Synthesis of new di-anchoring organic sensitizer based on quinoxaline acceptor for dye-sensitized solar cells

New quinoxaline-based organic sensitizer bearing di-anchoring group for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was synthesized from diethyl 4,5-diaminophthaltate, in which was prepared under mild condition by using Takehito’s method. The synthesized sensitizer was compared with mono-anchoring sensitizer through absorption spectra, emission spectra, J-V curve, and IPCE spectra, indicating the di-anchoring group leads to a noticeable improvement of J_sc value owing to more efficient intramolecular charge transfer and channel number increment.     

Site-selective C–H nitration of N-aryl-7-azaindoles under palladium(II) catalysis

The site-selective C–H nitration reaction of 7-azaindoles with t-butyl nitrite under palladium catalysis is described. This protocol provides an efficient method for the construction of ortho-nitrated N-aryl-7-azaindoles with excellent site-selectivity and functional group compatibility. The formed 7-azaindole derivatives can be readily transformed into 7-azaindoles containing an aniline functional group under palladium-catalyzed hydrogenation conditions.     

Hybrid system of nickel<Emphasis Type="Bold">–</Emphasis>cobalt hydroxide on carbonised natural cellulose materials for supercapacitors

Advanced carbon materials formed from abundant biomass are an exciting and promising class for energy devices due to the clear advantages of low cost, sustainability and good physical and electrochemical properties. However, these materials typically do not compete well with their metal functionalised counterparts. In this work, we demonstrate that xCo(OH)₂–(1?x)Ni(OH)₂ with various Ni:Co ratios can be deposited onto biomass-derived carbon to make a hybrid inorganic-carbon electrode with tuneable physical features and electrochemical performance. These features were tuned by adjusting the Ni:Co ratio within precursor solutions. The electrodes had shown a capacitance ranging from 780.7 to 2041 F g^?1, which is very close to the theoretical value for Ni(OH)₂ (2365 F g^?1). A hypothesis is presented to help explain this performance for a modified, biomass-derived carbon electrode.     

Oxime Ether Radical Cations Stabilized by N‐Heterocyclic Carbenes

N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) nitric oxide (NHCNO) radicals, which can be regarded as iminoxyl radicals stabilized by NHCs, were found to react with a series of silyl and alkyl triflates to generate the corresponding oxime ether radical cations. The structures of the resulting oxime ether radical cations were determined by X‐ray crystallography, along with EPR and computational analysis. In contrast, lutidinium triflate produced a 1:1 mixture of [NHCNO⁺][OTf^?] and [NHCNHOH⁺][OTf^?] upon the reaction with NHCNO. This study adds an important example of stable singlet carbenes for stabilizing main‐group radicals because of their π‐conjugating effect, the synthesis and structures of which have not been reported previously.     

Sodium halides as the source of electrophilic halogens in green synthesis of 3-halo- and 3,n-dihalobenzo[b]thiophenes

A convenient methodology for the synthesis of mono- and di-halogenated benzo[b]thiophenes is described herein, which utilizes copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate and various sodium halides in the presence of substituted 2-alkynylthioanisoles. The proposed method is facile, uses ethanol as a green solvent, and results in uniquely substituted benzo[b]thiophene structures with isolated yields up to 96%. The most useful component of this methodology is the selective introduction of bromine atoms at every available position (2–7) around the benzo[b]thiophene ring, while keeping position 3 occupied by a specific halogen atom such as Cl, Br or I. Aromatic halogens are useful reactive handles; therefore, the selective introduction of halogens at specific positions would be valuable in the targeted synthesis of bioactive molecules and complex organic materials via metal-catalyzed cross coupling reactions. This work is a novel approach towards the synthesis of dihalo substituted benzo[b]thiophene core structures, which provides a superior alternative to the current methods discussed herein.     

Application of p-TSA in the one pot synthesis of N-methyl-3-nitro-aryl-benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-amine

A simple, efficient, eco-friendly, and cost-effective method has been developed for the synthesis of N-methyl-3-nitro-aryl-benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-amine derivatives using 2-aminobenzimidazole, aldehydes and (E)-N-methyl-1-(methylthio)-2-nitroethenamine, in the presence of catalytic amount of p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TSA) in ethanol at 80?°C conditions. The advantages of this method are the use of an inexpensive and readily available catalyst, shorter reaction times, a wide range of functional group tolerance, and high yield of products via a simple experimental and work-up procedure.     

Glycosyl‐Substituted Dicarboxylates as Detergents for the Extraction,Overstabilization, and Crystallization of Membrane Proteins

To tackle the problems associated with membrane protein (MP) instability in detergent solutions, we designed a series of glycosyl‐substituted dicarboxylate detergents (DCODs) in which we optimized the polar head to clamp the membrane domain by including, on one side, two carboxyl groups that form salt bridges with basic residues abundant at the membrane–cytoplasm interface of MPs and, on the other side, a sugar to form hydrogen bonds. Upon extraction, the DCODs 8 b , 8 c , and 9 b preserved the ATPase function of BmrA, an ATP‐binding cassette pump, much more efficiently than reference or recently designed detergents. The DCODs 8 a , 8 b , 8 f , 9 a , and 9 b induced thermal shifts of 20 to 29 °C for BmrA and of 13 to 21 °C for the native version of the G‐protein‐coupled adenosine receptor A_2AR. Compounds 8 f and 8 g improved the diffraction resolution of BmrA crystals from 6 to 4 Å. DCODs are therefore considered to be promising and powerful tools for the structural biology of MPs.     

A Robust 3D Cage‐like Ultramicroporous Network Structure with High Gas‐Uptake Capacity

A three‐dimensional (3D) cage‐like organic network (3D‐CON) structure synthesized by the straightforward condensation of building blocks designed with gas adsorption properties is presented. The 3D‐CON can be prepared using an easy but powerful route, which is essential for commercial scale‐up. The resulting fused aromatic 3D‐CON exhibited a high Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) specific surface area of up to 2247 m² g^?1. More importantly, the 3D‐CON displayed outstanding low pressure hydrogen (H₂, 2.64 wt %, 1.0 bar and 77 K), methane (CH₄, 2.4 wt %, 1.0 bar and 273 K), and carbon dioxide (CO₂, 26.7 wt %, 1.0 bar and 273 K) uptake with a high isosteric heat of adsorption (H₂, 8.10 kJ mol^?1; CH₄, 18.72 kJ mol^?1; CO₂, 31.87 kJ mol^?1). These values are among the best reported for organic networks with high thermal stability (ca. 600 °C).     

Selective Hydrogenation of CO2 to Ethanol over Cobalt Catalysts

Methods for the hydrogenation of CO₂ into valuable chemicals are in great demand but their development is still challenging. Herein, we report the selective hydrogenation of CO₂ into ethanol over non‐noble cobalt catalysts (CoAlO_x), presenting a significant advance for the conversion of CO₂ into ethanol as the major product. By adjusting the composition of the catalysts through the use of different prereduction temperatures, the efficiency of CO₂ to ethanol hydrogenation was optimized; the catalyst reduced at 600 ° gave an ethanol selectivity of 92.1 % at 140 °C with an ethanol time yield of 0.444 mmol g^?1 h^?1. Operando FT‐IR spectroscopy revealed that the high ethanol selectivity over the CoAlO_x catalyst might be due to the formation of acetate from formate by insertion of *CH_x, a key intermediate in the production of ethanol by CO₂ hydrogenation.     

Direct Access to Aryl Bis(trifluoromethyl)carbinols from Aryl Bromides or Fluorosulfates: Palladium‐Catalyzed Carbonylation

A palladium‐catalyzed carbonylative approach for the direct conversion of (hetero)aryl bromides into their α,α‐bis(trifluoromethyl)carbinols is described, and it employs only stoichiometric amounts of carbon monoxide and trifluoromethyltrimethylsilane. In addition, aryl fluorosulfates proved highly compatible with these reaction conditions. The method is tolerant of a diverse set of functional groups, and it is adaptable to late‐stage carbon‐isotope labeling.