The [(NHC)B(H)C6F5]+ Cations and Their [B](H)−CO Borane Carbonyls

Hydride abstraction from the heterocyclic carbene borane adducts (NHC)BH₂C₆F₅ (NHC: IMes or IMe₄) gave the B−H containing [(NHC)B(H)C₆F₅]⁺ borenium cations. They added carbon monoxide to give the respective [(NHC)B(H)(C₆F₅)CO]⁺ boron carbonyl cations. Carbon nucleophiles add to the boron carbonyl to give [B](H) acyls. Hydride reduced the [B]CO cation to hydroxymethylborane derivatives.     

Metal–Sulfur Linkages Achieved by Organic Tethering of Ruthenium Nanocrystals for Enhanced Electrochemical Nitrogen Reduction

Inspired by the metal–sulfur (M-S) linkages in the nitrogenase enzyme, here we show a surface modification strategy to modulate the electronic structure and improve the N₂ availability on a catalytic surface, which suppresses the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and improves the rate of NH₃ production. Ruthenium nanocrystals anchored on reduced graphene oxide (Ru/rGO) are modified with different aliphatic thiols to achieve M-S linkages. A high faradaic efficiency (11 %) with an improved NH₃ yield (50 μg h⁻¹ mg⁻¹) is achieved at −0.1 V vs. RHE in acidic conditions by using dodecanethiol. DFT calculations reveal intermediate N₂ adsorption and desorption of the product is achieved by electronic structure modification along with the suppression of the HER by surface modification. The modified catalyst shows excellent stability and recyclability for NH₃ production, as confirmed by rigorous control experiments including ¹⁵N isotope labeling experiments.     

Engineering the Charge-Transfer State to Facilitate Spin–Orbit Charge Transfer Intersystem Crossing in Spirobis[anthracene]diones

Spiro conjugation has been proposed to dictate the efficiency of charge transfer, which could directly affect the spin–orbit charge transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT-ISC) process. However, this process has yet to be exemplified. Herein, we prepared three spirobis[anthracene]diones, in which two benzophenone moieties are locked in close proximity and differentially functionalized to fine-tune the charge transfer state. Its feasibility for SOCT-ISC was theoretically predicted, then experimentally evaluated. Through fine-tuning the spiro conjugation coupling and varying the solvent dielectric constants, ISC rate constants were engineered to vary in a dynamic range of three orders of magnitude, from 7.8×10⁸ s⁻¹ to 1.0×10¹¹ s⁻¹, which is the highest ISC rate reported for SOCT-ISC system to our knowledge. Our findings substantiate the key factors for effective SOCT-ISC and offer a new avenue for the rational design of heavy atom free triplet sensitizers.     

Highly Selective CO2 Electroreduction to CH4 by In Situ Generated Cu2O Single-Type Sites on a Conductive MOF: Stabilizing Key Intermediates with Hydrogen Bonding

It is still a great challenge to achieve high selectivity of CH₄ in CO₂ electroreduction reactions (CO₂RR) because of the similar reduction potentials of possible products and the sluggish kinetics for CO₂ activation. Stabilizing key reaction intermediates by single type of active sites supported on porous conductive material is crucial to achieve high selectivity for single product such as CH₄. Here, Cu₂O(111) quantum dots with an average size of 3.5 nm are in situ synthesized on a porous conductive copper-based metal–organic framework (CuHHTP), exhibiting high selectivity of 73 % towards CH₄ with partial current density of 10.8 mA cm⁻² at −1.4 V vs. RHE (reversible hydrogen electrode) in CO₂RR. Operando infrared spectroscopy and DFT calculations reveal that the key intermediates (such as *CH₂O and *OCH₃) involved in the pathway of CH₄ formation are stabilized by the single active Cu₂O(111) and hydrogen bonding, thus generating CH₄ instead of CO.     

Ultrastable Perovskite–Zeolite Composite Enabled by Encapsulation and In Situ Passivation

Metal halide perovskites have been widely applied in optoelectronic fields, but their poor stability hinders their actual applications. A perovskite–zeolite composite was synthesized via in situ growth in air from aluminophosphate AlPO-5 zeolite crystals and perovskite nanocrystals. The zeolite matrix provides quantum confinement for perovskite nanocrystals, achieving efficient green emission, and it passivates the defects of perovskite by H-bonding interaction, which leads to a longer lifetime compared to bulk perovskite film. Furthermore, the AlPO-5 zeolite also acts as a protection shield and enables ultrahigh stability of perovskite nanocrystals under 150 °C heat stress, under a 15-month long-term ambient exposure, and even in water for more than 2 weeks, respectively. The strategy of in situ passivation and encapsulation for the perovskite@AlPO-5 composite was amenable to a range of perovskites, from MA- to Cs-based perovskites. Benefiting from high stability and photoluminescence performance, the composite exhibits great potential to be virtually applied in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and backlight displays.