Direct Nucleophilic Substitution Reaction of Cage B−H Bonds by Grignard Reagents: A Route to Regioselective B4‐Alkylation of o‐Carboranes

Direct nucleophilic substitution reaction of cage B−H bonds of o ‐carboranes by Grignard reagents in the absence of any transition metals has been achieved for the first time, and leads to the regioselective synthesis of a series of 4‐alkyl‐1,2‐diaryl‐o ‐carboranes in very high yields. The presence of two electron‐withdrawing aryl groups on the cage carbon atoms is crucial to realizing the reaction. The regioselectivity is controlled by both electronic and steric factors. This work represents a new strategy for the development of methods for carborane functionalization.     

Total Synthesis of Crocagin A

Crocagin A ( 1 ) combines an attractive molecular structure with an unusual biosynthesis and bioactivity. An efficient synthesis of crocagin A is presented that hinges on an early formation of the heterotricyclic core, an electrophilic amination, and the stereoselective hydrogenation of a tetrasubstituted double bond. This synthesis confirms the absolute configuration of crocagin A and provides access to the natural product and derivatives thereof for further biological testing.     

Emerging Bottom-Up Strategies for the Synthesis of Graphene Nanoribbons and Related Structures

The solution-phase synthesis is one of the most promising strategies for the preparation of well-defined graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) in large scale. To prepare high quality, defect-free GNRs, cycloaromatization reactions need to be very efficient, proceed without side reaction and mild enough to accommodate the presence of various functional groups. In this Minireview, we present the latest synthetic approaches for the synthesis of GNRs and related structures, including alkyne benzannulation, photochemical cyclodehydrohalogenation, Mallory and Pd- and Ni-catalyzed reactions.     

O-Doped Nanographenes: A Pyrano/Pyrylium Route Towards Semiconducting Cationic Mixed-Valence Complexes

Herein we report an efficient synthesis to prepare O-doped nanographenes derived from the π-extension of pyrene. The derivatives are highly fluorescent and feature low oxidation potentials. Using electrooxidation, crystals of cationic mixed-valence (MV) complexes were grown in which the organic salts organize into face-to-face π-stacks, a favorable solid-state arrangement for organic electronics. Variable-temperature electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements and relaxation studies suggest a strong electron delocalization along the longitudinal axis of the columnar π-stacking architectures. Electric measurements of single crystals of the MV salts show a semiconducting behavior with a remarkably high conductivity at room temperature. These findings support the notion that π-extension of heteroatom-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is an attractive approach to fabricate nanographenes with a broad spectrum of semiconducting properties and high charge mobilities.