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The bicyclic amido-substituted silicon(I) ring compound Si4 {N(SiMe3 )Mes}4 2 (Mes=Mesityl=2,4,6-Me3 C6 H2 ) features enhanced zwitterionic character and different reactivity from the analogous compound Si4 {N(SiMe3 )Dipp}4 1 (Dipp=2,6-i Pr2 C6 H3 ) due to the smaller mesityl substituents. In a reaction with the N-heterocyclic carbene NHC Me4 (1,3,4,5-tetramethyl-imidazol-2-ylidene), we observe adduct formation to give Si4 {N(SiMe3 )Mes}4 ⋅ NHC Me4 (3). This adduct reacts further with the Lewis acid BH3 to yield the Lewis acid-base complex Si4 {N(SiMe3 )Mes}4 ⋅ NHC Me4 ⋅ BH3 (4). Coordination of AlBr3 to 2 leads to the adduct 5. Calculated proton affinities and fluoride ion affinities reveal highly Lewis basic and very weak Lewis acidic character of the low-valent silicon atoms in 1 and 2. This is confirmed by protonation of 1 and 2 with Brookharts acid yielding 6 and 7. Reaction with diphenylacetylene only occurs at 111 °C with 2 in toluene and is accompanied by fragmentation of 2 to afford the silacyclopropene 8 and the trisilanorbornadiene species 9.

Understanding binding site preferences in biological systems as well as affinities to binding partners is a crucial aspect in metallodrug development. We here present a mass spectrometry-based method to compare relative stabilities of metal-peptide adducts in the gas phase. Angiotensin 1 and substance P were used as model peptides. Incubation with isostructural N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes of RuII , OsII , RhIII , and IrIII led to the formation of various adducts, which were subsequently studied by energy-resolved fragmentation experiments. The gas-phase stability of the metal-peptide bonds depended on the metal and the binding partner. Of the four complexes used, the OsII derivative bound strongest to Met, while RuII formed the most stable coordination bond with His. RhIII was identified as the weakest peptide binder and IrIII formed peptide adducts with intermediate stability. Probing these intrinsic gas-phase properties can help in the interpretation of biological activities and the design of site-specific protein binding metal complexes.

International audience; Due to the omnipresence of chiral organofluorine compounds in pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and material chemistry, the development of enantioselective methods for their preparation is highly desirable. In the present study, the enantioselective organocatalyzed acylation of a,a-difluorohydrins using a commercially available chiral isothiourea is reported through a kinetic resolution (KR) process. It reveals that the difluoromethylene moiety (C(sp 3)F 2) can serve as a directing group through electrostatic fluorine-cation interactions, greatly improving the enantioselectivity of the KR. In this context, a broad range of fluorinated alcohols such as valuable 4,4-difluoro-1,3-diols could be synthesized with exquisite enantiocontrol (typically > 99:1 er). Turning to 2,2difluoro-1,3-diols, we also demonstrated that aromatic and fluorinated groups were mutually compatible to provide the expected enantioenriched adducts with > 99:1 er.

Oxidative addition represents a critical elementary step in myriad catalytic transformations. Here, the importance of thoughtful ligand design cannot be overstated. In this work, we report the intermolecular activation of iodobenzene (PhI) at a coordinatively saturated 18-electron [Ni 0(diphosphine) 2] complex bearing a Lewis acidic secondary coordination sphere. Whereas alkyl-substituted diphosphine complexes of Group 10 are known to be unreactive in such reactions, we show that [Ni 0(P 2B Cy 4) 2] (P 2B Cy 4=1,2-bis(di(3-dicyclohexylboraneyl)-propylphosphino)ethane) is competent for room-temperature PhI cleavage to give [Ni II(P 2B Cy 4)(Ph)(I)]. This difference in oxidative addition reactivity has been scrutinized computationally – an outcome that is borne out in ring-opening to provide the reactive precursor – for [Ni 0(P 2B Cy 4) 2], a “boron-trapped” 16-electron κ 1-diphosphine Ni(0) complex. Moreover, formation of [Ni II(P 2B Cy 4)(Ph)(I)] is inherent to the P 2B Cy 4 secondary coordination sphere: treatment of the Lewis adduct, [Ni 0(P 2B Cy 4) 2(DMAP) 8] with PhI provides [Ni II(P 2B Cy 4) 2(DMAP) 8(I)]I via iodine-atom abstraction and not a [Ni II(Ph)(I)(diphosphine)] compound – an unusual secondary sphere effect. Finally, the reactivity of [Ni 0(P 2B Cy 4) 2] with 4-iodopyridine was surveyed, which resulted in a pyridyl-borane linked oligomer. The implications of these outcomes are discussed in the context of designing strongly donating, and yet labile diphosphine ligands for use in a critical bond activation step relevant to catalysis.

The scarcity of reliable methods for synthesizing chiral gem-diarylmethine borons limits their applications. Herein, we report a method for highly enantioselective dirhodium-catalyzed B-H bond insertion reactions with diaryl diazomethanes as carbene precursors. These reactions afforded chiral gem-diarylmethine borane compounds in high yield (up to 99 % yield), high activity (turnover numbers up to 14 300), high enantioselectivity (up to 99 % ee) and showed unprecedented broad functional group tolerance. The borane compounds synthesized by this method could be efficiently transformed into diaryl methanol, diaryl methyl amine, and triaryl methane derivatives with good stereospecificity. Mechanistic studies suggested that the borane adduct coordinated to the rhodium catalyst and thus interfered with decomposition of the diazomethane, and that insertion of a rhodium carbene (generated from the diaryl diazomethane) into the B-H bond was most likely the rate-determining step.

The development of efficient synthetic methods for accessing enantioenriched α-chiral amines is of great importance in the disciplines of medicinal and synthetic organic chemistry. Enantioselective Rh-catalyzed 1,2-addition reactions to activated imine derivatives are regarded as useful protocols for forming α-chiral amines. This personal account outlines our efforts to develop chiral bicyclo[2.2.1]heptadiene ligands for Rh-catalyzed asymmetric additions of various organoboron reagents to a wide range of imine derivatives. Transformations of the thus-obtained adducts into known natural products or molecules of pharmaceutical importance serve to confirm their synthetic usefulness.

A systematic study on Lewis-acid/base adducts of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) and the cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene cAAC\(^{Me}\) (1-(2,6-di-iso-propylphenyl)-3,3,5,5-tetramethyl-pyrrolidin-2-ylidene) with antimony(III) chlorides of the general formula SbCl\(_{2}\)R (R=Cl, Ph, Mes) is presented. The reaction of the NHCs Me\(_{2}\)Im\(^{Me}\) (1,3,4,5-tetra-methyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene), iPr\(_{2}\)Im\(^{Me}\) (1,3-di-isopropyl-4,5-dimethyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene), Mes\(_{2}\)Im, Dipp\(_{2}\)Im (R\(_{2}\)Im=1,3-di-organyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene; Mes=2,4,6-trimethylphenyl, Dipp=2,6-di-isopropylphenyl) and cAAC\(^{Me}\) with antimony(III) compounds SbCl\(_{2}\)R (R=Cl (1), Ph (2) and Mes (3)) yields the adducts NHC ⋅ SbCl\(_{2}\)R (R=Cl (4), Ph (5) and Mes (6); NHC=Me\(_{2}\)Im\(^{Me}\) (a), iPr\(_{2}\)Im\(^{Me}\) (b), Dipp\(_{2}\)Im (c) and Mes\(_{2}\)Im (d)) and cAAC\(^{Me}\) ⋅ SbCl\(_{2}\)R (R=Cl (4 e) and Ph (5 e)). Thermal treatment of (Dipp\(_{2}\)Im) ⋅ SbCl\(_{2}\)Ar (Ar=Ph (5 c) and Mes (6 c)) in benzene leads to isomerization to the backbone coordinated \(^{a}\)NHC-adduct \(^{a}\)Dipp\(_{2}\)Im ⋅ SbCl\(_{2}\)Ar (Ar=Mes (7) and Ph (8)) (\(^{"a"}\) denotes “abnormal” coordination mode of the NHC) in high yields. One of the chloride substituents at antimony of 7 can be abstracted by GaCl3 or Ag[BF\(_{4}\)] to obtain the imidazolium salts [\(^{a}\)Dipp\(_{2}\)Im ⋅ SbClMes][BF\(_{4}\)] (9) and [\(^{a}\)Dipp\(_{2}\)Im ⋅ SbClMes][GaCl\(_{4}\)] (10).

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) provide a platform to design new heterogeneous catalysts for catalytic CO2 reduction, but selective formation of C2 valuable liquid fuel products remains a challenge. Herein, we propose a strategy to synthesize composites by integrating MoS2 nanosheets into hierarchically porous defective UiO-66 (d-UiO-66) to form Mo-O-Zr bimetallic sites on the interfaces between UiO-66 and MoS2 . The active interfaces are favorable for the efficient transfer of photo-generated charge carriers and for promoting the activity, whereas, the synergy of the components at the interfaces achieves selectivity for C2 production. The d-UiO-66/MoS2 composite facilitates the photo-catalytic conversion of gas phase CO2 and H2 O to CH3 COOH under visible light irradiation without any other adducts. The evolution rate and selectivity of CH3 COOH reached 39.0 μmol g-1 h-1 and 94 %, respectively, without any C1 products, suggesting a new approach for the design of highly efficient photocatalysts of CO2 for C2 production. Theoretical calculations demonstrate the charge-polarized Zr-O-Mo aided the C-C coupling process with the largely reduced energy barrier.

Forrestiacids A (1) and B (2) are a novel class of [4+2] type pentaterpenoids derived from a rearranged lanostane moiety (dienophile) and an abietane unit (diene). These unprecedented molecules were isolated using guidance by molecular ion networking (MoIN) from Pseudotsuga forrestii, an endangered member of the Asian Douglas Fir Family. The intermolecular hetero-Diels-Alder adducts feature an unusual bicyclo[2.2.2]octene ring system. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, GIAO NMR calculations and DP4+ probability analyses, electronic circular dichroism calculations, and X-ray diffraction analysis. This unique addition to the pentaterpene family represents the largest and the most complex molecule successfully assigned using computational approaches to predict accurately chemical shift values. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited potent inhibitory activities (IC50 s

Electrophilic fluorophosphonium triflates bearing pyridyl (3[OTf]) or imidazolyl (4[OTf])-substituents act as intramolecular frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) and reversibly form 1 : 1 adducts with CO2 (5+ and 6+ ). An unusual and labile spirocyclic tetrahedral intermediate (72+ ) is observed in CO2 -pressurized (0.5-2.0 bar) solutions of cation 4+ at low temperatures, as demonstrated by variable-temperature NMR studies, which were confirmed crystallographically. In addition, cations 3+ and 4+ actively bind carbonyls, nitriles and acetylenes by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, as shown by selected examples.

Reactions of Li+ [(η5 -C5 H5 )Re(NO)(PPh3 )]- with 2- and 4-chloroquinoline or 1-chloroisoquinoline give the corresponding σ quinolinyl and isoquinolinyl complexes 3, 6, and 8. With 3 and 8 there is further protonation to yield HCl adducts, but additions of KH give the free bases. Treatment of 3 with HBF4 ⋅OEt2 or H(OEt2 )2+ BArf- gives the quinolinium salts [(η5 -C5 H5 )Re(NO)(PPh3 )(C(NH)C(CH)4 C(CH)(CH))]+ X- (3-H+ X- ; X- =BF4- /BArf- , 94-98 %). Addition of CF3 SO3 CH3 to 3, 6, or 8 affords the corresponding N-methyl quinolinium salts. In the case of [(η5 -C5 H5 )Re(NO)(PPh3 )(C(NCH3 )C(CH)4 C(CH)(CH))]+ CF3 SO3- (3-CH3+ CF3 SO3- ), addition of CH3 Li gives the dihydroquinolinium complex (SRe RC ,RRe SC )-[(η5 -C5 H5 )Re(NO)(PPh3 )(C(NCH3 )C(CH)4 C(CHCH3 )(CH2 ))]+ CF3 SO3- ((SRe RC ,RRe SC )-5+ CF3 SO3- , 76 %) in diastereomerically pure form. Crystal structures of 3-H+ BArf- , 3-CH3+ CF3 SO3- , (SRe RC , RRe SC )-5+ Cl- , and 6-CH3+ CF3 SO3- show that the quinolinium ligands adopt Re⋅⋅⋅C conformations that maximize overlap of their acceptor orbitals with the rhenium fragment HOMO, minimize steric interactions with the bulky PPh3 ligand, and promote various π interactions. NMR experiments establish the Bronsted basicity order 3>8>6, with Ka (BH+ ) values >10 orders of magnitude greater than the parent heterocycles, although they remain less active nucleophilic catalysts in the reactions tested. DFT calculations provide additional insights regarding Re⋅⋅⋅C bonding and conformations, basicities, and the stereochemistry of CH3 Li addition.

This communication reports experimental and theoretical evidences of σ‐hole interactions in adducts between nitrogen or oxygen nucleophiles and tetroxides of osmium or other group 8 elements. Cocrystals between pyridine or pyridine N‐oxide derivatives and osmium tetroxide are characterized through various techniques and rationalized as σ‐hole interactions using DFT calculations and several other computational tools. We propose the term “osme bond” (OmB, Om=Fe, Ru, Os, (Hs)) for naming the noncovalent interactions wherein group 8 elements have the role of the electrophile. The word osme is the transcription of ὀσμή, the ancient Greek word for smell that was used to name the heaviest group 8 element in relation to the smoky odor of its tetroxide., σ‐Hole interactions in adducts between nitrogen or oxygen nucleophiles and tetroxides of osmium or other group 8 elements are reported. Cocrystals between pyridine or pyridine N‐oxide derivatives and osmium tetroxide are characterized through various techniques including computational tools. We propose the term “osme bond” (OmB, Om=Fe, Ru, Os, (Hs)) for naming the noncovalent interactions wherein group 8 elements have the role of the electrophile.

Reactions of Pd8 strings supported by meso-Ph2 PCH2 P(Ph)CH2 P(Ph)CH2 PPh2 (meso-dpmppm) ligands, [Pd8 (meso-dpmppm)4 (L)2 ]4+ (L=CH3 CN (1), XylNC (2)) with C60 resulted in the exclusive formation of unprecedented metal-chain-wired C60 bucky balls, [{Pd4 (meso-dpmppm)2 (L)}2 (C60 )]4+ (L=CH3 CN (11), XylNC (12)), in which a C60 fullerene is trapped in the central Pd-Pd junction, as unambiguously established by spectroscopic, X-ray crystallographic, and theoretical techniques. The similar reaction of Pd8 strings supported by rac-dpmppm, [Pd8 (rac-dpmppm)4 (CH3 CN)2 ]4+ (3) also afforded a racemic mixture of [{Pd4 ((R*,R*)-dpmppm)2 (CH3 CN)}2 (C60 )]4+ (13) without scrambling the Pd4 fragments with (R,R)- and (S,S)-dpmppm ligands. Consequently, those of enantiopure chiral Pd8 strings, [Pd8 ((R*,R*)-dpmppm)4 (CH3 CN)2 ]4+ , certainly afforded chiral bucky balls of [{Pd4 ((R*,R*)-dpmppm)2 (CH3 CN)}2 (C60 )]4+ (13RR and 13SS ), that exhibit mirror-image circular dichroism spectra. The reactions of 1 and 2 were also applied for trapping a C70 fullerene to give 2 : 1 adducts of [{Pd4 (meso-dpmppm)2 (L)}2 (C70 )]4+ (L=CH3 CN (21), XylNC (22)). These results provide useful information for creating a platform to develop dimensionally and chirality controlled metal-carbon nanocomposite materials.

The addition of PPh2 H, PPhMeH, PPhH2 , P(para-Tol)H2 , PMesH2 and PH3 to the two-coordinate Ni0 N-heterocyclic carbene species [Ni(NHC)2 ] (NHC=IiPr2 , IMe4 , IEt2 Me2 ) affords a series of mononuclear, terminal phosphido nickel complexes. Structural characterisation of nine of these compounds shows that they have unusual trans [H-Ni-PR2 ] or novel trans [R2 P-Ni-PR2 ] geometries. The bis-phosphido complexes are more accessible when smaller NHCs (IMe4 >IEt2 Me2 >IiPr2 ) and phosphines are employed. P-P activation of the diphosphines R2 P-PR2 (R2 =Ph2 , PhMe) provides an alternative route to some of the [Ni(NHC)2 (PR2 )2 ] complexes. DFT calculations capture these trends with P-H bond activation proceeding from unconventional phosphine adducts in which the H substituent bridges the Ni-P bond. P-P bond activation from [Ni(NHC)2 (Ph2 P-PPh2 )] adducts proceeds with computed barriers below 10 kcal mol-1 . The ability of the [Ni(NHC)2 ] moiety to afford isolable terminal phosphido products reflects the stability of the Ni-NHC bond that prevents ligand dissociation and onward reaction.

AlH3 (PPh3 )2 was synthesized as a stable solid being the first known 1 : 2 alane arylphosphane adduct. Although only weakly intra-molecularly coordinated, it displays as a molecular crystal significant inertness against atmospheric humidity and oxygen due to strong steric screening of the alane unit. The compound readily dissociates PPh3 in solution allowing for its use as a Lewis acidic reducing agent. These features lead to an easy to store, easy to use reducing agent that may enable the quantitative investigation of aluminum hydride chemistry including reduction, complexation and hydroalumination reactions. The structure contains two non-equivalent penta-coordinated aluminum centers that despite long Al-P distances of ca. 2.7 A display unusually high quadrupolar coupling constants CQ of 25.1 and 26.5 in 27 Al solid state NMR measurements. The product was also tested as a reducing agent on a small set of selected compounds with various functional groups.

Metal complexes can be considered a "paradigm of promiscuity" when it comes to their interactions with proteins. They often form adducts with a variety of donor atoms in an unselective manner. We have characterized the adducts formed between a series of isostructural N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes with Ru, Os, Rh, and Ir centers and the model protein hen egg white lysozyme by X-ray crystallography and mass spectrometry. Distinctive behavior for the metal compounds was observed with the more labile Ru and Rh complexes targeting mainly a surface l-histidine moiety through cleavage of p-cymene or NHC co-ligands, respectively. In contrast, the more inert Os and Ir derivatives were detected abundantly in an electronegative binding pocket after undergoing ligand exchange of a chlorido ligand for an amino acid side chain. Computational studies supported the binding profiles and hinted at the role of the protein microenvironment for metal complexes eliciting selectivity for specific binding sites on the protein.

Attachment of a pair of P-stereogenic mesityl(alkynyl)phosphanyl groups at the 4- and 5-positions of a 9,9-dimethylxanthene framework gave mixtures of the respective rac- and meso-bisphosphanyl diastereoisomers. They slowly epimerized in a thermally induced reaction with Gibbs activation barriers of about 25 kcal mol-1 at room temperature (measured and DFT calculated). The reaction of the meso-mesityl(tert-butylethynyl)phosphanyl derivative with two molar equivalents of Piers' borane [HB(C6 F5 )2 ] led to the formation of the alkylidene-bridged geminal bisphosphane/borane-frustrated Lewis pair system. The compound was obtained enriched (>85 %) in the rac diastereoisomer. With a variety of bifunctional donor substrates, the rac-bis-P/B FLP formed macrocyclic compounds. They were all formally derived from meso-configurated diastereoisomers of the bisphosphanylxanthene backbone.

Direct C(sp2 )-H functionalization through nitroarene-triggered nucleophilic aromatic substitution of hydrogen (SNArH ) has attracted growing attention, owing to its high efficiency and low carbon footprint. In this study, non-nitro-group-assisted SN ArH has been developed for direct benzene functionalization in one pot under mild conditions. The electron-withdrawing carbonyl group and the halide or trifluoromethyl group on the phenyl ring enable the σH adduct formation to fulfill the intramolecular C(sp2 )-C(sp3 ) bond construction. Notably, the cyano group serves as both the electron-withdrawing group to activate the C(sp3 )-H bond and the leaving group to fulfill the β-elimination. Three series of pyrrolo[1,2-b]isoquinolinones, as well as unexpected rearrangement products 3-(1H-pyrrol-2-yl)-1H-inden-1-ones are regioselectively obtained through a simple and efficient base-catalyzed one-pot strategy. Mechanistic studies indicate that the σH adduct from carbanion addition to hydrogen serves as the sole intermediate for all of the aforementioned transformations. These molecules show intense luminescence and the subsequent one-step structural modification results in the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) derivatives with redshifted full-color tunable fluorescence, large Stokes shifts, and good quantum yields. Further living cell imaging investigations suggest their potential application as specific bioprobes for lipid droplet localization and visualization.

The 1,3‐bis(tricyanoborane)imidazolate anion 1 was obtained in high yield from lithium imidazolate and B(CN)3−pyridine adduct. Anion 1 is chemically very robust and thus allowed the isolation of the corresponding H5O2 + salt. Furthermore, monoanion 1 served as starting species for the novel dianionic N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC), 1,3‐bis(tricyanoborane)imidazoline‐2‐ylidenate anion 3 that acts as ditopic ligand via the carbene center and the cyano groups at boron. First reactions of this new NHC 3 with methyl iodide, elemental selenium, and [Ni(CO)4] led to the methylated imidazolate ion 4, the dianionic selenium adduct 5, and the dianionic nickel tricarbonyl complex 6. These NHC derivatives provide a first insight into the electronic and steric properties of the dianionic NHC 3. Especially the combination of properties, such as double negative charge, different coordination sites, large buried volume and good σ‐donor and π‐acceptor ability, make NHC 3 a unique and promising ligand and building block., Unprecedentedly stable salts of the 1,3‐bis(tricyanoborane)imidazolate ion with different types of counterions were obtained on large scale. Deprotonation of the imidazolate ion provided access to the corresponding dianionic NHC that acts as ditopic ligand.

Covalent functionalization of two‐dimensional molybdenum disulfide (2D MoS2) holds great promise in developing robust organic‐MoS2 hybrid structures. Herein, for the first time, we demonstrate an approach to building up a bisfunctionalized MoS2 hybrid structure through successively reacting activated MoS2 with alkyl iodide and aryl diazonium salts. This approach can be utilized to modify both colloidal and substrate supported MoS2 nanosheets. We have discovered that compared to the adducts formed through the reactions of MoS2 with diazonium salts, those formed through the reactions of MoS2 with alkyl iodides display higher reactivity towards further reactions with electrophiles. We are convinced that our systematic study on the formation and reactivity of covalently functionalized MoS2 hybrids will provide some practical guidance on multi‐angle tailoring of the properties of 2D MoS2 for various potential applications., For the first time, we demonstrate an approach to building up a bisfunctionalized MoS2 hybrid structure through successively treating activated MoS2 with alkyl iodide and aryl diazonium salt. This approach can be used to modify both colloidal and substrate‐supported MoS2 nanosheets.

Donor-Acceptor Stenhouse Adducts (DASAs) are molecular photoswitches that reversibly isomerize from a linear to a cyclized form upon visible light irradiation. In the cyclized form, these molecules selectively react with a thiol in a thiol-Michael addition. Driven by the complexity of the switching mechanism and chemical properties of DASAs, the effect of concentration (ranging from 1 to 5 mM DASA) on the thiol-Michael addition was investigated. We find that the rate limiting step in the reaction is the photochemically induced DASA isomerization, as higher concentrations of thiol do not alter the rate at which the thiol-Michael adduct (TMA) is formed. Moreover, the kinetics of the product formation were found to be more significantly affected by irradiation at higher concentrations. In two distinct scenarios, where either the concentration or the molar equivalence of the reaction partner was kept constant, the TMA was found to be more efficiently formed under irradiation at higher concentrations. These findings indicate that the DASA reactivity towards thiol-Michael reactions appear to be equilibrium-driven at lower concentrations and light-driven at higher concentrations.

Borosulfates provide fascinating structures and properties that go beyond a pure analogy to silicates. Mg3[H2O→B(SO4)3]2 is the first borosulfate featuring a boron atom solely coordinated by three tetrahedra. Thus, the free Lewis acidic site forms a Lewis acid–base adduct with a water molecule. This is unprecedented for borosulfate chemistry and even for borates. Quantum chemical calculations on water exchange reactions with BF3 and B(C6F5)3 revealed a higher Lewis acidity for the borosulfate anion. Moreover, proton exchange reactions showed a higher Brønsted acidity than comparable silicates or phosphates. Additionally, Mg3[H2O→B(SO4)3]2 was characterised by X‐ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations., The ever‐expanding chemistry of borosulfates is enriched by the novel borosulfate Mg3[H2O→B(SO4)3]2 featuring an unprecedented Lewis acid–base adduct of water to the anion [B(SO4)3]3−. Isodesmic exchange calculations revealed high Lewis and Brønsted acidity, opening new insights and perspectives for this fascinating silicate‐analogous material class.

International audience; Drimane sesquiterpenoid dialdehydes are natural compounds with antiproliferative properties. Nevertheless, their mode of action has not yet been discovered. In this publication, we have demonstrated that various drimanes are potent inhibitors of MCL-1 and BCL-xL, two proteins of the BCL-2 family that are overexpressed in various cancers, including lymphoid malignancies. Subtle changes in their structure significantly modified their activity on the target proteins. The two most active compounds are MCL-1 selective and bind in the BH3 binding groove of the protein. Complementary studies, by NMR and mass spectrometry analyses but also synthesis showed that they are covalent inhibitors of MCL-1, via the formation of a pyrrole adduct. In addition, cytotoxic assays revealed that these two compounds show a cytotoxic selectivity for BL2, a MCL-1/BCL-xL dependent cell line and induce apoptosis.

Donor–acceptor Stenhouse adducts (DASAs) are visible‐light‐responsive photoswitches with a variety of emerging applications in photoresponsive materials. Their two‐step modular synthesis, centered on the nucleophilic ring opening of an activated furan, makes DASAs readily accessible. However, the use of less reactive donors or acceptors renders the process slow and low yielding, which has limited their development. We demonstrate here that 1,1,1,3,3,3‐hexafluoro‐2‐propanol (HFIP) promotes the ring‐opening reaction and stabilizes the open isomer, allowing greatly reduced reaction times and increased yields for known derivatives. In addition, it provides access to previously unattainable DASA‐based photoswitches and DASA–polymer conjugates. The role of HFIP and the photochromic properties of a set of new DASAs is probed using a combination of 1H NMR and UV/Vis spectroscopy. The use of sterically hindered, electron‐poor amines enabled the dark equilibrium to be decoupled from closed‐isomer half‐lives for the first time., The use of 1,1,1,3,3,3‐hexafluoro‐2‐propanol (HFIP) leads to a streamlined synthetic access to donor–acceptor Stenhouse adduct (DASA) photoswitches through shortened reaction times and increased yields. This approach enables the diversification of DASA structures through the use of previously unreactive donor or acceptor groups, as well as simple access to DASA–polymer conjugates even when using electron‐poor amine donors.

Carbene-based radicals are important for both fundamental and applied chemical research. Herein, extensive electrochemical investigations of nine different 1,2,3-triazolylidene selenium adducts are reported. It is found that the half-wave potentials of the first reduction of the selones correlate with their calculated LUMO levels and the LUMO levels of the corresponding triazolylidene-based mesoionic carbenes (MICs). Furthermore, unexpected quasi-reversibility of the reduction of two triazoline selones, exhibiting comparable reduction potentials, was discovered. Through UV/Vis/NIR and EPR spectroelectrochemical investigations supported by DFT calculations, the radical anion was unambiguously assigned to be triazoline centered. This electrochemical behavior was transferred to a triazolylidene-type MIC-gold phenyl complex resulting in a MIC-radical coordinated AuI species. Apart from UV-Vis-NIR and EPR spectroelectrochemical investigations of the reduction, the reduced gold-coordinated MIC radical complex was also formed in situ in the bulk through chemical reduction. This is the first report of a monodentate triazolylidene-based MIC ligand that can be reduced to its anion radical in a metal complex. The results presented here provide design principles for stabilizing radicals based on MICs.

This contribution focuses on complex [Mo2 (H)2 (μ-AdDipp2 )2 ] (1) and tetrahydrofuran and pyridine adducts [Mo2 (H)2 (μ-AdDipp2 )2 (L)2 ] (1⋅thf and 1⋅py), which contain a trans-(H)Mo≣Mo(H) core (AdDipp2 =HC(NDipp2 )2 ; Dipp=2,6-iPr2 C6 H3 ). Computational studies provide insights into the coordination and electronic characteristics of the central trans-Mo2 H2 unit of 1, with four-coordinate, fourteen-electron Mo atoms and ϵ-agostic interactions with Dipp methyl groups. Small size C- and N-donors give rise to related complexes 1⋅L but only one molecule of P-donors, for example, PMe3 , can bind to 1, causing one of the hydrides to form a three-centered, two-electron (3c-2e) Mo-H→Mo bond (2⋅PMe3 ). A DFT analysis of the terminal and bridging hydride coordination to the Mo≣Mo bond is also reported, along with reactivity studies of the Mo-H bonds of these complexes. Reactions investigated include oxidation of 1⋅thf by silver triflimidate, AgNTf2 , to afford a monohydride [Mo2 (μ-H)(μ-NTf2 )(μ-AdDipp2 )2 ] (4), with an O,O'-bridging triflimidate ligand.

The intramolecular "inverse" frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) of general formula 1-BR2 -2-[(Me2 N)2 C=N]-C6 H4 (3-6) [BR2 =BMes2 (3), BC12 H8 , (4), BBN (5), BBNO (6)] were synthesized and structurally characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and X-ray analysis. These novel types of pre-organized FLPs, featuring strongly basic guanidino units rigidly linked to weakly Lewis acidic boryl moieties via an ortho-phenylene linker, are capable of activating H-H, C-H, N-H, O-H, Si-H, B-H and C=O bonds. 4 and 5 deprotonated terminal alkynes and acetylene to form the zwitterionic borates 1-(RC≡C-BR2 )-2-[(Me2 N)2 C=NH]-C6 H4 (R=Ph, H) and reacted with ammonia, BnNH2 and pyrrolidine, to generate the FLP adducts 1-(R2 HN→BR2 )-2-[(Me2 N)2 C=NH]-C6 H4 , where the N-H functionality is activated by intramolecular H-bond interactions. In addition, 5 was found to rapidly add across the double bond of H2 CO, PhCHO and PhNCO to form cyclic zwitterionic guanidinium borates in excellent yields. Likewise, 5 is capable of cleaving H2 , HBPin and PhSiH3 to form various amino boranes. Collectively, the results demonstrate that these new types of intramolecular FLPs featuring weakly Lewis acidic boryl and strongly basic guanidino moieties are as potent as conventional intramolecular FLPs with strongly Lewis acidic units in activating small molecules.

The N‐heterocyclic carbene‐phosphinidene adducts (NHC)PH were reacted with AlMe3 in toluene to afford the monoaluminum complexes [{(IDipp)PH}AlMe3] and [{(IMes)PH}AlMe3] (IDipp=1,3‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazolin‐2‐ylidene, IMes=1,3‐bis(2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl)imidazolin‐2‐ylidene). In contrast, the dialuminum complex [{(MeIMes)PH}(AlMe3)2] was obtained for MeIMes=1,3‐bis(2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl)‐4,5‐dimethylimidazolin‐2‐ylidene. These complexes served as initiators for the efficient ring‐opening polymerization of rac‐lactide in toluene at 60 °C. High degrees of isoselectivity were found for the poly(rac‐lactide) obtained in the presence of the monoaluminum complexes (P m up to 0.92, T m up to 191 °C), whereas almost atactic polymers were produced by the dialuminum complex. Detailed mechanistic studies reveal that the polymerization proceeds via a coordination‐insertion mechanism with the carbene‐phosphinidene ligands acting as stereodirecting groups., N‐Heterocyclic carbene‐phosphinidene trimethylaluminum (AlMe3) complexes can promote the isoselective ring‐opening polymerization of rac‐lactide, which proceeds via insertion into the aluminum‐carbon bonds with the monodentate, prochiral phosphorus ligand acting as a stereo‐directing group.

Endohedral clusterfullerenes exhibit unique chemical properties due to intramolecular electron transfer of the encaged metal cluster to the outer fullerene cages. Herein, we report the synthesis of two Sc 3 N@ D 3 h -C 78 monoadducts 2a and 2b through the 1, 3-dipolar reaction of Sc 3 N@ D 3 h -C 78 with carbonyl ylide bearing anomalous cis-conformation regioselectivity. The molecular structures of these monoadducts are unambiguously confirmed by single-crystal X-ray crystallography, revealing that both of 2a and 2b have cis-conformations within furan moiety grafted via [6,6]-closed addition patterns. Under the same conditions, the control reaction of C 60 with carbonyl ylide affords two monoadducts 3a and 3b , which however exhibit respectively the cis - and trans -conformations with [6,6]-closed addition patterns. According to theoretical calculations, the exclusive formation of the cis -only Sc 3 N@ D 3 h -C 78 monoadducts is interpreted by the conjunct effects of thermodynamic stability of adducts, the reactivity of the addition site, and the cis-dipole intermediate from trans 1 .

Aiming at extending the tagged zinc bipyrazolate metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) family, the ligand 3,3'-diamino-4,4'-bipyrazole (3,3'-H2 L) has been synthesized in good yield. The reaction with zinc(II) acetate hydrate led to the related MOF Zn(3,3'-L). The compound is isostructural with its mono(amino) analogue Zn(BPZNH2 ) and with Zn(3,5-L), its isomeric parent built with 3,5-diamino-4,4'-bipyrazole. The textural analysis has unveiled its micro-/mesoporous nature, with a BET area of 463 m2 g-1 . Its CO2 adsorption capacity (17.4 wt. % CO2 at pCO2 = 1 bar and T = 298 K) and isosteric heat of adsorption (Qst = 24.8 kJ mol-1 ) are comparable to that of Zn(3,5-L). Both Zn(3,3'-L) and Zn(3,5-L) have been tested as heterogeneous catalysts in the reaction of CO2 with the epoxides epichlorohydrin and epibromohydrin to give the corresponding cyclic carbonates at T = 393 K and pCO2 = 5 bar under solvent- and co-catalyst-free conditions. In general, the conversions recorded are higher than those found for Zn(BPZNH2 ), proving that the insertion of an extra amino tag in the pores is beneficial for the epoxidation catalysis. The best catalytic match has been observed for the Zn(3,5-L)/epichlorohydrin couple, with 64 % conversion and a TOF of 5.3 mmol(carbonate) (mmolZn )-1 h-1 . To gain better insights on the MOF-epoxide interaction, the crystal structure of the [epibromohydrin@Zn(3,3'-L)] adduct has been solved, confirming the existence of Br⋅⋅⋅(H)-N non-bonding interactions. To our knowledge, this study represents the first structural determination of a [epibromohydrin@MOF] adduct.

Luminescent cyclometalated complexes [M(C^N^N)CN] (M=Pt, Pd; HC^N^N=pyridinyl- (M=Pt 1, Pd 5), benzyltriazolyl- (M=Pt 2), indazolyl- (M=Pt 3, Pd 6), pyrazolyl-phenylpyridine (M=Pt 4)) decorated with cyanide ligand, have been explored as nucleophilic building blocks for the construction of halogen-bonded (XB) adducts using IC6 F5 as an XB donor. The negative electrostatic potential of the CN group afforded CN⋅⋅⋅I noncovalent interactions for platinum complexes 1-3; the energies of XB contacts are comparable to those of metallophilic bonding according to QTAIM analysis. Embedding the chromophore units into XB adducts 1-3⋅⋅⋅IC6 F5 has little effect on the charge distribution, but strongly affects Pt⋅⋅⋅Pt bonding and π-stacking, which lead to excited states of MMLCT (metal-metal-to-ligand charge transfer) origin. The energies of these states and the photoemissive properties of the crystalline materials are primarily determined by the degree of aggregation of the luminophores via metal-metal interactions. The adduct formation depends on the nature of the metal and the structure of the metalated ligand, the variation of which can yield dynamic XB-supported systems, exemplified by thermally regulated transition 3↔3⋅⋅⋅IC6 F5 .

M(NH x ) intermediates involved in N-N bond formation are central to ammonia oxidation (AO) catalysis, an enabling technology to ultimately exploit ammonia (NH 3 ) as an alternative fuel source. While homocoupling of a terminal amide species (M-NH 2 ) to form hydrazine (N 2 H 4 ) has been proposed, well-defined examples are without precedent. Herein, we discuss the generation and electronic structure of a Ni III -NH 2 species that undergoes bimolecular coupling to generate a Ni II 2 (N 2 H 4 ) complex. This hydrazine adduct can be further oxidized to a structurally unusual Ni 2 (N 2 H 2 ) species; the latter releases N 2 in the presence of NH 3 , thus establishing a synthetic cycle for Ni-mediated AO. Distribution of the redox load for H 2 N-NH 2 formation via NH 2 coupling between two metal centers presents an attractive strategy for AO catalysis using Earth-abundant, late first-row metals.

We present a new adduct of carbon dioxide with dihydrogenphosphide, that may be prepared either by direct reaction of NaPH2 with carbon dioxide or by hydrolysis of the phosphaethynolate ion (PCO- ). In this hydrolysis transformation, a new mechanism is proposed for the electrophilic reactivity of the phosphaethynolate ion. Protonation to form phosphine carboxylic acid (PH2 COOH) and functionalization to form esters is shown to increase the strength of the P-C interaction, allowing for comparisons to be drawn between this species and the analogous carbamic (NH2 COOH) and carbonic acids (H2 CO3 ). Functionalization of the oxygen atom is found to stabilize the phosphine carboxylate while also allowing solubility in organic solvents whereas phosphorus functionalization is shown to facilitate decarboxylation. Substituent migration occurs in some cases.

The Mo=PR2 π* orbital in a Mo phosphenium complex acts as acceptor in a new PIII -based Lewis superacid. This Lewis acid (LA) participates in electrophilic Si-H abstraction from E3 SiH to give a Mo-bound secondary phosphine ligand, Mo-PR2 H. The resulting Et3 Si+ ion remains associated with the Mo complex, stabilized by η1 -P-H donation, yet undergoes rapid exchange with an η1 -Si-H adduct of free silane in solution. The equilibrium between these two adducts presents an opportunity to assess the role of this new LA in catalytic reactions of silanes: is the LA acting as a catalyst or as an initiator? Preliminary results suggest that a cycle including the Mo-bound phosphine-silylium adduct dominates in the catalytic hydrosilylation of acetophenone, relative to a putative cycle involving the silane-silylium adduct or "free" silylium.