Cobalt(II)‐Catalyzed C?H Alkynylation/Annulation with Terminal Alkynes: Selective Access to 3‐Methyleneisoindolin‐1‐one

A highly efficient cobalt(II)‐catalyzed alkynylation/annulation of terminal alkynes assisted by an N,O‐bidentate directing group is described. This protocol is characterized by wide substrate scope utilizing cheap cobalt catalysts, and offers a new approach to 3‐methyleneisoindolin‐1‐one, which can be converted into an oxadiazine salt in one step. Moreover, the directing group could be removed in three steps.     

The preparation,crystal structure and electrochemistry of (5Z,5′Z)-2,2′-(alkane-α,ω-diylsulfanyldiyl)bis(5-(3-pyridylmethylene)-3,5-dihydro-4H-imidazol-4-ones) and their complexes with cobalt(II) chloride

A series of S-alkylated derivatives of 2-thiohydantoins, containing two 5-(3-pyridylmethylene)-3,5-dihydro-4H-imiazole-4-one fragments joined by polymethylene bridges with different numbers of carbon atoms, was synthesized. The title (5Z,5′Z)-2,2′-(alkane-α,ω-diylsulfanyldiyl)bis(5-(3-pyridylmethylene)-3,5-dihydro-4H-imidazol-4-ones) (L) were obtained by alkylation of 5-(3-pyridylmethylene)-3-phenyl-2-thiohydantoine by 1,2-dibromoethane, 1,6-dibromohexane or 1,10-dibromodecane in DMF in the presence of potassium carbonate. The complexes of ligands L with CoCl₂ · 6H₂O have been synthesized. It is shown that, regardless of the L:CoCl₂ ratio, complexes with LCoCl₂ composition are obtained in all cases. The structure of the cobalt(II) chloride complex with (5Z,5′Z)-2,2′-(ethane-1,2-diyldisulfanyldiyl)bis(5-(3-pyridylmethylene)-3-phenyl-3,5-dihydro-4H-imidazol-4-one) was determined by means of the RSA method. The cobalt atom in this complex has a tetrahedral ligand environment and it is coordinated by two chloride anions and two nitrogen atoms of pyridine fragments, forming a 19-membered metallocycle. Electrochemical investigations of the synthesized ligands and complexes have been made by CVA and RDE methods. It is established that the first stage of reduction for the complexes takes place on the metal, whereas the first stage of oxidation takes place on the coordinated chloride-anions.     

Preparation of Antimicrobial Ultrafine Cellulose Acetate Fibers with Silver Nanoparticles

Summary: A feasible method for the preparation of antimicrobial ultrafine fibers with silver nanoparticles was developed by direct electrospinning of a cellulose acetate (CA) solution with small amounts of silver nitrate followed by photoreduction. Silver nanoparticles in ultrafine CA fibers were stabilized by interactions with carbonyl oxygen atoms in CA. Ultrafine CA fibers with silver nanoparticles showed very strong antimicrobial activity.

TEM image of an ultrafine CA fiber electrospun from 10 wt.‐% CA solution with 0.5 wt.‐% AgNO₃.     

A new, efficient, and simple method for the synthesis of thiiranes from epoxides under solvent-free conditions

A simple, efficient, and new method has been developed for the synthesis of thiiranes from epoxides through a one-pot reaction of epoxides with diethyl phosphite in the presence of ammonium acetate or ammonium hydrogen carbonate/sulfur/ and acidic alumina under solvent-free conditions using microwave irradiation.     

Cobalt-catalyzed dimerization of alkenes

In the presence of CoX₂(PPh₃)₂/3 PPh₃ and zinc metal conjugated alkenes (CH₂CHCOOR, CH₂CHCN, CH₂CHSO₂Ph and CH₂CHCONEt₂) undergo reductive tail-to-tail dimerization to yield the corresponding saturated linear products. Under similar reaction conditions, vinylarenes (ArCHCH₂) give stereoselective head-to-tail dimerization products, trans-1,3-diarylbut-1-ene, in good to excellent yields.     

Organometallic SERMs (selective estrogen receptor modulators): Cobaltifens, the (cyclobutadiene)cobalt analogues of hydroxytamoxifen

The McMurry coupling of (tetraphenylcyclobutadiene)cobalt(cyclopentadienyl) ketones, (C₄Ph₄)Co[C₅H₄C(O)R], where R = Me, 3a, or Et, 3b, with a range of substituted benzophenones furnished a series of cobaltifens, organometallic analogues of tamoxifen whereby a phenyl ring has been replaced by an organo-cobalt sandwich moiety. These systems of the general formula (η⁴-C₄Ph₄)Co[η⁵-C₅H₄C(R)C(Ar)Ar′], where R = Me or Et, and Ar = Ar′ = p-C₆H₄X where X is OH, 2a and 2b, OMe, 2c and 2d, OBn, 2e and 2f, or O(CH₂)₂NMe₂, 12a and 12b, and where Ar = C₆H₄OH and Ar′ = C₆H₄O(CH₂)₂NMe₂, 2g and 2h, have been characterised by NMR spectroscopy and/or X-ray crystallography. The effect of 2a and 2b, 2g and 2h, and 12a and 12b on the growth of MCF-7 (hormone-dependent) and MDA-MB-231 (hormone-independent breast cancer cells) was studied. The dihydroxycobaltifens 2a and 2b exhibit a strong estrogenic effect on MCF-7 cells while the aminoalkyl-hydroxycobaltifens, 2g and 2h, were found to be only slightly cytotoxic on MDA-MB-231 cells (IC₅₀ = 27.5 and 17 μM); surprisingly, however, the bis-(dimethylaminoethoxy)cobaltifens, 12a and 12b were shown to be highly cytotoxic towards both cell lines (IC₅₀ = 3.8 and 2.5 μM).     

Non‐3d Metal Modulation of a Cobalt Imidazolate Framework for Excellent Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution in Neutral Media

Cobalt imidazolate frameworks are classical electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) but suffer from the relatively low activity. Here, a non‐3d metal modulation strategy is presented for enhancing the OER activity of cobalt imidazolate frameworks. Two isomorphous frameworks [Co₄(MO₄)(eim)₆] (M=Mo or W, Heim=2‐ethylimidazole) having Co(eim)₃(MO₄) units and high water stabilities were designed and synthesized. In different neutral media, the Mo‐modulated framework coated on a glassy carbon electrode shows the best OER performances (1 mA cm^?2 at an overpotential of 210 mV in CO₂‐saturated 0.5 m KHCO₃ electrolyte and 2/10/22 mA cm^?2 at overpotential of 388/490/570 mV in phosphate buffer solution) among non‐precious metal catalysts and even outperforms RuO₂. Spectroscopic measurements and computational simulations revealed that the non‐3d metals modulate the electronic structure of Co for optimum reactant/product adsorption and tailor the energy of rate‐determining step to a more moderate value.     

Dehydrogenative Silylation of Alkenes for the Synthesis of Substituted Allylsilanes by Photoredox,Hydrogen‐Atom Transfer,and Cobalt Catalysis

A synergistic catalytic method combining photoredox catalysis, hydrogen‐atom transfer, and proton‐reduction catalysis for the dehydrogenative silylation of alkenes was developed. With this approach, a highly concise route to substituted allylsilanes has been achieved under very mild reaction conditions without using oxidants. This transformation features good to excellent yields, operational simplicity, and high atom economy. Based on control experiments, a possible reaction mechanism is proposed.     

Systematic structural studies on cobalt(II) complexes of tricyclohexylphosphine oxide and related ligands

The new cobalt(II) phosphine oxide complexes Co(Cy₃PO)₂Cl₂ (1), Co(Cy₃PO)₂Br₂ (2), Co(Cy₃PO)₂I₂ (3), Co(Ph₂CyPO)₂Cl₂ (4), Co(Ph₂CyPO)₂Br₂ (5), Co(Ph₂CyPO)₂I₂ (6), Co(Ph₂EtPO)₂Br₂ (7), Co(Cy₃PO)₂(NCS)₂ (8) and Co(Cy₃PO)₂(NO₃)₂ (9) have been prepared mainly by the reaction of anhydrous CoX₂ (X = Cl, Br, I, NCS, NO₃) with the appropriate phosphine oxide. The complexes were characterised by single-crystal X-ray crystallography supported by IR and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. The structural analyses show that the cobalt(II) centre adopts a distorted tetrahedral coordination geometry except for 9 which displays an octahedral geometry. Systematic structural features of these complexes are explained within this paper.     

Photoinduced Cobalt(III)−Trifluoromethyl Bond Activation Enables Arene C−H Trifluoromethylation

Visible‐light capture activates a thermodynamically inert Co^III−CF₃ bond for direct C−H trifluoromethylation of arenes and heteroarenes. New trifluoromethylcobalt(III) complexes supported by a redox‐active [OCO] pincer ligand were prepared. Coordinating solvents, such as MeCN, afford green, quasi‐octahedral [(^SOCO)Co^III(CF₃)(MeCN)₂] ( 2 ), but in non‐coordinating solvents the complex is red, square pyramidal [(^SOCO)Co^III(CF₃)(MeCN)] ( 3 ). Both are thermally stable, and 2 is stable in light. But exposure of 3 to low‐energy light results in facile homolysis of the Co^III−CF₃ bond, releasing ^.CF₃ radical, which is efficiently trapped by TEMPO^. or (hetero)arenes. The homolytic aromatic substitution reactions do not require a sacrificial or substrate‐derived oxidant because the Co^II by‐product of Co^III−CF₃ homolysis produces H₂. The photophysical properties of 2 and 3 provide a rationale for the disparate light stability.