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Two-electron reduction of carbene-supported 9-bromo-9-borafluorenes with excess KC8 , Na, or Li-naphthalenide affords six N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)- or cyclic(alkyl)(amino) carbene (CAAC)-stabilized borafluorene anions (3-8)-the first isolated and structurally authenticated examples of the elusive 9-carbene-9-borafluorene monoanion. The electronic structure, bonding, and aromaticity of the boracyclic anions were comprehensively investigated via computational studies. Compounds 5 and 8 react with metal halides via salt elimination to give new B-E (E=Au, Se, Ge)-containing materials (9-12). Upon reaction with diketones, the carbene ligand cleanly dissociates from 5 or 8 to yield new B-O containing spirocycles (13-14) that cannot be easily obtained using "normal" valent borafluorene compounds. Collectively, these results support the notion that carbene-stabilized monoanionic borafluorenes may serve as a new platform for the one-step construction of higher-value boracyclic materials.

A common feature of d- and p-block elements is that they participate in multiple bonding. In contrast, the synthesis of compounds containing homo- or hetero-nuclear multiple bonds involving s-block elements is extremely rare. Herein, we report the synthesis, molecular structure, and computational analysis of a beryllium imido (Be=N) complex (2), which was prepared via oxidation of a molecular Be0 precursor (1) with trimethylsilyl azide Me3 SiN3 (TMS-N3 ). Notably, compound 2 features the shortest known Be=N bond (1.464 A) to date. This represents the first compound with an s-block metal-nitrogen multiple bond. All compounds were characterized experimentally with multi-nuclear NMR spectroscopy (1 H, 13 C, 9 Be) and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The bonding situation was analyzed with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which supports the existence of π-bonding between beryllium and nitrogen.

It has been previously proposed that pyridines can activate PhICl2 by displacing a chloride and forming the [PhI(Pyr)(Cl)]+ cation as a reactive intermediate. Here we show that pyridine does not displace chloride, but rather forms a weak complex with the iodine via halogen bonding along the C-I bond axis. This interaction is interrogated by NMR, structural, charge density, and theoretical investigations, which all indicate that pyridine does not activate PhICl2 as proposed.

A study on the potential activating role of pyridine in the electrophilic chlorination of anisole by PhICl2 has led to the discovery that soluble sources of chloride ions activate PhICl2 in the reaction at catalytic loadings, greatly increasing the rate of chlorination. It is further shown that presence of chloride increases the rate of decomposition of PhICl2 into PhI and Cl2. The specific mechanism by which chloride induces electrophilic chlorination and decomposition of PhICl2 remains an open question.

The mono- and dianions of CO2 (i.e., CO2− and CO22−) have been studied for decades as both fundamentally important oxycarbanions (anions containing only C and O atoms) and as critical species in CO2 reduction and fixation chemistry. However, CO2 anions are highly unstable and difficult to study. As such, examples of stable compounds containing these ions are extremely limited; the unadulterated alkali salts of CO2 (i.e., MCO2, M2CO2, M = alkali metal) decompose rapidly above 15 K, for example. Herein we report the chemical reduction of a cyclic (alkyl)(amino) carbene (CAAC) adduct of CO2 at room temperature by alkali metals, which results in the formation of CAAC-stabilized alkali CO2− and CO22− clusters. One-electron reduction of CAAC–CO2 adduct (1) with lithium, sodium or potassium metal yields stable monoanionic radicals [M(CAAC–CO2)]n (M = Li, Na, K, 2–4) analogous to the alkali CO2− radical, and two-electron alkali metal reduction affords dianionic clusters of the general formula [M2(CAAC–CO2)]n (5–8) with reduced CO2 units which are structurally analogous to the carbonite anion CO22−. It is notable that crystalline clusters of these alkali–CO2 salts may also be isolated via the “one-pot” reaction of free CO2 with free CAAC followed by the addition of alkali metals – a process which does not occur in the absence of carbene. Each of the products 2–8 was investigated using a combination of experimental and theoretical methods.

ion of a pyridine ligand from Weiss’ reagent ([PhI(Pyr)2]2+) using BF3-Et2O was found to activate Weiss’ reagent towards electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions. The activated species can be isolated when 4-DMAP is used as the pyridine ligand and was determined to be [PhI(4-DMAP)]2+ in solution. The isolated cation was reactive in electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions towards mesitylene, xylene and toluene that Weiss’ reagent itself does not react with.

The synthesis and reactivity study of the first isolable boraphosphaketene, cyclic(alkyl)(amino) carbene (CAAC)-borafluorene-P=C=O (2), is described. Photolysis of compound 2 results in the formation of CAAC-stabilized BP-doped phenanthryne (3) through tandem decarbonylation, monoatomic phosphide insertion, and ring-expansion. Notably, while BN-doped phenanthryne was previously discussed as a reactive intermediate which could not be isolated, the heavier BP-doped analogue exhibits remarkable solution and solid-state stability. The reactivity of 2 with stable carbenes was also explored. Addition of CAAC to 2 led to migration of the original CAAC ligand from boron to phosphorus and coordination of the added CAAC to carbon, affording compound 4. Reaction of 1,3-diisopropyl-4,5-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene (NHC) with 2 resulted in N-C bond activation to give the unusual spiro-heterocyclic compound (5).

A family of four Ir(iii) complexes of the form [Ir(ppy)2(L)]Cl (where ppy = 2-phenyl-pyridine and L = a pyridyl-1,2,4-triazole or pyridyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole ligand bearing a boronic acid group) have been prepared as potential luminescent sensors for carbohydrates. A modular eight step procedure was developed to synthesise the complexes, and this was initiated with the preparation of two benzhydrazide and three S-ethylated pyridine-2-thiocarboxamides precursors. Reaction of these precursors produced three new 1,2,4-triazole- and one 1,3,4-oxadiazole-based ligands substituted with boronic acid pinacol ester groups. The boronic acid pinacol esters were then converted to boronic acids in two steps via potassium trifluoroborate intermediates. The boronic acid substituted ligands and their Ir(iii) complexes were fully characterised using a range of techniques including X-ray crystallography in the case of the pyridyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole ligand and two of the Ir(iii) complexes. The capacity of the synthesised Ir(iii) complexes to form boronic acid cyclic esters with the simple sugars glucose and fructose was evaluated using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and photoluminescence titration studies. These studies confirm that the Ir(iii) complexes form adducts with both glucose and fructose, with increased levels of boronic acid cyclic esters being formed with fructose at higher pHs. Theoretical calculations were used to gain insight into the nature of the electronic transitions involved in the electronic absorption and emission spectra.

We report the discovery of a tandem catalytic process to reduce energy demanding substrates, using the [Ir(ppy)2(dtb-bpy)]+ (1+) photocatalyst. The immediate products of photoinitiated electron transfer (PET) between 1+ and triethylamine (TEA) undergo subsequent reactions to generate a previously unknown, highly reducing species (2). Formation of 2 occurs via reduction and semisaturation of the ancillary dtb-bpy ligand, where the TEA radical cation serves as an effective hydrogen atom donor, confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, and deuterium labeling experiments. Steady-state and time-resolved luminescence and absorption studies reveal that upon irradiation, 2 undergoes electron transfer or proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) with a representative acceptor (N-(diphenylmethylene)-1-phenylmethanamine; S). Turnover of this new photocatalytic cycle occurs along with the reformation of 1+. We rationalize our observations by proposing the first example of a mechanistic pathway where two distinct yet interconnected photoredox cycles provide access to an extended reduction potential window capable of engaging a wide range of energy demanding and synthetically relevant organic substrates including aryl halides.

The first examples of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and cyclic(alkyl)(amino) carbene (CAAC) stabilized borepinium and borafluorenium heterocycles are reported herein. The optical properties of the heterocyclic borenium cations were tuned by varying the Lewis base and by changing the number of atoms in the ring. More importantly, functionalizing the cationic boron ring system in the NHC-borafluorenium cation affords a temperature-sensitive molecule with reversible colorimetric "turn off/turn on" properties in solution. Notably, this is the first report of thermochromism in these cationic species. This property, which is mediated by an intermolecular boron-oxygen bond equilibrium, was examined in detail by X-ray crystallography, variable temperature-UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy (VT-UV/Vis), and density functional theory (DFT).

Recent synthetic efforts have uncovered several bond activation pathways mediated by beryllium. Having the highest charge density and electronegativity, the chemistry of beryllium often diverges from that of its heavier alkaline earth metal congeners. Herein, we report the synthesis of a new carbodicarbene beryllacycle (2). Compound 2 converts to 3 via an unprecedented cyclic(alkyl)(amino) carbene (CAAC)-promoted ring expansion reaction (RER). While CAAC activates a carbon-beryllium bond, N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) coordinates to beryllium to give the tetracoordinate complex 4, which contains the longest carbeneC-Be bond to date at 1.856(4) A. All of the compounds were fully characterized by X-ray crystallography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and 1H, 13C, and 9Be NMR spectroscopy. The ring expansion mechanism was modeled with both NHC and CAAC using density functional theory calculations. While the activation energy for the observed beryllium ring expansion with CAAC was found to be 14 kJ mol-1, the energy barrier for the hypothetical NHC RER is significantly higher (199.1 kJ mol-1).

In the past two decades, the organometallic chemistry of the alkaline earth elements has experienced a renaissance due in part to developments in ligand stabilization strategies. In order to expand the scope of redox chemistry known for magnesium and beryllium, we have synthesized a set of reduced magnesium and beryllium complexes and compared their resulting structural and electronic properties. The carbene-coordinated alkaline earth-halides, (Et2CAAC)MgBr2 (1), (SIPr)MgBr2 (2), (Et2CAAC)BeCl2 (3), and (SIPr)BeCl2 (4) [Et2CAAC = diethyl cyclic(alkyl)(amino) carbene; SIPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazole-2-ylidene] were combined with an α-diimine [2,2-bipyridine (bpy) or bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1,4-diazabutadiene (DippDAB)] and the appropriate stoichiometric amount of potassium graphite to form singly- and doubly-reduced compounds (Et2CAAC)MgBr(DippDAB) (5), (Et2CAAC)MgBr(bpy) (6), (Et2CAAC)Mg(DippDAB) (7), (Et2CAAC)Be(bpy) (8), and (SIPr)Be(bpy) (9). The doubly-reduced compounds 7-9 exhibit substantial π-bonding interactions across the diimine core, metal center, and π-acidic carbene. Each complex was fully characterized by UV-vis, FT-IR, X-ray crystallography, 1H, 13C, and 9Be NMR, or EPR where applicable. We use these compounds to highlight the differences in the organometallic chemistry of the lightest alkaline earth metals, magnesium and beryllium, in an otherwise identical chemical environment.

The attempted synthesis of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-stabilised dicarbon (C2) fragments via nucleophilic substitution at 1,2-diiodoethane is reported. Rather than the expected SN2 pathway, clean elimination of ethene and formation of an iodoimidazolium cation was observed. The resistance towards nucleophilic substitution piqued interest, and subsequent investigation determined NHC-halogen bonding as the source. This is in contrast to reactions between NHCs and other alkyl halides, where substitution or elimination pathways are reported. A detailed theoretical study between these cases highlights the importance of iodine as a halogen bond donor compared with other halogens, and shows that NHCs are excellent halogen bond acceptors. This reactivity suggests potential for application of the halogen bonding interaction between NHCs and organic compounds.

The reduction of the relatively inert carbon–oxygen bonds of CO2 to access useful CO2-derived organic products is one of the most important fundamental challenges in synthetic chemistry. Facilitating this bond-cleavage using earth-abundant, non-toxic main group elements (MGEs) is especially arduous because of the difficulty in achieving strong inner-sphere interactions between CO2 and the MGE. Herein we report the first successful chemical reduction of CO2 at room temperature by alkali metals, promoted by a cyclic(alkyl)(amino) carbene (CAAC). One-electron reduction of CAAC-CO2 adduct (1) with lithium, sodium or potassium metal yields stable monoanionic radicals clusters [M(CAAC–CO2)]n(M = Li, Na, K, 2-4) and two-electron alkali metal reduction affords open-shell, dianionic clusters of the general formula [M2(CAAC–CO2)]n (5-8). It is notable that these crystalline clusters of reduced CO2 may also be isolated via the “one-pot” reaction of free CO2 with free CAAC followed by the addition of alkali metals – a reductive process which does not occur in the absence of carbene. Each of the products 2-8 were investigated using a combination of experimental and theoretical methods.

The reduction of the relatively inert carbon–oxygen bonds of CO2to access useful CO2-derived organic products is one of the most important fundamental challenges in synthetic chemistry. Achieving this reduction using earth-abundant main group elements (MGEs) is especially arduous because of the difficulty in achieving strong inner-sphere reactions and bond activation events between CO2and the MGE. Herein we report the first successful chemical reduction of a zwitterionic carbene-CO2adduct by either one or two equivalents of light alkali metals to form isolable, room-temperature-stable crystalline clusters exhibiting remarkably diverse electronic and structural characteristics. The reduction of a CAAC-CO2adduct [CAAC–CO2, 1, CAAC = cyclic (alkyl)(amino) carbene] with one equivalent of lithium, sodium or potassium metal yields the monoanionic radicals (THF)3Li2(CAAC–CO2)2(2), (THF)4Na4(CAAC–CO2)4(3), or (THF)4K4(CAAC–CO2)4(4). The reduction of 1by two or more equivalents of lithium, sodium, or potassium yields the open-shell, dianionic clusters (THF)2Li6(CAAC–CO2)3(5), Li12(CAAC–CO2)6(6), Na12(CAAC–CO2)6(7), and K10(CAAC–CO2)5(8). Each of the clusters was studied by a combination of X-ray crystallography, FTIR, UV-Vis, EPR and NMR spectroscopies, and theoretical calculations. The synthetic transformation described in this report results in the facile net reduction of CO2at room temperature by lithium, sodium, and potassium metal without the need for additional metallic promoters, catalysts, or reagents – a process which does not occur in the absence of carbene.

A new strategy to create iridium(iii)-based ECL labels reveals limitations of conventional approaches., Translation of the highly promising electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) properties of Ir(iii) complexes (with tri-n-propylamine (TPrA) as a co-reactant) into a new generation of ECL labels for ligand binding assays necessitates the introduction of functionality suitable for bioconjugation. Modification of the ligands, however, can affect not only the photophysical and electrochemical properties of the complex, but also the reaction pathways available to generate light. Through a combined theoretical and experimental study, we reveal the limitations of conventional approaches to the design of electrochemiluminophores and introduce a new class of ECL label, [Ir(C^N)2(pt-TOxT-Sq)]+ (where C^N is a range of possible cyclometalating ligands, and pt-TOxT-Sq is a pyridyltriazole ligand with trioxatridecane chain and squarate amide ethyl ester), which outperformed commercial Ir(iii) complex labels in two commonly used assay formats. Predicted limits on the redox potentials and emission wavelengths of Ir(iii) complexes capable of generating ECL via the dominant pathway applicable in microbead supported ECL assays were experimentally verified by measuring the ECL intensities of the parent luminophores at different applied potentials, and comparing the ECL responses for the corresponding labels under assay conditions. This study provides a framework to tailor ECL labels for specific assay conditions and a fundamental understanding of the ECL pathways that will underpin exploration of new luminophores and co-reactants.

The reactions of a monomeric borole and a dimeric borole with 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene and 1,3-cyclohexadiene were investigated. The monomeric borole reacted at ambient temperature whereas heat was required to crack the dimer to form the monomer and induce reactivity. 2,3-Dimethyl-1,3-butadiene reacts to give diverse products resulting from a cycloaddition process with the B-C moiety of the boroles acting as a dienophile, followed by rearrangements to furnish bicyclic species. For 1,3-cyclohexadiene, a [4+2] process is observed in which 1,3-cyclohexadiene serves as the dienophile and the boroles as the diene partner. The experimental results are corroborated with mechanistic theoretical calculations that indicate boroles can serve as either a diene or dienophile in cycloaddition reactions with dienes.

The endocyclic ring expansion of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) rings containing one N atom and one P, N, C, O or S heteroatom has been investigated in a computational study. Ring expansion was determined to follow a common pathway, leading to a final expanded six-membered ring that was predicted to be thermodynamically stable for all heterocycles. However, reactivity is driven by kinetics with ring-expansion reactivity not expected for the P/NHC and C/NHC (cAAC) containing heterocycles due to large barriers for ring-expansion. In contrast, ring expansion is predicted to be feasible for N-heterocyclic carbenes containing an O (O/NHC) or S (S/NHC) heteroatom, with insertion into the O-C and S-C bond favoured over insertion into the N-C bond, respectively.

Evidence and understanding of sulfur-centered hydrogen bonding, especially where the donor is a thiol, lags far behind that for conventional OH interactions. To help address this deficiency, conformer specific IR spectra of 2-phenylethanethiol (PET) and associated 1:1 solvent complexes have been measured in SH, OH, and CH stretch regions using resonant-two-photon-ionization (R2PI) and IR-UV ion dip spectroscopic techniques. The aromatic and aliphatic CH stretch regions show signature differences between anti and gauche conformers. Supported by ab initio calculations, a PET-water cluster with an OH···S arrangement and a PET-diethyl ether cluster expressing an SH···O interaction were identified. The SH stretch band of the SH···O complex is red-shifted and undergoes significant intensity enhancement compared to the bare molecule, which is characteristic of hydrogen bonding. These findings offer insight into the nature of the thiol functional group as a potential hydrogen bond donor and acceptor.

A convenient method for the synthesis of 1,2,4-triazol-3-imines through a selective, formal, 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of organo-cyanamide ions with nitrile imine dipoles is reported. Hydrolysis of the 1,2,4-triazol-3-imines yields the corresponding 1,2,4-triazol-5-ones. A stepwise mechanism, supported by DFT calculations, is invoked to explain the reaction selectivity.

Previously reported annihilation ECL of mixtures of metal complexes have generally comprised Ir(ppy)3 or a close analogue as a higher energy donor/emitter (green/blue light) and [Ru(bpy)3]2+ or its derivative as a lower energy acceptor/emitter (red light). In contrast, here we examine Ir(ppy)3 as the lower energy acceptor/emitter, by combining it with a second Ir(iii) complex: [Ir(df-ppy)2(ptb)]+ (where ptb = 1-benzyl-1,2,3-triazol-4-ylpyridine). The application of potentials sufficient to attain the first single-electron oxidation and reduction products can be exploited to detect Ir(ppy)3 at orders of magnitude lower concentration, or enhance its maximum emission intensity at high concentration far beyond that achievable through conventional annihilation ECL of Ir(ppy)3 involving comproportionation. Moreover, under certain conditions, the colour of the emission can be selected through the applied electrochemical potentials. We have also prepared a novel Ir(iii) complex with a sufficiently low reduction potential that the reaction between its reduced form and Ir(ppy)3+ cannot populate the excited state of either luminophore. This enabled, for the first time, the exclusive formation of either excited state through the application of higher cathodic or anodic potentials, but in both cases, the ECL was greatly diminished by parasitic dark reactions.

We have carried out a theoretical investigation of benzene substituted with BeO to assess stability and aromatic properties (with 1-3 BeO units in a six-membered ring); C4H4BeO, C2H2Be2O2, and Be3O3. All species retain a planar geometry. We considered both bare complexes and Be coordinated with L = CO, pyridine, PMe3, and NHC. Coordination of a ligand to Be atoms causes increased Be-O bond distances. Aromatic character has been investigated with NICS and NICS-scan calculations, EDA analysis, as well as considering the energetics of hydrogenation. The complexes with the greatest aromatic character are C4H4BeO (3), and C4H4Be(CO), which have negative NICS(1)zz values and minima in the NICS-scan. Coordination of two ligands to make the Be four-coordinate disrupts ring planarity and reduces aromatic character.

The γ-effect of the group 14 metals is a stabilizing interaction involving the back-lobe of the σC-M (M = Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) interacting with the developing carbocation γ to the tetrel. This percaudal interaction has been observed in solvolysis experiments with significant rate enhancements over unsubstituted systems, and subsequent isolation of three-membered ring products. In this study, the γ-effect is experimentally investigated in the solid phase with X-ray crystallography, the solution phase with Si-C coupling constants, and the gas phase via collision-induced dissociation (CID). Moving from 2- and 4-silylethyl substituted pyridines to the more electron demanding substituted pyridinium ion systems results in systematic shifts in key structural parameters including the 29Si-13C NMR coupling constants consistent with the cyclopropane-like resonance form attributable to the γ-effect. However, these shifts are much less in magnitude than those previously reported for the well documented β-effect. The gas phase CID results also reflect this with the fragmentation pathways for the silylethyl substituted systems not being dominated by the percaudal interaction, compared to previous studies where all major fragments were attributable to the β-effect. Density functional theory (DFT) calculated hyperhomodesmotic equations in combination with natural bond orbital (NBO) theory also supported the experimental trends with the γ-effect providing stabilization in the pyridinium ion systems studied, but to a much smaller extent to the β-effect.

We examine the electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of three Ir(C∧N )2(acac) complexes, where acac=acetylacetonate anion and C∧N =2-phenylpyridine (ppy), 2-phenylbenzothiazole (bt), or 2-phenylquinoline (pq) anions, with tri-n-propylamine co-reactant in acetonitrile under a range of chemical and instrumental conditions; this follows somewhat conflicting recent claims of the ECL intensities from complexes of this type. Relevant electrochemical, spectroscopic, and ECL properties are evaluated in direct comparison with those of Ir(ppy)3 and [Ru(bpy)3](PF6)2, as well as data from previous publications. DFT calculations on the Ir(C∧N )2(acac) complexes show the HOMOs to be composed of both the metal and the C∧N ligand, and the LUMOs almost exclusively on the C∧N ligand. The ECL intensities of the Ir(C∧N )2(acac) complexes (relative to [Ru(bpy)3](PF6)2) were dependent on experimental conditions and, in some cases, the ECL intensities reported for iridium complexes may have been derived using conditions that unintentionally disadvantaged the reference electrochemiluminophore.

The β-diketiminato aluminum dihydrides, [HC{(Me)CNAr}2AlH2] [4: Ar = 2,6-di-isopropylphenyl (Dipp), 5: 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl (Mes)] react directly with N-aryl-substituted N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) by C–N bond activation to afford aluminum amido-alkyl derivatives of the form [HC{(Me)CNAr}2AlCH2(N(Ar′)CH)2]. The more sterically congested alane (4), bearing N-Dipp substitution, does not react with either 1,3-bis(2,6-di-isopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (IPr) or 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (IMes), even under forcing conditions. In contrast, in situ generation of 1,3-bis(phenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene through deprotonation of the corresponding imidazolium tetrafluoroborate by KN(SiMe3)2 in the presence of compound 4 provides facile ring opening of the NHC at room temperature to yield [HC{(Me)CNDipp}2AlCH2(N(Ph)CH)2]. Although compound 5 also does not react with IPr, relaxation of the steric demands of the supporting β-diketiminate ligand to N-mesityl substitution enables analogous ring op...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical and chemical changes that occur in sorghum starch during grain maturity. Two sorghum hybrids were grown in irrigated plots in 2008 and 2009; upon reaching the mid-bloom stage in maturity approximately 200 heads were tagged in each plot. Samples were collected beginning ten days after anthesis (DAA) until harvest. The samples were then decorticated and the starch isolated. The starch granule size distribution was greatly affected by the collection date as well as the growing season and hybrid. The samples ranged from 16.3% amylose in 10 DAA to 23.3% amylose in 35 DAA. The crystallinity of the starch decreased as the DAA approached physiological maturity (35 DAA). Starch thermal properties were also altered due to DAA, most notably the ΔH was 16.1 J/g at 14 DAA, 11.95 J/g at 35 DAA, and 9.45 J/g at 56 DAA. The unique chemical and thermal properties of the starches could allow for utilization of the starch in differing applications.

N‐Heterocyclic carbene (NHC)‐ and cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene (CAAC)‐stabilized borafluorene radicals have been isolated and characterized by elemental analysis, single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, UV/Vis absorption, cyclic voltammetry (CV), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, and theoretical studies. Both the CAAC–borafluorene radical (2) and the NHC–borafluorene radical (4) have a considerable amount of spin density localized on the boron atoms (0.322 for 2 and 0.369 for 4). In compound 2, the unpaired electron is also partly delocalized over the CAAC ligand carbeneC and N atoms. However, the unpaired electron in compound 4 mainly resides throughout the borafluorene π‐system, with significantly less delocalization over the NHC ligand. These results highlight the Lewis base dependent electrostructural tuning of materials‐relevant radicals. Notably, this is the first report of crystalline borafluorene radicals, and these species exhibit remarkable solid‐state and solution stability., Crystalline, isolable borafluorene radicals that are stabilized by N‐heterocyclic carbene or cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene ligands have been synthesized. They exhibit remarkable solution and solid‐state stability and were characterized by elemental analysis, single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, UV/Vis absorption, cyclic voltammetry, EPR spectroscopy, and theoretical studies.

Experimental studies suggest that the compound (NHCbz )2 C2 H2 can be considered as a complex of a distorted acetylene fragment which is stabilised by benzoannelated N-heterocyclic carbene ligands (NHCbz )→(C2 H2 )←(NHCbz ). A quantum chemical analysis of the electronic structures shows that the description with dative bonds is more favourable than with electron-sharing double bonds (NHCbz )=(C2 H2 )=(NHCbz ).

Reaction of phenylsilane with the ring expanded carbene 6-Mes results in facile Si-H oxidative addition to the carbenic carbon at room temperature. Heating the resultant diorganosilane product induces ring expansion through silicon to carbon migration of either the Si-H or Si-Ph bonds.

Benzenepropanenitrile (BPN) and its hydrate clusters are studied by R2PI and IR-UV ion-depletion spectroscopy in the CH/OH stretch regions, aided by theoretical calculations. A single water molecule binds to the terminal nitrile ‘lone-pair’ of the anti-BPN host, but there is also evidence for a side-type structure with OH donating to the nitrile π-electrons. In the gauche-BPN cluster, water is located at an intermediate angle that facilitates O⋯HC(ortho) interaction. A wide range of attachment angles is possible, as the intrinsic preference for linear hydrogen bonding is mediated by additional CH⋯O interactions that depend on molecular geometry near the nitrile group.

A new synthetic methodology has been developed for the preparation of heterobimetallic group 11 and group 12 complexes of a symmetrical bis-NHC "pincer" ligand. The synthetic route involved the initial preparation of a mononuclear [Au(NHC)2](+) complex with pendent imidazole moieties on the NHC ligands. Subsequent alkylation of the imidazole groups with Et3OBF4 and metalation with a second metal ion (Ag(I) or Hg(II)) provided two heterobimetallic complexes. Four homobimetallic (Cu(I)2, Ag(I)2, Au(I)2, and Hg(II)2) complexes of the same bis-NHC "pincer" ligand were also prepared. The homobimetallic Cu(I)2, Au(I)2, and Hg(II)2 complexes and heterobimetallic Au(I)-Ag(I) and Au(I)-Hg(II) complexes and the synthetic intermediates for the heterobimetallic complexes were characterized by X-ray crystallography. These X-ray structures show that the bimetallic complexes adopt "twisted" conformations in the solid state, supporting short M···M interactions. Crystalline samples of the homobimetallic Ag(I)2 and Au(I)2 and heterobimetallic Au(I)-Ag(I) and Au(I)-Hg(II) complexes were emissive at room temperature and at 77 K. The geometries of the synthesized complexes were optimized at the M06-L/def2-SVP level of theory, and the electronic nature of the M···M interactions for all synthesized complexes was investigated using natural bond orbital (NBO) calculations.

In this paper we report on the use of [NO][BF4] to access tricationic tetrakis(pyridine)gold(III) from Au powder, a species inaccessible using the more traditional (tetrahydrothiophene)AuCl route. It is then demonstrated that this family of compounds can be used to access new terminal Au(III) hydroxides, a challenging class of compounds, and the first crystallographically characterized examples employing bidentate ligands. Finally, preliminary biological studies indicate good activity for derivatives featuring polydentate ligands against the HeLa and PC3 cell lines but also strong inhibition of primary HUVEC cells.

A series of five heteroleptic Ir(III) complexes of the general form Ir(dfppy)2(C^C) have been prepared (where dfppy represents 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)pyridine and C^C represents a bidentate cyclometalated phenyl substituted imidazolylidene ligand). The cyclometalated phenyl ring of the imidazolylidene ligand was either unsubstituted or substituted with electron donating (OMe and Me) or electron withdrawing (Cl and F) groups in the 2 and 4 positions. The synthesised Ir(III) complexes have been characterised by elemental analysis, NMR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and electronic absorption and emission spectroscopy. The molecular structures for four Ir(III) complexes were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Each of the Ir(III) complexes exhibited intense photoluminescence in acetonitrile solution at room temperature with quantum yields (ΦPL) ranging from 58% to 86%. Cyclic voltammetry experiments revealed one oxidation process (formally ascribed to the metal centre), and two ligand-based reductions for each complex. Complexes 1–5 gave moderate to intense annihilation and co-reactant electrochemiluminescence (ECL). Consideration of the electrochemical, spectroscopic and theoretical investigations provide insights into the electrochemiluminescence behaviour.

Although ultimately not isolable for X-ray structural characterization, the free perfluorinated trityl cation was shown to be observable in neat triflic acid, which represents milder conditions than previous reports of this cation in “magic acid” or oleum. A triflate-bound species could be generated in organic solvents using stoichiometric amounts of triflic acid and was shown to be synthetically viable for hydride abstraction from Et SiH. It was demonstrated that the para-position on the -C F rings is the primary point of attack for decomposition of the cation. 3 6 5

Sulfur-Fluoride Exchange (SuFEx) is the new generation click chemistry transformation exploiting the unique properties of S-F bonds and their ability to undergo near-perfect reactions with nucleophiles. We report here the first SuFEx based protocol for the efficient synthesis of pharmaceutically important triflones and bis(trifluoromethyl)sulfur oxyimines from the corresponding sulfonyl fluorides and iminosulfur oxydifluorides, respectively. The new protocol involves the rapid exchange of the S-F bond with trifluoromethyltrimethylsilane (TMSCF3) upon activation with potassium bifluoride in anhydrous DMSO. The reaction tolerates a wide selection of substrates and proceeds under mild conditions without need for chromatographic purification. A tentative catalytic mechanism is proposed supported by DFT calculations, involving formation of the free trifluoromethyl anion followed by nucleophilic displacement of the S-F through a five-coordinate intermediate. The preparation of a benzothiazole derived bis(trifluoromethyl)sulfur oxyimine with cytotoxic selectivity for MCF7 breast cancer cells demonstrates the utility of this methodology for the late-stage functionalization of bioactive molecules.

Sulfur-Fluoride Exchange (SuFEx) is a new generation click chemistry transformation that exploits the unique properties of S-F bonds and their ability to undergo near-perfect reactions with nucleophiles. We report here the first SuFEx based protocol for the efficient late-stage synthesis of pharmaceutically important trifluoromethyl sulfones and bis(trifluoromethyl)sulfur oxyimines from the corresponding sulfonyl fluorides and iminosulfur oxydifluorides, respectively. The new protocol involves the rapid exchange of the S-F bond with trifluoromethyltrimethylsilane (TMSCF3, Ruppert’s reagent), upon activation with catalytic potassium bifluoride in anhydrous DMSO. The reaction tolerates a wide selection of substrates and proceeds under mild conditions without need for chromatographic purification. DFT calculations provide the first reported mechanism of anhydrous SuFEx reactivity, which confirms catalytic bifluoride behaviour with a five-coordinate sulfur intermediate. The preparation of a benzothiazole derived bis(trifluoromethyl)sulfur oxyimine with cytotoxic selectivity for MCF7 breast cancer cells demonstrates the utility of this methodology for the late stage functionalization of bioactive molecules.

While ultimately not isolable for X-ray structural characterization, the free perfluorinated trityl cation is shown to be observable in neat triflic acid, which represents milder conditions than previous reports of this cation in “magic acid” or oleum. A triflate-bound species can be generated in organic solvents using stoichiometric amounts of triflic acid and is shown to be synthetically viable for hydride abstraction from Et3SiH. It is demonstrated that the para position on the –C6F5 rings is the primary point of attack for decomposition of the cation.

Structure and chemistry of sorghum grain S. R. Bean, B. P. Ioerger, J. D. Wilson, M. Tilley, D. Rhodes and T. J. Herald, USDA-ARS, USA1 Introduction2 Physical grain properties3 Chemical composition of grain: starch and proteins4 Chemical composition of grain: lipids and phenolic compounds5 Chemical composition of grain: vitamins and minerals6 Factors that affect grain composition7 Summary8 Future trends9 Where to look for further information10 Acknowledgements11 ReferencesSorghum, almost always introduced as the fifth most important grain in the world, is known for its high degree of genetic diversity, with just over 43 000 accessions held in the USDA germplasm collection alone (Kimber et al., 2013). This diversity is very relevant to the discussion of sorghum grain composition since it results in phenotypes that can include virtually all aspects of grain composition and end-use quality for a wide range of uses spanning food, feed and fuel. The genetic diversity of sorghum may harbour numerous useful genes related to grain composition that, once identified, could be moved into elite adapted lines.

We demonstrate 1,2-dibromoethane-1-sulfonyl fluoride (DESF) as a bench-stable and readily accessible precursor to the robust SuFEx connector, 1-bromoethene-1-sulfonyl fluoride (BESF). The in situ generation of BESF from DESF opens up several new reaction profiles, including application in the syntheses of unprecedented 3-substituted isoxazole-5-sulfonyl fluorides, 1-substituted-1H-1,2,3-triazole-4-sulfonyl fluorides, 2-amino-1-bromoethane-1-sulfonyl fluorides and 4-bromo-β-sultams in good to excellent yields. These new modules comprise a pendant sulfonyl fluoride handle, which further undergoes facile and selective SuFEx reactions with a selection of aryl silyl ethers to generate stable and useful sulfonate connections.

The reactions of molecules containing E-H functionalities (E = Group 15 or 16 element) and pentaphenylborole were investigated revealing diverse outcomes. For aniline and water, protodeborylation ring opening reactions occurred via the N-H or O-H bonds. Pentaphenylborole reacted with water in a 1 : 1 or 2 : 1 ratio to yield the corresponding boroxane and diboroxane, respectively, whereas aniline reacted strictly in a 1 : 1 ratio. Interestingly, 1-naphthalenethiol reacted to produce a 1-bora-cyclopent-3-ene heterocycle. The reaction with a primary phosphine generated an adduct which was resilient, even at elevated temperatures. DFT calculations provide support for the observed reaction products, and identify the initial adduct as a key intermediate in determining the final product. In particular, ring opening may be linked to the lability of the hydrogen in the initial adduct. Collectively, these reactions provide insight into new reaction pathways, the stability of boroles, as well as mechanistic insight into previously reported transformations.

Incorporating phenylpyridine- and triazolylpyridine-based ligands decorated with methylsulfonate or tetraethylene glycol (TEG) groups, a series of iridium(III) complexes has been created for green and blue electrogenerated chemiluminescence under analytically useful aqueous conditions, with tri-n-propylamine as a coreactant. The relative electrochemiluminescence (ECL) intensities of the complexes were dependent on the sensitivity of the photodetector over the wavelength range and the pulse time of the applied electrochemical potential. In terms of the integrated area of corrected ECL spectra, with a pulse time of 0.5 s, the intensities of the Ir(III) complexes were between 18 and 102 % that of [Ru(bpy)3 ](2+) (bpy=2,2'-bipyridine). However, when the intensities were measured with a typical bialkali photomultiplier tube, the signal of the most effective blue emitter, [Ir(df-ppy)2 (pt-TEG)](+) (df-ppy=2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)pyridine anion, pt-TEG=1-(2-(2-(2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl)-4-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,3-triazole), was over 1200 % that of the orange-red emitter [Ru(bpy)3 ](2+) . A combined experimental and theoretical investigation of the electrochemical and spectroscopic properties of the Ir(III) complexes indicated that the greater intensity from [Ir(df-ppy)2 (pt-TEG)](+) relative to those of the other Ir(III) complexes resulted from a combination of many factors, rather than being significantly favored in one area.

The reactions of pentaphenylborole with imines, isocyanides, and acetonitrile were investigated experimentally and theoretically. On the basis of literature precedent, we envisioned that the dipolar substrates would undergo facile ring expansion reactions to yield new BNC5 heterocycles. For acetonitrile and one particular imine, this ring expansion process was observed. However, in many cases, unexpected reactivity occurred. This included hydride migration of an imine ring expanded product and the ortho C-H bond activation of an aryl group of an imine if two phenyl groups were present on the α-carbon. A bulky group on the nitrogen atom of an imine prevented coordination to the boron center, and no reaction was observed, indicating that coordination to the borole is a critical step for any type of reaction to occur. Isocyanides made coordination complexes, but heating to induce further reactivity resulted in mixtures. The mechanisms were elucidated via DFT calculations, which complement the experimental findings.

A computational study of a set of synthetically unknown beryllium-containing rings, anionic analogues of antiaromatic boroles, has been carried out to investigate their structure, stability, and potential reactivity. The results indicate that these compounds should be electronically viable (as assessed from HOMO-LUMO and singlet-triplet gaps) and therefore potential targets for synthesis. In strong contrast with boroles, these beryllium species are predicted to be not Lewis acidic but rather Lewis basic, with reactivity centered on the endocyclic Be-C bond.

Recent developments in the coordination and organometallic chemistry of beryllium are reviewed. The primary focus is on synthetic as well as theoretical reports relevant to the synthetic chemist since 2008 on molecular Be complexes bound to C, N and P ligands.

As a major component of cereal grains, including sorghum, starch plays an important role not only in grain development but also in post-harvest processing and end-product quality. Since milling can lead to the inadvertent disruption of starch granules, negatively affecting dough rheology, monitoring of starch damage is an important part of flour formulation. As the existing methods for quantifying starch damage are time-consuming, an alternative non-enzymatic methodology was sought. This study described the use of SDmatic—an instrument developed for determining starch damage in wheat flour—for assessment of sorghum flour via generation of a standard calibration. The known starch damage values were integrated to the SDmatic Ai%, and the starch damage was calculated using the following equation: Starch Damage = aAi%2 + bAi% + c. The following variables were developed for calibrating sorghum starch damage: a = 0.168, b = −30.123, and c = 1349.648. Using this calibration developed specifically for sorghum flo...

Cereal starch amylose/amylopectin (AM/AP) is critical in functional properties for food and industrial applications. Conventional methods of AM/AP are time consuming and labor intensive making it difficult to screen the large sample sets necessary for evaluating breeding samples and investigating environmental impact on starch development. The objective was to adapt and optimize the iodine binding assay in a 96-well plate format for measurement at both λ 620 nm and λ 510 nm. The standard curve for amylose content was scaled to a 96-well plate format and demonstrated R2 values of 0.999 and 0.993 for single and dual wavelengths, respectively. The plate methods were applicable over large ranges of amylose contents: high amylose maize starch at 61.7 ± 2.3%, normal wheat starch at 29.0 ± 0.74%, and a waxy maize starch at 1.2 ± 0.9%. The method exhibited slightly greater amylose content values than the Concanavalin A method for normal type starches; but is consistent with cuvette scale iodine binding assays.

The formation of a new class of I(III) compound is reported; an N,N′ chelated iodine cation ([bpy-ICl2]+; bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine). The complex is obtained as an [ICl4]− salt and is formed via simple reaction of bpy with ICl3. The compound is relatively unstable, but may be stored as a solid and is shown to be competent in the oxidative chlorination of Au(I)-NHC complexes.

Four cationic heteroleptic iridium(III) complexes have been prepared from methyl- or benzyl-substituted chelating imidazolylidene or benzimidazolylidene ligands using a Ag(I) transmetallation protocol. The synthesised iridium(III) complexes were characterised by elemental analysis, ᴵH and ᶦᶟC NMR spectroscopy and the molecular structures for three complexes were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. A combined theoretical and experimental investigation into the spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of the series was performed in order to gain understanding into the factors influencing photoluminescence and electrochemiluminescence efficiency for these complexes, with the results compared with those of similar NHC complexes of iridium and ruthenium. The N^C coordination mode in these complexes is thought to stabilise thermally accessible non-emissive states relative to the case with analogous complexes with C^C coordinated NHC ligands, resulting in low quantum yields. As a result of this and the instability of the oxidised and reduced forms of the complexes, the electrogenerated chemiluminescence intensities for the compounds are also low, despite favourable energetics. These studies provide valuable insights into the factors that must be considered when designing new NHC-based luminescent complexes. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

We report the first example of an alkene with two carbon-bound substituents (imidazole and imidazolium rings) where the Z-isomer has a greater thermodynamic stability than the E-isomer which persists in both the gas phase and in solution. Theoretical calculations, solution fluorescence spectroscopy and gas-phase ion mobility mass spectrometry studies confirm the preference for the Z-isomer, the stability of which is traced to a non-covalent interaction between the imidazole lone pair and the imidazolium ring.