polymerase, or changes in pH. In addition, two such QD-mounted biosensors were excited at a single wavelength, and shown to operate simultaneously and independently of each other in the same sample solution, allowing multiplex detection of the action of a protease, trypsin, in the presence of deoxyribonuclease.     

Manganese(II) Complexes with Bridging Selenidoarsenate(III) Anions [AsSe2(Se2)]3− and [(AsSe2)2(μ‐Se2)]4−

Solvothermal reaction of [MnCl₂(terpy)] with elemental As and Se at a 1:1:2 molar ratio in H₂O/trien (10:1) at 150 °C affords the linear trimanganese(II) complex [{Mn(terpy)}₃(μ‐AsSe₄)₂] ( 1 ). The tridentate [AsSe₂(Se₂)]^3? anions of 1 chelate the terminal {Mn(terpy)}²⁺ fragments and bridge these through their remaining Se atom to the central {Mn(terpy)}²⁺ moiety. Weak interactions of Mn1···Se and Mn3···Se bonds with length 2.914(7) and 3.000(7) Å link the molecules of 1 into infinite chains. Treatment of [MnCl₂(cyclam)]Cl with As and Se at a 1:1:2 molar ratio in superheated H₂O/CH₃OH (1:1) at 150 °C yields the dinuclear complex [{Mn(cyclam)}₂ (μ‐As₂Se₆)] ( 2 ), whose novel [(AsSe₂)₂(μ‐Se₂)]^4? ligands bridge the Mn^II atoms in a μ‐1κ²Se¹, Se²: 2κ²Se⁵,Se⁶ manner.     

Syntheses and Crystal Structures of Two Chloro‐Bridged Coordination Polymers [Cd(BIM)Cl2]n and [Pb(BIM)Cl2]n

Two novel coordination polymers, [Cd(BIM)Cl₂]_n ( 1 ) and [Pb(BIM)Cl₂]_n ( 2 ) [wherein BIM = bis(imidazol‐1‐yl)methane], were synthesized by the reactions of the BIM ligand with CdCl₂ and PbCl₂, respectively. They were characterized by elemental analyses, IR, TGA and X‐ray single‐crystal diffraction techniques. Single‐crystal X‐ray structure analyses showed there is a pseudooctahedral arrangement around the cadmium atom in the complex 1 . It has a three‐dimensional network which contains one‐dimensional inorganic‐organic hybrid chains and μ₂‐bridging chloride ligands. A rare pentacoordinate square‐pyramidal arrangement was adopted for the lead(II) atom in the complex 2 , which has an unusual two‐dimensional layer structure of macrometallacycles crosslinked with the bridging Pb₂Cl₂ units. The metal atoms in both complexes were coordinated with two BIM ligands in cis arrangement and bridged by μ₂‐bridging chloride ligands.     

Reactivity of 2,2′‐Bis(2N‐(1,1′,3,3′‐tetramethyl‐guanidino))diphenylene‐amine with CuI and [Cu(MeCN)4][PF6]: Benzimidazole Formation vs. Cu Oxidation

The reaction of 2,2′‐Bis(2N‐(1,1′,3,3′‐tetramethyl‐guanidino))diphenylene‐amine (TMG₂PA) ( 1 ) with CuI in MeCN results in the formation of [Cu^II(TMG₂PA^amid)I] ( 2 ) indicatingthat Cu^I is the target of an oxidative attack of the N‐H proton of the ligand which itself is converted to molecular hydrogen. In contrast, if [Cu(MeCN)₄][PF₆] is used as the Cu^I source, [Cu^I₂(TMGbenz)₂][PF₆]₂ ( 3 ) is obtained instead. The use of the non‐coordinating counterion [PF₆]^– apparently prevents Cu^I from oxidation but induces itself a cyclisation reaction within the ligand which results in the formation of a benzimidazole‐guanidine ligand.     

The Role of Free N‐Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC) in the Catalytic Dehydrogenation of Ammonia–Borane in the Nickel NHC System

Enders' N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) dehydrogenates ammonia–borane with a relatively low barrier, producing NH₂BH₂ and NHC–(H)₂. The nickel NHC catalyst present in the reaction media can activate the NHC–(H)₂ produced to regenerate the free NHC and release H₂. The release of free NHC enables further dehydrogenation of ammonia–borane.

     

Suppressed Particle Formation by Kinetically Controlled Ozone Removal: Revealing the Role of Transient‐Species Chemistry during Alkene Ozonolysis

The new approach of kinetically controlled ozone removal suppresses particle formation in laboratory ozonolysis experiments for methylcyclohexene and methylenecyclohexane (MCHa) at excess alkene concentrations (see graph). The results support the hypothesis that peroxy radicals are involved in organic nucleation and particle‐growth mechanisms.