Enantioselective Construction of Axially Chiral Amino Sulfide Vinyl Arenes by Chiral Sulfide-Catalyzed Electrophilic Carbothiolation of Alkynes

The enantioselective construction of axially chiral compounds by electrophilic carbothiolation of alkynes is disclosed for the first time. This enantioselective transformation is enabled by the use of a Ts-protected bifunctional sulfide catalyst and Ms-protected ortho-alkynylaryl amines (Ts=tosyl; Ms=mesyl). Both electrophilic arylthiolating and electrophilic trifluoromethylthiolating reagents are suitable for this reaction. The obtained products of axially chiral vinyl–aryl amino sulfides can be easily converted into biaryl amino sulfides, biaryl amino sulfoxides, biaryl amines, vinyl–aryl amines, and other valuable difunctionalized compounds.     

A Supported Bismuth Halide Perovskite Photocatalyst for Selective Aliphatic and Aromatic C–H Bond Activation

Direct selective oxidation of hydrocarbons to oxygenates by O₂ is challenging. Catalysts are limited by the low activity and narrow application scope, and the main focus is on active C−H bonds at benzylic positions. In this work, stable, lead-free, Cs₃Bi₂Br₉ halide perovskites are integrated within the pore channels of mesoporous SBA-15 silica and demonstrate their photocatalytic potentials for C−H bond activation. The composite photocatalysts can effectively oxidize hydrocarbons (C₅ to C₁₆ including aromatic and aliphatic alkanes) with a conversion rate up to 32900 μmol g_cat⁻¹ h⁻¹ and excellent selectivity (>99 %) towards aldehydes and ketones under visible-light irradiation. Isotopic labeling, in situ spectroscopic studies, and DFT calculations reveal that well-dispersed small perovskite nanoparticles (2–5 nm) possess enhanced electron–hole separation and a close contact with hydrocarbons that facilitates C(sp³)−H bond activation by photoinduced charges.     

Charge-Tagged DNA Radicals in the Gas Phase Characterized by UV/Vis Photodissociation Action Spectroscopy

Adenosine radicals tagged with a fixed-charge group were generated in the gas phase and structurally characterized by tandem mass spectrometry, deuterium labeling, and UV/Vis action spectroscopy. Experimental results in combination with Born–Oppenheimer molecular dynamics, ab initio, and excited-state calculations led to unambiguous assignment of adenosine radicals as N-7 hydrogen atom adducts. The charge-tagged radicals were found to be electronically equivalent to natural DNA nucleoside radicals.     

Pyridinylidenaminophosphines: Facile Access to Highly Electron-Rich Phosphines

Electron-rich tertiary phosphines are valuable species in chemical synthesis. However, their broad application as ligands in catalysis and reagents in stoichiometric reactions is often limited by their costly synthesis. Herein, we report the synthesis and properties of a series of phosphines with 1-alkylpyridin-4-ylidenamino and 1-alkylpyridin-2-ylidenamino substituents that are accessible in a very short and scalable route starting from commercially available aminopyridines and chlorophosphines. The determination of the Tolman electronic parameter (TEP) value reveals that the electron donor ability can be tuned by the substituent pattern at the aminopyridine backbone and it can exceed that of common alkylphosphines and N-heterocyclic carbenes. The potential of the new phosphines as strong nucleophiles in phosphine-mediated transformations is demonstrated by the formation of Lewis base adducts with CO₂ and CS₂. In addition, the coordination chemistry of the new phosphines towards Cu^I, Au^I, and Pd^II metal centers has been explored, and a convenient procedure to introduce the most basic phosphine into metal complexes starting from air-stable phosphonium salt is described.     

Organophotocatalytic N-Demethylation of Oxycodone Using Molecular Oxygen

N-Demethylation of oxycodone is one of the key steps in the synthesis of important opioid antagonists like naloxone or analgesics like nalbuphine. The reaction is typically carried out using stoichiometric amounts of toxic and corrosive reagents. Herein, we present a green and scalable organophotocatalytic procedure that accomplishes the N-demethylation step using molecular oxygen as the terminal oxidant and an organic dye (rose bengal) as an effective photocatalyst. Optimization of the reaction conditions under continuous flow conditions using visible-light irradiation led to an efficient, reliable, and scalable process, producing noroxycodone hydrochloride in high isolated yield and purity after a simple workup.     

Methanol synthesis from CO2: a DFT investigation on Zn-promoted Cu catalyst

Research on Chemical Intermediates - The reaction steps during methanol synthesis from CO2/H2 are influenced by the type of catalysts such as pure Cu and Zn-decorated Cu. In this study, density...     

Synthetic and Biological Studies on New Urea and Triazole Containing Cystobactamid Derivatives

Cystobactamids belong to the group of arene-based oligoamides that effectively inhibit bacterial type IIa topoisomerases. Cystobactamid 861-2 is the most active member of these antibiotics. Most amide bonds present in the cystobactamids link benzoic acids with anilines and it was found that some of these amide bonds undergo chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis, especially the one linking ring C with ring D. This work reports on the chemical synthesis and biological evaluation of thirteen new cystobactamids that still contain the methoxyaspartate hinge. However, we exchanged selected amide bonds either by the urea or the triazole groups and modified ring A in the latter case. While hydrolytic stability could be improved with these structural substitutes, the high antibacterial potency of cystobactamid 861-2 could only be preserved in selected cases. This includes derivatives, in which the urea group is positioned between rings A and B and where the triazole is found between rings C and D.     

Evidence for Electron Transfer between Graphene and Non-Covalently Bound π-Systems

Hybridizing graphene and molecules possess a high potential for developing materials for new applications. However, new methods to characterize such hybrids must be developed. Herein, the wet-chemical non-covalent functionalization of graphene with cationic π-systems is presented and the interaction between graphene and the molecules is characterized in detail. A series of tricationic benzimidazolium salts with various steric demand and counterions was synthesized, characterized and used for the fabrication of graphene hybrids. Subsequently, the doping effects were studied. The molecules are adsorbed onto graphene and studied by Raman spectroscopy, XPS as well as ToF-SIMS. The charged π-systems show a p-doping effect on the underlying graphene. Consequently, the tricationic molecules are reduced through a partial electron transfer process from graphene, a process which is accompanied by the loss of counterions. DFT calculations support this hypothesis and the strong p-doping could be confirmed in fabricated monolayer graphene/hybrid FET devices. The results are the basis to develop sensor applications, which are based on analyte/molecule interactions and effects on doping.     

Nanoscale Organolanthanum Clusters: Nuclearity-Directing Role of Cyclopentadienyl and Halogenido Ligands

Tetramethylaluminato/halogenido(X) ligand exchange reactions in half-sandwich complexes [Cp^RLa(AlMe₄)₂] are feasible in non-coordinating solvents and provide access to large coordination clusters of the type [Cp^RLaX₂]_x. Incomplete exchange reactions generate the hexalanthanum clusters [Cp^R₆La₆X₈(AlMe₄)₄] (Cp^R=Cp*=C₅Me₅, X=I; Cp^R=Cp′=C₅H₄SiMe₃, X=Br, I). Treatment of [Cp*La(AlMe₄)₂] with two equivalents Me₃SiI gave the nonalanthanum cluster [Cp*LaI₂]₉, while the exhaustive reaction of [Cp′La(AlMe₄)₂] with the halogenido transfer reagents Me₃GeX and Me₃SiX (X=I, Br, Cl) produced a series of monocyclopentadienyl rare-earth-metal clusters with distinct nuclearity. Depending on the halogenido ion size the homometallic clusters [Cp′LaCl₂]₁₀ and [Cp′LaX₂]₁₂ (X=Br, I) could be isolated, whereas different crystallization techniques led to the aggregation of clusters of distinct structural motifs, including the desilylated cyclopentadienyl-bridged cluster [(μ-Cp)₂Cp′₈La₈I₁₄] and the heteroaluminato derivative [Cp′₁₀La₁₀Br₁₈(AlBr₂Me₂)₂]. The use of the Cp′ ancillary ligand facilitates cluster characterization by means of NMR spectroscopy.