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The title compounds 5,5'-(propane-2,2-di-yl)bis-(2-hy-droxy-benzaldehyde), C 17 H 16 O 4 , ( 1 ), and 5,5'-(propane-2,2-di-yl)bis-(2-hy-droxy-isophthalaldehyde), C 19 H 16 O 6 , ( 2 ), crystallize with one mol-ecule in the asymmetric unit. In mol-ecule ( 1 ), a >C(CH 3 ) 2 group bridges two nearly planar salicyl-aldehyde groups [r.m.s deviations = 0.010 (1) and 0.025 (2) Å], each comprising a planar phenyl ring bonded with a hydroxyl and an aldehyde group. Similarly, compound ( 2 ) has the same bridging group, but it connects two nearly planar appendants [r.m.s deviations = 0.034 (1) and 0.035 (1) Å], each comprising a phenyl ring bonded with a hydroxyl and two aldehyde groups. Mol-ecule ( 1 ) exhibits a bridge angle of 109.5 (2)° with the salicyl-aldehyde planes subtending a dihedral angle of 88.4 (1)°. In contrast, mol-ecule ( 2 ) presents a bridge angle of 108.9 (2)° with its appendants subtending a dihedral angle of 79.6 (3)°. Both mol-ecules exhibit two intra-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds involving the phenolic H atoms and carboxyl O-atom acceptors. In the crystal of ( 2 ), O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds between one of the hydroxyl H atoms and a carboxyl O atom from a symmetry-related mol-ecule form a chain along [10]. In addition, ( 2 ) exhibits a strong visible luminescence when excited with ultraviolet radiation.

The mol-ecular structure of (2 E )-1,4-bis-(4-chloro-phen-yl)but-2-ene-1,4-dione [C 16 H 10 Cl 2 O 2 , ( 1 )] is composed of two p -chlorophenyl rings, each bonded on opposite ends to a near planar 1,4- trans enedione moiety [-C(=O)-CH=CH-(C=O)-] [r.m.s. deviation = 0.003 (1) Å]. (2 E )-1,4-Bis(4-bromo-phen-yl)but-2-ene-1,4-dione [C 16 H 10 Br 2 O 2 , ( 2 )] has a similar structure to ( 1 ), but with two p -bromophenyl rings and a less planar enedione group [r.m.s. deviation = 0.011 (1) Å]. Both mol-ecules sit on a center of inversion, thus Z ' = 0.5. The dihedral angles between the ring and the enedione group are 16.61 (8) and 15.58 (11)° for ( 1 ) and ( 2 ), respectively. In the crystal, mol-ecules of ( 1 ) exhibit C-Cl⋯Cl type I inter-actions, whereas mol-ecules of ( 2 ) present C-Br⋯Br type II inter-actions. van der Waals-type inter-actions contribute to the packing of both mol-ecules, and the packing reveals face-to-face ring stacking with similar inter-planar distances of approximately 3.53 Å.

A ring-opening metathesis polymerization catalyst supported by a redox-active N-heterocyclic carbene was synthesized and found to undergo reversible reduction. In its neutral form, the catalyst polymerized 1,5-cis,cis-cyclooctadiene at a higher rate than that of a norbornene derivative; however, upon reduction, the selectivity was found to reverse. Utilizing this oxidation state dependent selectivity, a series of copolymers with controlled compositions, microstructures, and physical properties were prepared by redox-switching the catalyst over the course of a series of polymerization reactions., (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Since the aliphatic C-H···anion interaction is relatively weak, anion binding using hydrophobic aliphatic C-H (Cali-H) groups has generally been considered not possible without the presence of additional binding sites that contain stronger interactions to the anion. Herein, we report X-ray structures of organic crystals that feature a chloride anion bound exclusively by hydrophobic Cali-H groups. An X-ray structure of imidazolium-based scaffolds using Cali-H···A(-) interactions (A(-) = anion) shows that a halide anion is directly interacting with fifteen Cali-H groups (involving eleven hydrogen bonds, two bidentate hydrogen-bond-type binding interactions and two weakly hydrogen-bonding-like binding interactions). Additional supporting interactions and/or other binding sites are not observed. We note that such types of complexes may not be rare since such high numbers of binding sites for an anion are also found in analogous tetraalkylammonium complexes. The Cali-H···A(-) interactions are driven by the formation of a near-spherical dipole layer shell structure around the anion. The alternating layers of electrostatic charge around the anion arise because the repulsions between weakly positively charged H atoms are reduced by the presence of the weakly negatively charged C atoms connected to H atoms.

The synthesis and study of a cyclic (alkyl)(amido)carbene is described. The carbene was found to undergo C-H insertion at low temperatures, formed cyclopropenes upon exposure to alkynes, and facilitated desulfurization reactions. Spectroscopic studies revealed that the carbene is strongly π-accepting but retains a complimentary degree of σ-donating properties.