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.     

Sequence-defined positioning of amine and amide residues to control catechol driven wet adhesion

Catechol and amine residues, both abundantly present in mussel adhesion proteins, are known to act cooperatively by displacing hydration barriers before binding to mineral surfaces. In spite of synthetic efforts toward mussel-inspired adhesives, the effect of positioning of the involved functional groups along a polymer chain is not well understood. By using sequence-defined oligomers grafted to soft hydrogel particles as adhesion probes, we study the effect of catechol–amine spacing, as well as positioning relative to the oligomer terminus. We demonstrate that the catechol–amine spacing has a significant effect on adhesion, while shifting their position has a small effect. Notably, combinations of non-charged amides and catechols can achieve similar cooperative effects on adhesion when compared to amine and catechol residues. Thus, these findings provide a blueprint for the design of next generation mussel-inspired adhesives.

The catechol driven adhesion of precision macromolecules on glass surfaces is quantified by soft colloidal probe readout. Catechol moieties are shown to synergize with amine and amide residues depending on residue spacing and residue order.     

Single-Molecule Magnets DyM2N@C80 and Dy2MN@C80 (M=Sc,Lu): The Impact of Diamagnetic Metals on Dy3+ Magnetic Anisotropy,Dy⋅⋅⋅Dy Coupling,and Mixing of Molecular and Lattice Vibrations

The substitution of scandium in fullerene single-molecule magnets (SMMs) DySc₂N@C₈₀ and Dy₂ScN@C₈₀ by lutetium has been studied to explore the influence of the diamagnetic metal on the SMM performance of dysprosium nitride clusterfullerenes. The use of lutetium led to an improved SMM performance of DyLu₂N@C₈₀, which shows a higher blocking temperature of magnetization (T_B=9.5 K), longer relaxation times, and broader hysteresis than DySc₂N@C₈₀ (T_B=6.9 K). At the same time, Dy₂LuN@C₈₀ was found to have a similar blocking temperature of magnetization to Dy₂ScN@C₈₀ (T_B=8 K), but substantially different interactions between the magnetic moments of the dysprosium ions in the Dy₂MN clusters. Surprisingly, although the intramolecular dipolar interactions in Dy₂LuN@C₈₀ and Dy₂ScN@C₈₀ are of similar strength, the exchange interactions in Dy₂LuN@C₈₀ are close to zero. Analysis of the low-frequency molecular and lattice vibrations showed strong mixing of the lattice modes and endohedral cluster librations in k-space. This mixing simplifies the spin–lattice relaxation by conserving the momentum during the spin flip and helping to distribute the moment and energy further into the lattice.     

Evaluation of Pd→B Interactions in Diphosphinoborane Complexes and Impact on Inner-Sphere Reductive Elimination

The dative Pd→B interaction in a series of ^RDPB^R’ Pd⁰ and Pd^II complexes (^RDPB^R’=(o-PR₂C₆H₄)₂BR’, diphosphinoborane) was analyzed using XRD, ¹¹B NMR spectroscopy and NBO/NLMO calculations. The borane acceptor discriminates between the oxidation state Pd^II and Pd⁰, stabilizing the latter. Reaction of lithium amides with [(^RDPB^R’)Pd^II(4-NO₂C₆H₄)I] chemoselectively yields the C−N coupling product. DFT modelling indicates no significant impact of Pd^II→B coordination on the inner-sphere reductive elimination rate.     

Mixed phosphane η5-CpRuCl(PR3)2 complexes as ambifunctional catalysts for anti-Markovnikov hydration of terminal alkynes

The catalytic activity of [CpRu(L)(2)(MeCN)]PF(6) (L = 2-diphenylphosphinopyridine with bulky groups at C-6) for anti-Markovnikov hydration of terminal alkynes to aldehydes is retained when one heterocyclic ligand L is replaced by L' = PPh(3). Equal amounts of CpRuCl(PPh(3))(2) (1) and phosphane L in acetone solution equilibrate to a mixture of 1, CpRuCl(L)(PPh(3)) (2), and CpRuCl(L)(2) (3), which acts as highly active in situ catalyst for preparative anti-Markovnikov hydration of alkynes in water-rich media (2 mol % [Ru], 60 °C, 3-18 h in 4:1 (v/v) acetone/water). Reactions were completed in <15 min at 160 °C.     

Switching the Mechanism of NADH Photooxidation by Supramolecular Interactions

A series of three Ru(II) polypyridine complexes was investigated for the selective photocatalytic oxidation of NAD(P)H to NAD(P)⁺ in water. A combination of (time-resolved) spectroscopic studies and photocatalysis experiments revealed that ligand design can be used to control the mechanism of the photooxidation: For prototypical Ru(II) complexes a ¹O₂ pathway was found. Rudppz ([(tbbpy)₂Ru(dppz)]Cl₂, tbbpy=4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine, dppz=dipyrido[3,2-a:2′,3′-c]phenazine), instead, initiated the cofactor oxidation by electron transfer from NAD(P)H enabled by supramolecular binding between substrate and catalyst. Expulsion of the photoproduct NAD(P)⁺ from the supramolecular binding site in Rudppz allowed very efficient turnover. Therefore, Rudppz permits repetitive selective assembly and oxidative conversion of reduced naturally occurring nicotinamides by recognizing the redox state of the cofactor under formation of H₂O₂ as additional product. This photocatalytic process can fuel discontinuous photobiocatalysis.     

Synthesis,crystal structure,magnetism, and absorption spectra of A2UX5 Type Halides (A = K,Rb; X = Cl,Br, I)

The ternary uranium(III) halides A₂UX₅ (A = K, Rb; X = Cl, Br, I) have been prepared from the binary components AX and UX₃ in sealed tantalum containers. According to their Guinier X-ray powder patterns, they all crystallize with the K₂PrCl₅/Y₂HfS₅ type of structure. Lattice constants for ambient temperature are reported. Single-crystal structure refinemens were undertaken for K₂UI₅ and Rb₂UCl₅. Magnetic susceptibility data were recorded with a SQUID magnetometer from liquid helium to room temperature. One-dimensional (intrachain) and three-dimensional antiferromagnetic ordering occur at low temperatures dependent upon the U³⁺? U³⁺ distance. Absorption spectra were recorded between 4 000 and 28 000 cm^?1. They show f—f transitions typical for U³⁺ and, depending on the halide, very strong f—d transitions above 14 000 to 15 000 cm^?1, respectively.     

Crystal Structure,Magnetism, 89Y Solid State NMR,and 121Sb Mössbauer Spectroscopic Investigations of YIrSb

The ternary antimonide YIrSb was synthesized from the binary precursor YIr and elemental antimony by a diffusion controlled solid‐state reaction. Single crystals were obtained by a flux technique with elemental bismuth as an inert solvent. The YIrSb structure (TiNiSi type, space group Pnma) was refined from single‐crystal X‐ray diffractometer data: a = 711.06(9), b = 447.74(5), c = 784.20(8) pm, wR₂ = 0.0455, 535 F² values, 20 variables. ⁸⁹Y solid state MAS NMR and ¹²¹Sb Mössbauer spectra show single resonance lines in agreement with single‐crystal X‐ray data. YIrSb is a Pauli paramagnet.