Rhodium-Catalyzed Acrylate Synthesis from Carbon Dioxide and Ethylene by using a Guanidine-Based Pincer Ligand: Perturbing Occupied d-Orbitals by pπ-dπ Repulsion Makes a Difference

Rhodium-catalyzed acrylate synthesis from CO₂ and ethylene was accomplished by using a guanidine-based NCN pincer ligand. The repulsion between pπ-electron of guanidine sidearms and occupied dπ orbital of rhodium center raised the level of d-electrons close to those of formerly known d⁸-ruthenium catalyst, thereby promoting the metallalactone formation from carbon dioxide and ethylene. This work fills the absence of group-9 metal based catalyst for the acrylate synthesis and provides a designing approach for pincer-ligated d⁸-metal catalysts to utilize pπ-dπ interaction for promoting desirable redox processes.     

Data-driven exploration for pressure-induced superconductors using diamond anvil cell with boron-doped diamond electrodes and undoped diamond insulating layer

ABSTRACT

Data-driven exploration for pressure-induced superconductors was performed based on the high-throughput first-principles screening of electronic band structures. In the screening conditions, we focused on the characteristics including a narrow band gap, flat band feature, and possibility of metallization under high pressure. The 27 promising compounds were screened out from the database of Atomwork for the candidates of new pressure-induced superconductors. Among the candidates, we actually synthesized three compounds in a single crystal, and all candidates exhibited the pressure-induced superconductivity. For the in-situ electrical transport measurements, we developed a novel configuration of diamond anvil cell with boron-doped diamond electrodes and an undoped diamond insulating layer. The discovered new pressure-induced superconductors via the data-driven approach and the developed diamond anvil cell were summarized in this paper.     

Aurophilic Interactions in Multi-Radical Species: Electronic-Spin and Redox Properties of Bis- and Tris-[(Nitronyl Nitroxide)-Gold(I)] Complexes with Phosphine-Ligand Scaffolds

Multinuclear Au^I complexes with two or three nitronyl nitroxide-2-ide radical anion and phosphine-ligand scaffolds, (NN-Au)₂-1 o , (NN-Au)₂-1 m , and (NN-Au)₂-1 p , have been synthesized to investigate the influence of Au^I−Au^I (aurophilic) interactions on the properties of multispin molecular systems. The desired complexes were successfully prepared in moderate yields in a one-pot synthesis from the corresponding phosphine ligand, Au^I source, parent NN, and sodium hydroxide. Among the prepared complexes, (NN-Au)₂-1 o , in which an aurophilic interaction was clearly observed by crystal structure analysis, showed characteristic spin−spin interactions, electrochemical properties, and solvatochromic behavior. The results from theoretical calculations also suggested that the differences in properties between complex (NN-Au)₂-1 o and the other complexes are due to intramolecular aurophilic interactions.     

Synthesis of All Stereoisomers of RK460 and Evaluation of Their Activity and Selectivity as Abscisic Acid Receptor Antagonists

The PYR/PYL/RCAR protein families have recently emerged as receptors of the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA, 1 ), which regulates plant responses to environmental stress. These families have multiple members with different physiological actions, and so selective agonists or antagonists are needed both as tools to elucidate functional differences and as lead compounds for agrochemicals. We previously identified RK460 (rac- 3 a ) as a PYR1-selective antagonist, and showed that it possesses five stereocenters on a 6,5-cis-bicyclo skeleton. Here, we synthesized all the stereoisomers of RK460 and evaluated their activity towards a panel of receptors. Relative stereochemistry as well as absolute stereochemistry was important for selective action.     

Phase equilibrium for clathrate hydrates formed from an ozone + oxygen gas mixture coexisting with carbon tetrachloride or 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane

This paper reports an attempt at acquiring phase-equilibrium pressure (p) versus temperature (T) data for ozone-containing clathrate hydrates formed from an ozone + oxygen gas mixture, a hydrophobic hydrate-forming liquid, and water in the liquid state. For dealing with ozone (O₃), a chemically unstable material continuously decaying to oxygen (O₂) in the gas phase, we devised a new method, i.e., a modified pressure-search method, to determine the equilibrium p-T conditions while maintaining the ozone concentration in the gas phase nearly constant by repeatedly replacing the contents of the gas phase with a freshly generated O₃ + O₂ mixture. Using carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) as the hydrophobic hydrate-forming liquid, we obtained equilibrium p-T data in the range of 0.167 MPa ≤ p ≤ 0.361 MPa and 275.6 K ≤ T ≤ 277.3 K in the presence of a gas phase containing O₃ at the molar concentration of 6.9 ± 0.8%. We also obtained, for comparison, the corresponding p-T data, using pure O₂ gas, instead of the O₃ + O₂ mixture, and the conventional pressure-search method. The two data groups obtained from the O₃-containing and O₃-free systems, respectively, show simple, mutually consistent p-T relations each well fitted by the Clausius-Clapeyron equation assuming a constant enthalpy of hydrate dissociation. The paper also describes our additional attempt at obtaining equilibrium p-T data using 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane (R141b) as a substitute for CCl₄. Because of the partial decomposition of R141b due to the coexistence of O₃ and water, however, we obtained only limited data which are tentative in nature.