Mixed‐Ligand Catalysts: A Powerful Tool in Transition‐Metal‐Catalyzed Cross‐Coupling Reactions

Transition‐metal‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reactions have fundamentally revolutionized organic synthesis, empowering the otherwise difficult to achieve products with rapid and convenient accesses alongside excellent yields. Within these reactions, ligands often play a critical role in specifically and effectively advocating the corresponding catalysis. Consequently, a myriad of ligands have been created and applied to make a fine tuning of electronic and steric effect of catalysts, remarkably promoting catalytic efficiency and applicability. The “mixed‐ligand” concept has recently emerged; by combining and capitalizing on the superiority of each individual ligand already available, an expedient way can be achieved to reach a larger extent of catalytic diversity and efficacy. Given the availability of a wealth of ligands, it is reasonable to have great expectations for the original application of mixed‐ligand catalytic systems and their important value in organic synthesis.     

The Electron Transfer Series [MoIII(bpy)3]n (n=3+, 2+, 1+, 0, 1−), and the Dinuclear Species [{MoIIICl(Mebpy)2}2(μ2‐O)]Cl2 and [{MoIV(tpy.)2}2(μ2‐MoO4)](PF6)2⋅4 MeCN

The electronic structures of the five members of the electron transfer series [Mo(bpy)₃]ⁿ (n=3+, 2+, 1+, 0, 1?) are determined through a combination of techniques: electro‐ and magnetochemistry, UV/Vis and EPR spectroscopies, and X‐ray crystallography. The mono‐ and dication are prepared and isolated as PF₆ salts for the first time. It is shown that all species contain a central Mo^III ion (4d³). The successive one‐electron reductions/oxidations within the series are all ligand‐based, involving neutral (bpy⁰), the π‐radical anion (bpy^.)^1?, and the diamagnetic dianion (bpy^2?)^2?: [Mo^III(bpy⁰)₃]³⁺ (S=3/2), [Mo^III(bpy^.)(bpy⁰)₂]²⁺ (S=1), [Mo^III(bpy^.)₂(bpy⁰)]¹⁺ (S=1/2), [Mo^III(bpy^.)₃] (S=0), and [Mo^III(bpy^.)₂(bpy^2?)]^1? (S=1/2). The previously described diamagnetic dication “[Mo^II(bpy⁰)₃](BF₄)₂” is proposed to be a diamagnetic dinuclear species [{Mo(bpy)₃}₂(μ₂‐O)](BF₄)₄. Two new polynuclear complexes are prepared and structurally characterized: [{Mo^IIICl(^Mebpy⁰)₂}₂(μ₂‐O)]Cl₂ and [{Mo^IV(tpy^.)₂}₂(μ₂‐Mo^VIO₄)](PF₆)₂?4 MeCN.     

Tuning the Electronic Coupling in Cyclometalated Diruthenium Complexes through Substituent Effects: A Correlation between the Experimental and Calculated Results

A common bridging ligand, 3,3′,5,5′‐tetrakis(N‐methylbenzimidazol‐2‐yl)biphenyl, and four terpyridine terminal ligands with various substituents (amine, tolyl, nitro, and ester groups) have been used to synthesize ten cyclometalated diruthenium complexes 1 ²⁺– 10 ²⁺. Among them, compounds 1 ²⁺– 6 ²⁺ are redox nonsymmetric, and others are symmetric. These complexes show two Ru^III/II processes and an intervalence charge transfer (IVCT) transition in the one‐electron oxidized state. The potential separation (ΔE) of 1 ²⁺– 10 ²⁺ has been correlated to the energy difference ΔG⁰, the energy of the IVCT band E_op, and the ground‐state delocalization coefficient α². Time‐dependent (TD)DFT calculations suggest that the absorptions in the visible region of 1 ²⁺– 6 ²⁺ are mainly associated with the metal‐to‐ligand charge‐transfer transitions from both ruthenium ions and to both terminal ligands and the bridging ligand. However, the energies of these transitions vary significantly. DFT calculations have been performed on 1 ²⁺– 6 ²⁺ and 1 ³⁺– 6 ³⁺ to give information on the electronic structures and spin populations of the mixed‐valent compounds. The TDDFT‐predicted IVCT excitations reproduce well the experimental trends in transition energies. In addition, three monoruthenium complexes have been synthesized for a comparison study.     

Reactivity of Oxygen Radical Anions Bound to Scandia Nanoparticles in the Gas Phase: CH Bond Activation

The activation of C?H bonds in alkanes is currently a hot research topic in chemistry. The atomic oxygen radical anion (O^?.) is an important species in C?H activation. The mechanistic details of C?H activation by O^?. radicals can be well understood by studying the reactions between O^?. containing transition metal oxide clusters and alkanes. Here the reactivity of scandium oxide cluster anions toward n‐butane was studied by using a high‐resolution time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer coupled with a fast flow reactor. Hydrogen atom abstraction (HAA) from n‐butane by (Sc₂O₃)_NO^? (N=1–18) clusters was observed. The reactivity of (Sc₂O₃)_NO^? (N=1–18) clusters is significantly sizedependent and the highest reactivity was observed for N=4 (Sc₈O₁₃^?) and 12 (Sc₂₄O₃₇^?). Larger (Sc₂O₃)_NO^? clusters generally have higher reactivity than the smaller ones. Density functional theory calculations were performed to interpret the reactivity of (Sc₂O₃)_NO^? (N=1–5) clusters, which were found to contain the O^?. radicals as the active sites. The local charge environment around the O^?. radicals was demonstrated to control the experimentally observed size‐dependent reactivity. This work is among the first to report HAA reactivity of cluster anions with dimensions up to nanosize toward alkane molecules. The anionic O^?. containing scandium oxide clusters are found to be more reactive than the corresponding cationic ones in the C?H bond activation.     

Oligotriarylamines with a Pyrene Core: A Multicenter Strategy for Enhancing Radical Cation and Dication Stability and Tuning Spin Distribution

Monoamine 1 , diamines 2 – 4 , triamine 5 , and tetraamine 6 have been synthesized by substituting dianisylamino groups at the 1‐, 3‐, 6‐, and/or 8‐positions of pyrene. Diamines 2 – 4 differ in the positions of the amine substituents. No pyrene–pyrene interactions are evident in the single‐crystal packing of 3 , 4 , and 6 . With increasing numbers of amine substituents, the first oxidation potential decreases progressively from the mono‐ to the tetraamine. These compounds show intense charge‐transfer (CT) emission in CH₂Cl₂ at around 530 nm with quantum yields of 48–68 %. Upon stepwise oxidation by electrolysis or chemical oxidation, these compounds were transformed into radical cations 1 ^?+– 6 ^?+ and dications 2 ²⁺– 6 ²⁺, which feature strong visible and near‐infrared absorptions. Time‐dependent density functional theory studies suggested the presence of localized transitions from the pyrene radical cation and aminium radical cation, intervalence CT, and CT between the pyrene and amine moieties. Spectroscopic studies indicated that these radical cations and dications have good stability. Triamine 5 and tetraamine 6 formed efficient CT complexes with tetracyanoquinodimethane in solution. The results of EPR spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations suggested that the dications 2 ²⁺– 4 ²⁺ have a triplet ground state, whereas 5 ²⁺ and 6 ²⁺ have a singlet ground state. The dication of 1,3‐disubstituted diamine 4 exhibits a strong EPR signal.     

Urea‐Based Porous Organic Frameworks: Effective Supports for Catalysis in Neat Water

Two urea‐based porous organic frameworks, UOF‐1 and UOF‐2, were synthesized through a urea‐forming condensation of 1,3,5‐benzenetriisocyanate with 1,4‐diaminobenzene and benzidine, respectively. UOF‐1 and UOF‐2 possess good hydrophilic properties and high scavenging ability for palladium. Their palladium polymers, Pd^II/UOF‐1 and Pd^II/UOF‐2, exhibit high catalytic activity and selectivity for Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reactions and selective reduction of nitroarenes in water. The catalytic reactions can be efficiently performed at room temperature. Palladium nanoparticles with narrow size distribution were formed after the catalytic reaction and were well dispersed in UOF‐1 and UOF‐2. XPS analysis confirmed the coordination of the urea oxygen atom with palladium. SEM and TEM images showed that the original network morphology of UOF‐1 and UOF‐2 was maintained after palladium loading and catalytic reactions.     

Hetero‐tri‐spin [2p‐3d‐4f] Chain Compounds Based on Nitronyl Nitroxide Lanthanide Metallo‐Ligands: Synthesis,Structure, and Magnetic Properties

Employing nitronyl nitroxide lanthanide(III) complexes as metallo‐ligands allowed the efficient and highly selective preparation of three series of unprecedented hetero‐tri‐spin (Cu?Ln‐radical) one‐dimensional compounds. These 2p–3d–4f spin systems, namely [Ln₃Cu(hfac)₁₁(NitPhOAll)₄] (Ln^III=Gd 1_Gd , Tb 1_Tb , Dy 1_Dy ; NitPhOAll=2‐(4′‐allyloxyphenyl)‐4,4,5,5‐tetramethylimidazoline‐1‐oxyl‐3‐oxide), [Ln₃Cu(hfac)₁₁(NitPhOPr)₄] (Ln^III=Gd 2_Gd , Tb 2_Tb , Dy 2_Dy , Ho 2_Ho , Yb 2_Yb ; NitPhOPr=2‐(4′‐propoxyphenyl)‐4,4,5,5‐tetramethyl‐imidazoline‐1‐oxyl‐3‐oxide) and [Ln₃Cu(hfac)₁₁(NitPhOBz)₄] (Ln^III=Gd 3_Gd , Tb 3_Tb , Dy 3_Dy ; NitPhOBz=2‐(4′‐benzyloxyphenyl)‐4,4,5,5‐tetramethyl‐imidazoline‐1‐oxyl‐3‐oxide) involve O‐bound nitronyl nitroxide radicals as bridging ligands in chain structures with a [Cu‐Nit‐Ln‐Nit‐Ln‐Nit‐Ln‐Nit] repeating unit. The dc magnetic studies show that ferromagnetic metal–radical interactions take place in these hetero‐tri‐spin chain complexes, these and the next‐neighbor interactions have been quantified for the Gd derivatives. Complexes 1_Tb and 2_Tb exhibit frequency dependence of ac magnetic susceptibilities, indicating single‐chain magnet behavior.     

Xylan-type hemicelluloses supported terpyridine–palladium(II) complex as an efficient and recyclable catalyst for Suzuki–Miyaura reaction

Xylan-type hemicelluloses supported terpyridine–palladium(II) as a novel biomass-supported catalyst was synthesized and characterized in terms of morphology, composition, and thermal stability. The nano-Pd catalyst was further explored for Suzuki–Miyaura reaction between arylboronic acid and aryl halide under aerobic condition, with a yield up to 98 %. In particular, the catalyst exhibited both high catalytic activity and stability for Suzuki–Miyaura reaction. Furthermore, the catalyst could be easily recovered by simple filtration and reused at least six times without significant loss of its catalytic activity. This work provides a novel and effective supported catalyst, and broadens the applications of polysaccharides in green catalysis.     

The influence of chemical structure on the antimicrobial activities of thiosemicarbazone-chitosan

We have previously reported the preparation of acetyl and benzoyl phenyl-thiosemicarbazone derivatives of chitosan and their antimicrobial activities. The purpose of this study was to further assess the relationship between chemical structure and antimicrobial activity of chloracetyl phenyl-thiosemicarbazone-chitosan. Ten new chloracetyl phenyl-thiosemicarbazone-chitosans were prepared, and their structures were characterized using FT-IR and elemental analysis. The synthesized compounds were tested against four species of bacteria and four crop-threatening pathogenic fungi. Different molecular weights and concentrations were evaluated. The antifungal activities of the synthesized compounds were related to the positive polarity of the N₄ atom and the distribution of the electron atmosphere in the C=S group. All chitosan compounds had inhibitory effects when tested with bacteria. The minimum MIC and MBC with Escherichia coli were 7.03 and 56.25 μg mL^?1, respectively.     

Polymeric biocomposites of poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) reinforced with natural Munguba fibers

In this work, polymeric biocomposites of poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate), PBAT, were reinforced with Munguba fibers (Pseudobombax munguba). This tree is found in great abundance in the marshy areas of the Amazon forest. The motivation for using this fiber in polymer composites comes from the fact that although research for this fiber has not been reported in the scientific literature, it is commonly used by the local population because its bark is strong and flexible. Most important is that the extraction of Munguba fibers does not damage the supplier tree because as it is extracted from the bark, its regeneration starts as it is removed. The fibers were chemically treated by mercerization/acetylation and evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and tensile tests. The Munguba fiber presented mechanical properties similar to those of other natural fibers traditionally used in composites, and the chemical treatment provided improvements of its thermal stability and stiffness. The biocomposites showed a better elastic modulus in relation to the pure PBAT. The addition of fibers caused changes in the T _g, T _m and T _c of PBAT as observed by differential scanning calorimetry analysis. The Russel, Halpin-Tsai and Maxwell models were employed to provide the theoretical elastic modulus of the biocomposites.