Tiara[5]arenes: Synthesis,Solid‐State Conformational Studies,Host–Guest Properties,and Application as Nonporous Adaptive Crystals

Tiara[5]arenes (T[5]s), a new class of five‐fold symmetric oligophenolic macrocycles that are not accessible from the addition of formaldehyde to phenol, were synthesized for the first time. These pillar[5]arene‐derived structures display both unique conformational freedom, differing from that of pillararenes, with a rich blend of solid‐state conformations and excellent host–guest interactions in solution. Finally we show how this novel macrocyclic scaffold can be functionalized in a variety of ways and used as functional crystalline materials to distinguish uniquely between benzene and cyclohexane.     

Synthesis of Polyfluorinated Tetraoxacalix[4]arenes by Reaction of Pentafluoronitrobenzene with Resorcinol,Orcinol, and Tetrafluororesorcinol

Russian Journal of Organic Chemistry - Successive reactions of pentafluoronitrobenzene with resorcinol, orcinol, and tetrafluororesorcinol in acetonitrile in the presence of triethylamine afforded...     

Combustion behavior and thermal stability of TPU composites based on layered yttrium hydroxides and graphene oxide

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Layered yttrium hydroxides (LYH)- and graphene oxide (GO)-supported layered yttrium hydroxides (GO–LYH) were synthesized by a co-precipitation...     

WO3 thermodynamic properties at 80–1256 K revisited

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Thermodynamic properties (heat capacity Cp, entropy S°, enthalpy change ΔH° and reduced Gibbs energy ΔΦ°) of crystalline...     

Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Access to Spirocycles through C−H Activation and Axial‐to‐Central Chirality Transfer

Axial‐to‐central chirality transfer is an important strategy to construct chiral centers, where the axially chiral reagents are mostly limited to atropomerically stable ones. Reported herein is a Rh^III‐catalyzed enantioselective spiroannulative synthesis of nitrones. The coupling proceeds via C?H arylation to give an atropomerically metastable biaryl, followed by intramolecular dearomative trapping under oxidative conditions with high degree of chirality transfer.     

“Self‐Lockable” Liquid Crystalline Diels–Alder Dynamic Network Actuators with Room Temperature Programmability and Solution Reprocessability

Novel main‐chain liquid crystalline Diels—Alder dynamic networks (LCDANs) were prepared that exhibit unprecedented ease for actuator programming and reprocessing compared to existing liquid crystalline network (LCN) systems. Following cooling from 125 °C, LCDANs are deformed with aligned mesogens self‐locked at room temperature by slowly formed Diels–Alder (DA) bonds, which allows for the formation of solid 3D actuators capable of reversible shape change, and strip walker and wheel‐capable light‐driven locomotion upon either thermally or optically induced order–disorder phase transition. Any actuator can readily be erased at 125 °C and reprogrammed into a new one under ambient conditions. Moreover, LCDANs can be processed directly from melt (for example, fiber drawing) and from solution (for example, casting tubular actuators), which cannot be achieved with LCNs using exchangeable covalent bonds. The combined attributes of LCDANs offer significant progress toward developing easily programmable/processable LCN actuators.     

A Molecular Thermochromic Ferroelectric

Molecular ferroelectrics have attracted considerable interests because of their easy and environmentally friendly processing, low acoustical impedance and mechanical flexibility. Herein, a molecular thermochromic ferroelectric, N,N′‐dimethyl‐1,4‐diazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octonium tetrachlorocuprate(II) ([DMe‐DABCO]CuCl₄) is reported, which shows both excellent ferroelectricity and intriguing thermochromism. [DMe‐DABCO]CuCl₄ undergoes a ferroelectric phase transition from Pca2₁ to Pbcm at a significantly high Curie temperature of 413 K, accompanied by a color change from yellow to red that is due to the remarkable deformation of [CuCl₄]^2? tetrahedron, where the ferroelectric and paraelectric phases correspond to yellow and red, respectively. Combined with multiple bistable physical properties, [DMe‐DABCO]CuCl₄ would be a promising candidate for next‐generation smart devices, and should inspire further exploration of multifunctional molecular ferroelectrics.     

Real‐Time Atomic‐Scale Visualization of Reversible Copper Surface Activation during the CO Oxidation Reaction

By using in situ aberration‐corrected environmental transmission electron microscopy, for the first time at atomic level, the dynamic evolution of the Cu surface is captured during CO oxidation. Under reaction conditions, the Cu surface is activated, typically involving 2–3 atomic layers with the formation of a reversible metastable phase that only exists during catalytic reactions. The distinctive role of CO and O₂ in the surface activation is revealed, which features CO exposure to lead to surface roughening and consequently formation of low‐coordinated Cu atoms, while O₂ exposure induces a quasi‐crystalline CuOx phase. Supported by DFT calculations, it is shown that crystalline CuOx reversibly transforms into the amorphous phase, acting as an active species to facilitate the interaction of gas reactants and catalyzing CO oxidation.     

Formation of Azulene‐Embedded Nanographene: Naphthalene to Azulene Rearrangement During the Scholl Reaction

Incorporation of a non‐hexagonal ring into a nanographene framework can lead to new electronic properties. During the attempted synthesis of naphthalene‐bridged double [6]helicene and heptagon‐containing nanographene by the Scholl reaction, an unexpected azulene‐embedded nanographene and its triflyloxylated product were obtained, as confirmed by X‐ray crystallographic analysis and 2D NMR spectroscopy. A 5/7/7/5 ring‐fused substructure containing two formal azulene units is formed, but only one of them shows an azulene‐like electronic structure. The formation of this unique structure is explained by arenium ion mediated 1,2‐phenyl migration and a naphthalene to azulene rearrangement reaction according to an in‐silico study. This report represents the first experimental example of the thermodynamically unfavorable naphthalene to azulene rearrangement and may lead to new azulene‐based molecular materials.     

Rational Development of Remote C−H Functionalization of Biphenyl: Experimental and Computational Studies

A simple and efficient nitrile‐directed meta‐C?H olefination, acetoxylation, and iodination of biaryl compounds is reported. Compared to the previous approach of installing a complex U‐shaped template to achieve a molecular U‐turn and assemble the large‐sized cyclophane transition state for the remote C?H activation, a synthetically useful phenyl nitrile functional group could also direct remote meta‐C?H activation. This reaction provides a useful method for the modification of biaryl compounds because the nitrile group can be readily converted to amines, acids, amides, or other heterocycles. Notably, the remote meta‐selectivity of biphenylnitriles could not be expected from previous results with a macrocyclophane nitrile template. DFT computational studies show that a ligand‐containing Pd–Ag heterodimeric transition state (TS) favors the desired remote meta‐selectivity. Control experiments demonstrate the directing effect of the nitrile group and exclude the possibility of non‐directed meta‐C?H activation. Substituted 2‐pyridone ligands were found to be key in assisting the cleavage of the meta‐C?H bond in the concerted metalation–deprotonation (CMD) process.