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This review article summarizes progress made on [1,2]-sigmatropic rearrangements using carbenes in the ylide formation step. While other rearrangements, such as the [2,3]-sigmatropic, Doyle–Kirmse, or Sommelet–Hauser rearrangements, have been studied in detail over the past decades, investigations on [1,2]-sigmatropic rearrangements are still limited. Based on the application of diazoalkanes as carbene precursors, research on diazoalkanes in ylide formation reactions started flourishing in the 1990s. This Short Review covers milestones from the advent of [1,2]-sigmatropic rearrangements using carbenes to generate ammonium, oxonium and other ylide species, and should serve as an overview to further promote research in this area.1 Introduction2 Ammonium Ylides3 Oxonium Ylides4 Sulfonium and Selenium Ylides5 Halonium Ylides6 Conclusion and Outlook

This work discloses a zwitterionic approach for selective copolymerization of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and propylene oxide (PO), producing poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC), a biodegradable polymer with broad applications. Small-molecule catalysts composed of triethylamine (TEA) and trialkyl boranes are effective for CO₂/PO copolymerization with an alternating degree of >99% and a productivity of 171 g PPC/g catalyst. A diamine N,N,N′,N′-tetraethyl ethylenediamine (TEED) paired with trialkyl borane exhibited improved activity and productivity (up to 216 g PPC/g catalyst). By adjusting the Lewis acid–base pair, the PPC selectivity can be regulated to 99%. In addition, PPCs have medium regioregularity with a head-to-tail diad content of 80–82% and number-average molecular weights of up to 56.0 kg/mol with narrow polydispersity (below 1.2). The overall catalytic performance of these readily available simple molecules is better than that of previously reported organic catalysts for CO₂/PO copolymerization. Successive insertion of PO and CO₂ into the Lewis pair leads to the formation of an end-to-end zwitterion featuring a TEB-masked anion and an onium cation, which is highly selective to the alternating copolymerization, as demonstrated by quantum mechanical calculations.

Despite the widespread utilization of onium salts as photoacid generators (PAGs) in semiconductor photolithography, their environmental, health, and safety (EHS) properties remain poorly understood. The present work reports the bioconcentration potential of five representative onium species (four sulfonium and one iodonium compound) by determining the octanol–water partition coefficient (POW) and lipid membrane affinity coefficient (KMA); microbial toxicity was evaluated using the bioluminescent bacterium Aliivibrio fischeri (Microtox bioassay). Four of the oniums exhibited varying degrees of hydrophobic (lipophilic) partitioning (log POW: 0.08–4.12; KMA: 1.70–5.62). A strong positive linear correlation was observed between log POW and KMA (KMA = log POW + 1.76, R2 = 0.99). The bioconcentration factors (log BCF) estimated from POW and KMA for the four oniums ranged from 0.13 to 3.67 L kg−1. Bis-(4-tert-butyl phenyl)-iodonium and triphenylsulfonium had 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of 4.8 and 84.6 μM, whereas the IC50 values of the other three oniums were not determined because these values were higher than their aqueous solubility. Given the increased regulatory scrutiny regarding the use and potential health impacts from onium PAGs, this study fulfills critical knowledge gaps concerning the EHS properties of PAG oniums, enabling more comprehensive evaluation of their environmental impacts and potential risk management strategies.

Density functional theory calculations were applied to study four previously published metal-catalyzed [2,3]-rearrangements from onium ylide intermediates, in pursuit of generalizations about when,...

Pyridinium and related N-alkyl(heteroaryl)onium salts are versatile synthetic intermediates in organic chemistry, with applications ranging from ring functionalizations to provide diverse piperidine scaffolds to their recent emergence as radical precursors in deaminative cross couplings. Despite their ever-expanding applications, methods for their synthesis have seen little innovation, continuing to rely on a limited set of decades old transformations and a limited subset of coupling partners. Herein, we leverage (bis)cationic nitrogen-ligated I(iii) hypervalent iodine reagents, or N-HVIs, as “heterocyclic group transfer reagents” to provide access to a broad scope of N-alkyl(heteroaryl)onium salts via the aminolactonization of alkenoic acids, the first example of engaging an olefin to directly generate these salts. The reactions proceed in excellent yields, under mild conditions, and are capable of incorporating a broad scope of sterically and electronically diverse aromatic heterocycles. The N-HVI reagents can be generated in situ, the products isolated via simple trituration, and subsequent derivatizations demonstrate the power of this platform for diversity-oriented synthesis of 6-membered nitrogen heterocycles., Complex N-alkyl (heteroaryl)onium salts are accessed via heterocyclic group transfer reactions of N-ligated I(iii) reagents with alkenoic acids. The reactions proceed in excellent yields, under mild conditions, and with broad substrate scope.

Contact-active ammonium and phosphonium antimicrobial polymeric coatings grafted to plastic surfaces by UV treatment are described. Robust, antimicrobial styrenic polymeric scaffolds copolymerized with a low loading of UV-curable benzophenone were prepared by nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP). Similar reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT)-controlled radical polymerizations were attempted for comparison. These random styrenics were further functionalized into partially quaternarized water-soluble cationic polymers. UV-cured polymeric thin film coatings possessing cationic groups with

Poly(alkylenetetrasulfide) [poly(R-S4-R)] polymers with R = Me, Et, or Bu are prepared from alkylene dichloride and sodium tetrasulfide by an interfacial polycondensation technique using two quarte...

Efficient and selective methods for graphene functionalization are needed because they allow tuning of the graphene surface and electronic properties. To date, graphene has been functionalized using ionic bonds, π-π interactions, and covalent bonds. Graphene derivatives based on these methods have been used in various applications, but a new functionalization strategy that improves the properties of graphene is still needed. Herein, a new concept for graphene functionalization using halogenated graphene has been developed, in which brominated graphene is successfully functionalized by heteroatom-containing molecules to form onium bonds, such as pyridinium or ammonium. The counterion bromide is replaced with other anions, such as sulfate, by treating with sulfuric acid while retaining the molecules, which demonstrates the durable properties of onium bonding. To emphasize the advantages of this strategy for graphene functionalization, the performance for energy-related applications, such as biofuel cells, supercapacitors, and Li-ion batteries, is evaluated after introducing redox-active moieties onto graphene through onium bonding. This new graphene functionalization concept will provide a new approach to the design of tailor-made materials with targeted functions.

The oxidation of 1,2-C2B10H12 (1) with 100% nitric acid was studied in two solvents (CH2C12 and CCl4). Under the action of superacid (CF3SO3H), the compound 9-HO-1,2-C2B10H11 (2) gives the onium cation 9-H2O+-1,2-C2B10H11 involved in the salt [9-H2O+-1,2-C2B10Hn]-CF3SO3−, as demonstrated by uB NMR spectroscopy. The experimental and simulated uB NMR spectra of the cation 9-H2O+-1,2-C2B10H11 are in satisfactory agreement with each other. In the presence of a base, compound 2 is transferred from an ethereal solution to an aqueous alkaline solution giving the anion 9-O−- 1,2-C2B10H11. The structure of compound 2 was confirmed by 1H, 11B, 11B1H, 11B-11B COSY NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and gas chromatography mass spectrometry and was additionally established by X-ray diffraction.

The synthetic utility of alkyl-onium salt compounds is widely recognized in the field of organic chemistry. Among the wide variety of onium salts, quaternary ammonium, phosphonium, and tertiary sulfonium salts have been the most useful compounds in organic syntheses. These compounds have been very useful reagents in the construction of organic building blocks. In addition, onium salts are known as reliable catalysts, which are used to promote important organic transformations by serving as phase-transfer and ion-pair catalysts through the activation of nucleophiles. Although phase-transfer catalysis is a major direction for onium salt catalysis, hydrogen-bonding catalysis of alkyl-onium salts, which is promoted via the activation of electrophiles, has recently become a relevant topic in the field of onium salt chemistry. This Minireview introduces new possibilities and future directions for alkyl-onium salt chemistry based on its use in hydrogen-bonding catalysis and on its overall utility.

In this work we highlight two new methods for the synthesis of isoflavones through consecutive domino arylation of ortho-hydroxyarylenaminones with in situ photogenerated aryl radicals. As precursors for aryl radicals we used aryl onium reagents such as diazonium and diaryliodonium salts. Notably, the photo-Meerwein arylation by aryl diazonium tetrafluoroborates demonstrated high efficiency in terms of yields and can be considered as a method of choice for the straightforward assembly of 3-aryl-substituted chromones. Ultimately, 26 compounds were prepared in good to excellent yields using the developed synthetic protocols.

In the present paper, we report a comprehensive theoretical evaluation of a hypothetical compound, hexazinane (cyclo-H6N6), and its 10 onium salts as high-energy density materials. Crystal structure prediction, which included dynamical and mechanical stability criteria estimation, found a P21/c space group crystal structure to be the lowest energy polymorph. Prediction of the chemical reactivity parameters of a hexazinane molecule revealed a strong basic character comparable with those of secondary and tertiary aliphatic amines. The onium salts of hexazinane with the carbon-free inorganic anions (NxOy)− and with several low carbon content organic anions demonstrate excellent detonation characteristics. Hexazinanium nitrate H7N6+NO3− has detonation performance comparable with e-CL-20, the most powerful non-nuclear explosive known. The corresponding salts with dinitramide N(NO2)2− and nitrite NO2− anions have only slightly lower characteristics more powerful than all known explosives, except for e-CL-20 and octanitrocubane. The reported “green” energetic materials also demonstrate excellent propulsive performance, and, if synthesized, these may find potential applications as solid rocket propellants.

A chemoselective route for the synthesis of 1-O-alkylglycerols chimyl (1), batyl (2), and selachyl (3) is reported. These compounds can be naturally isolated from shark liver oil and the skin of animals such as stingrays and chimeras and exhibit potential anti-fouling activity. The synthetic approach developed in this work included two distinct methods of preparation. The first was based on solvent-free reactions catalyzed by onium quaternary salts (N and P) and ionic liquids; the second methodology was based on a series of one-pot reactions.

Microbial multidrug resistance presents a real problem to human health. Therefore, water-soluble polymers based on poly(aspartate-co-succinimide) were synthesized via reaction of poly(aspartate-co-succinimide) with bis-quaternary ammonium or quaternary salts. The resultant copolymers were characterized by various techniques such as FTIR, TGA, 1HNMR, 13CNMR and elemental microanalysis. Antimicrobial activities of the new onium salts were investigated against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella typhi, and the fungi, Candida albicans,Aspergillus niger, Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus flavus by agar diffusion method. Antimicrobial activity was studied in terms of inhibition zone diameters, in addition to the estimation of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the prepared compounds. A. niger and E. coli were the most affected microorganisms among the tested microorganisms with an inhibition zone of 19&ndash, 21 (mm) in case of biocides, (V) and (VII). The obtained results showed that the quaternary onium salts have higher activity compared to the aspartate copolymer with MIC concentrations of 25 mg/mL for (VII) and (V) and 50 mg/mL for (VI) and (IV).

The aim of this work is to develop single-component bifunctional organic catalysts capable of effective coupling reactions between CO2 and propylene epoxide (PO) under mild conditions using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The dual functionalities of the target catalysts come from their inclusion of a hydroxyl-containing electrophile and the nucleophilicity of iodide ion. In this respect, a series of hydroxyl-functionalized quaternary onium-based ionic liquids were studied using M062X-D3/def2-TZVP//M062X-D3/def2-SVPP model chemistry. The design of catalysts was based on tailoring two structural factors; the first one is the onium center of pnictogens (N, P, As, Sb and Bi), and the second one is the number of hydrogen bond donor groups (n = 1–3). The proposed catalysts were examined by investigation of their catalytic mechanisms to afford the cyclic carbonate. Additionally, the highest active transition state, along with the potential energy difference, was examined using non-covalent interaction (NCI) analysis. Also, the activation strain model (ASM) was used to explain the kinetic behavior of PO activation. The findings showed that the ring-opening step of PO is always the critical step of the reaction. Among the suggested catalysts, the results indicated that the dihydroxyl ammonium-based catalyst (2OH-NI) is a good choice for this catalysis under mild and solvent-free conditions.

We show that the cross section for diffractive dissociation of a small onium off a large nucleus at total rapidity $Y$ and requiring a minimum rapidity gap $Y_{\text{gap}}$ can be identified, in a well-defined parametric limit, with a simple classical observable on the stochastic process representing the evolution of the state of the onium, as its rapidity increases, in the form of color dipole branchings: It formally coincides with twice the probability that an even number of these dipoles effectively participate in the scattering, when viewed in a frame in which the onium is evolved to the rapidity $Y-Y_{\text{gap}}$. Consequently, finding asymptotic solutions to the Kovchegov-Levin equation, which rules the $Y$-dependence of the diffractive cross section, boils down to solving a probabilistic problem. Such a formulation authorizes the derivation of a parameter-free analytical expression for the gap distribution. Interestingly enough, events in which many dipoles interact simultaneously play an important role, since the distribution of the number $k$ of dipoles participating in the interaction turns out to be proportional to $1/[k(k-1)]$., 20 pages, 2 figures

Secondary ligand–metal interactions are decisive in many catalytic transformations. While arene–gold interactions have repeatedly been reported as critical structural feature in many high‐performance gold catalysts, we herein report that these interactions can also be replaced by Au⋅⋅⋅H−C hydrogen bonds without suffering any reduction in catalytic performance. Systematic experimental and computational studies on a series of ylide‐substituted phosphines featuring either a PPh3 (PhYPhos) or PCy3 (CyYPhos) moiety showed that the arene‐gold interaction in the aryl‐substituted compounds is efficiently compensated by the formation of Au⋅⋅⋅H−C hydrogen bonds. The strongest interaction is found with the C−H moiety next to the onium center, which due to the polarization results in remarkably strong interactions with the shortest Au⋅⋅⋅H−C hydrogen bonds reported to date. Calorimetric studies on the formation of the gold complexes further confirmed that the PhYPhos and CyYPhos ligands form similarly stable complexes. Consequently, both ligands showed the same catalytic performance in the hydroamination, hydrophenoxylation and hydrocarboxylation of alkynes, thus demonstrating that Au⋅⋅⋅H−C hydrogen bonds are equally suited for the generation of highly effective gold catalysts than gold‐arene interactions. The generality of this observation was confirmed by a comparative study between a biaryl phosphine ligand and its cyclohexyl‐substituted derivative, which again showed identical catalytic performance. These observations clearly support Au⋅⋅⋅H−C hydrogen bonds as fundamental secondary interactions in gold catalysts, thus further increasing the number of design elements that can be used for future catalyst construction., Experimental and computational studies on PPh3 and PCy3‐substituted ylide‐functionalized phosphines as well as on a biaryl and a cyclohexyl‐aryl phosphine demonstrate that Au⋅⋅⋅H−C hydrogen bonds can serve as secondary metal ligand interactions similar to gold–arene interactions often used in ligand design for the stabilization of catalytically active species. Remarkably short Au−H bonds are observed.

Phosphorus ylides are 1,2-dipolar compounds with a negative charge on the carbon atom. This charge is stabilized by the neighbouring onium moiety, but can also be shifted towards other substituents thus making ylides strong π donor ligands and hence ideal substituents to stabilize reactive compounds such as cations and low-valent main group species. Furthermore, the donor strength and the steric properties can easily be tuned to meet different requirements for stabilizing reactive compounds and for tailoring the properties and reactivities of the main group element. Although the use of ylide substituents in main group chemistry is still in its infancy, the first examples of isolated compounds impressively demonstrate the potential of these ligands. This review summarizes the most important discoveries also in comparison to other substituents, thus outlining avenues for future research directions., The application of ylide substituents as strong donor ligands for the stabilization of reactive main group compounds with unusual properties and reactivities is discussed.

Organic onium hydroxide aqueous solutions (OHAS) are demonstrated to be potential solvents for the dissolution of lignin and its epoxidation. A series of OHAS has been assessed in terms of the solubility of soda lignin (SL) and Klason lignin (KL), which are moderately and rarely soluble in NaOH aq. soln., respectively. Tetrabutylphosphonium hydroxide ([P4444]OH) aqueous solution was found to exhibit a highest solubility, specifically 40 wt% of SL and 3.0 wt% of KL. The superior solubility of OHAS is comprehended to be due to weak interactions between OH anions and phosphonium cations, and hence OH anions interact effectively with lignin. Epoxidation of SL was achieved by simply adding epichlorohydrin to [P4444]OH aq. dissolving SL. Films of epoxidized SL were prepared by thermal curing with the aid of a crosslinking agent, and the films were found to possess high thermal stability of >250 °C and excellent ductility. The thermal and mechanical properties were controllable by the concentration of [P4444]Cl as an additive.

Boron (B) and phosphorus (P) dual-doped carbon microspheres (BPC) were successfully synthesized from onium salts by a facile one-step pyrolysis method. When employed as the anode material for sodium (Na)-ion batteries (NIBs), the resulting BPC delivers a reversible capacity of 221.9 mAh g−1 at 50 mA g−1. Impressively, the BPC can still deliver a capacity of 102 mAh g−1 after 1500 cycles at 1 A g−1 with the capacity retention up to 78%. The high performance of the BPC can be attributed to the significantly increased defects and dilated interlayer distance induced by synergistically B and P co-doping. Keywords: Sodium-ion batteries, Anode, Carbon, Doping, Heteroatom

In this article, the authors presented a literature search devoted to the isolation of onium type derivatives with a stereogenic sulfur atom and the determination of their chemical and optical stab...

The reactions of mixed ylides containing a diazonium fragment and an "onium" group of different nature with nucleophiles were studied. In the iodonium-diazonium and sulfoniumdiazonium ylide, the nucleophile first of all substitutes the iodonium and sulfonium group. A series of hetaryl-substituted phosphazines was obtained by a one-pot process of nucleophilic substitution in a diazonium-iodonium ylide with subsequent nucleophilic addition of triarylphosphine at the diazo group.

Compared to currently studied metal-based catalysts, metal-free heteroatom-doped carbon catalysts have many advantages including no issues of degradation and contamination from metal dissolution. Relying on single type of doping usually cannot yield optimal electronic and geometric structures favorable for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Herein, heteroatom N, P, and S simultaneously doped graphene-like carbon (NPS-G) was successfully synthesized from onium salts by a facile one-step pyrolysis method. The resulting metal-free NPS-G catalyst with optimized N, P, and S contents exhibits enhanced catalytic activity towards the ORR in alkaline media, relative to any single doping. In particular, this metal-free catalyst shows an encouraging half-wave potential (E1/2 = 0.857 V) comparable to that of metal-based catalysts. It also demonstrates excellent electrochemical stability and methanol tolerance. This catalyst was further studied as a cathode in a primary Zn-air battery, showing exceptional open-circuit voltage (1.372 V) and power density (0.151 W cm−2). The NPS-G cathode delivers a specific capacity of 686 mA h gZn-1 at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 while utilizing 82.2% of the theoretical capacity (835 mA h gZn-1). The origin of high activity associated with various heteroatom dopings is elucidated through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis and density functional theory studies. The enhanced chemisorption of oxygen species (*OOH, *O and *OH) onto the dopants of the NPS-G catalysts reduces charge transfer resistance and facilitate the ORR. The porous 2D structure also contributes to the increase of active site density and facile mass transport.

We disclose an economical and metal-free catalyst system of (thio)ureas/organic bases for effective fully alternating copolymerization of epoxides and anhydrides, which remains a challenge in sustainable polyester synthesis. A series of commercial (thio)ureas and organic bases were employed as dual catalysts to optimize the activity, and the results indicate that the (thio)ureas with higher basicity paired with quaternary onium salts show higher activity. Particularly, the U1/PPNCl pair shows extremely high TOF (456 h−1) toward the ring-opening alternating copolymerization of cyclohexane oxide with phthalic anhydride, which is comparable to the activity of metal-based complex catalysts. Structurally diverse polyesters with high ester linkages (99%) and various glass transition temperatures (ranging from −8 to 133 °C) can be obtained by coupling of various renewable epoxides and anhydrides. What's more, structural analysis of the resultant polymers and the interactions between the monomers and the dual catalysts confirmed by 1H NMR reveal that the (thio)urea can act as a bifunctional catalyst, which activates both the initiating chain end and the monomer through H-bonding in the (thio)urea/PPNCl catalyst system, resulting in high activity.

A series of bifunctional phase-transfer catalysts with a quaternary onium center and a hydrogen-bonding donor group were prepared for the fixation of CO2 with commercially available epoxides under mild conditions by using a CO2 balloon (1 atm). In the presence of 2.5 mol% of achiral bifunctional phase-transfer catalysts, cyclic carbonates were obtained in good to excellent yields (up to 95%). Additionally, optical carbonates and epoxides were obtained through the kinetic resolution of rac-epoxides by 1 mol% of chiral bifunctional phase-transfer catalysts with low enantioselectivities. These catalysts featured a simple synthetic route, good modularity and high efficiency.

Peraryl-X-onium ions of nitrogen and oxygen constitute an underexploited class of organoionic species. Comparison of the syntheses of these onium salts by silyl-cation-promoted C–F activation and diazonium decomposition supports the idea that both methods share a common type of reactive intermediate. Onium ions with carboranyl counterions allowed X-ray crystallographic characterization of these salts. B97-D/Def2-TZVPP(chloroform) computational studies predicted the atropisomerism in oxonium salts analogous to that of substituted biaryls. Ion pairing of racemic atropisomeric oxonium and spirotetraarylammonium ions with enantiopure BINPHAT and BINOL allowed NMR spectral assignment of each diastereomer.

In the past decade, synthetic oxidized 5-MedC nucleosides and their derivatives have become essential tools for epigenetic research. The low efficacy of both conventional and newly reported BOP methods on C4-amination of these specific oxidized 5-MedU substrates urged us to systematically investigate how the nature of onium salt-based coupling reagents affects the C4-amination of pyrimidine nucleobases and lead us to the findings that different onium coupling reagents result in the formation of distinctive activation intermediates and PyAOP is much more potent than BOP in both activation and aminolysis steps. Direct amination without the need of ribose protection, ultrafast activation, tolerance to aqueous N-nucleophiles, and excellent yields for diverse oxidized 5MedC derivatives are the advantages of this PyAOP-based C4-amination method.

Stabilizing interactions between charged electrocatalytic intermediates and a series of cationic residues were explored through the synthesis and characterization of six palladium bis(N-heterocyclic carbene) (NHC) complexes bearing unique onium functionalities. The presence of a positively charged, pendant substituent was found to mediate electrode kinetics and facilitate CO2 coordination to the catalytic center in a systematic fashion. The introduction of cationic moieties into this system is shown to enhance catalytic selectivity for the conversion of CO2 to CO by as much as 5 times that of an alkyl-bearing analog. A combination of electrochemical experiments and computational analysis demonstrates that catalyst performance benefits most from a bulky onium unit tethered to the catalyst through a flexible linker. This behavior was interpreted as a preference for a wide, hydrophobic reaction pocket that allows for the unhindered formation of catalytic intermediates and mediated interaction with the solution.

The introduction and development of neutral macrocyclic hosts capable of complexing ions within their pre-organized cavity, has been of utmost importance in supramolecular chemistry. Their ability to form stable organic-soluble metal–macrocycle complexes opened up the way to their application in phase-transfer catalysis (PTC) as a viable alternative to quaternary onium salts. In particular, their conformationally rigid preorganized backbone, accommodating organic substrates in defined orientations, promotes highly efficient stereoselective reactions. This short review summarizes the applications of neutral macrocyclic hosts in stereoselective PTC, highlighting the difference and possible complementarity with quaternary ammonium salts.1 Introduction2 Crown Ethers and Related Coronands2.1 Enantioselective PTC with Chiral Macrocyclic Coronands2.2 Enantioselective PTC Reactions Catalyzed by Chiral Quaternary Ammonium Salts with Achiral Crown Ether Co-catalysts3 Cyclic Peptoids4 Miscellaneous Chiral Macrocyclic Hosts5 Summary and Outlook

We have developed catalyst-controlled regiodivergent rearrangements of onium-ylides derived from indole substrates. Oxonium ylides formed in situ from substituted indoles selectively undergo [2,3]- and [1,2]-rearrangements in the presence of a rhodium and copper catalyst, respectively. The combined experimental and density functional theory (DFT) computational studies indicate divergent mechanistic pathways involving a metal-free ylide in the rhodium catalyzed reaction favoring [2,3]-rearrangement, and a metal-coordinated ion-pair in the copper catalyzed [1,2]-rearrangement that recombines in the solvent-cage. The applicationof our methodology was demonstrated in the first total synthesis of the indole alkaloid (±)-sorazolon B, which enabled the stereochemical reassignment of the natural product. Further functional group transformations of the rearrangement products to generate valuable synthetic intermediates were also demonstrated.

The solubility of cellulose was systematically assessed in organic onium/inium hydroxide aqueous solutions (OHAS) having assorted cations, such as phosphonium, ammonium, piperidinium, morpholinium, pyrrolidinium, and cholinium. From a dissolution test of cellulose in OHAS, it was confirmed that the single most important factor in the dissolution is the high concentration of OHAS. In addition, having a weaker hydrogen bond network around OH and H2O was found to be important to facilitate the cellulose dissolution. In NMR analysis, the OHAS with an excellent cellulose solubility, such as tetrabutylphosphonium hydroxide ([P4444]OH), exhibited a chemical shift of water (δH2O) integrated with that of OH in the low frequency region (∼4.9 ppm), while choline hydroxide ([Ch]OH) with poor cellulose solubility showed δH2O higher than 5.2 ppm. A higher δH2O means that the protons are deshielded due to a stronger hydrogen bond network around H2O and OH, which indicates a strong self-associating property of OHAS that is unfavourable for the cellulose dissolution. Assuming that the strong self-associating property can be reduced by improving the hydrophobicity of organic cations, the methyl group in N-butyl-N-methylmorpholinium hydroxide ([Mor14]OH) was replaced by a butyl chain to shield the positive charge. While [Mor14]OH dissolved only 5 wt% of cellulose, the solubility in the synthesised OHAS, N,N-dibutylmorpholinium hydroxide ([Mor44]OH), was successfully improved to 20 wt%. In the present paper, cellulose solubility was also analysed in relation to the Kamlet-Taft parameters.

Pyridinium and related N-alkyl (heteroaryl)onium salts are versatile synthetic intermediates in organic chemistry, with applications ranging from ring functionalizations to provide diverse piperidine scaffolds to their recent emergence as radical precursors in deaminative cross couplings. Despite their ever-expanding applications, methods for their synthesis have seen little innovation, continuing to rely on a limited set of decades old transforms. Herein, we leverage (bis)cationic nitrogen-ligated I(III) hypervalent iodine reagents, or N-HVIs, as “heterocyclic group transfer reagents” to provide access to a broad scope of (heteroaryl)onium salts via the aminolactonization of alkenoic acids. The reactions proceed in excellent yields, under mild conditions, and are capable of incorporating a broad scope of sterically and electronically diverse aromatic heterocycles. The N-HVI reagents can be generated in situ, the products isolated via simple trituration, and subsequent derivatizations demonstrate the power of this platform for diversity-oriented synthesis of 6-membered nitrogen heterocycles. Mechanistic studies indicate the reaction proceeds via initial olefin activation followed by lactonization and subsequent intermolecular nucleophilic displacement of an (alkyl)(aryl)iodonium salt hypernucleofuge.

Sigmatropic rearrangements are an important fundamental toolbox in organic synthesis to access complex molecular fragments. Yet, the rearrangement reactions of onium ylides via gold catalyzed carbene transfer reactions are relatively unexplored. Herein, we describe a gold-catalyzed sigmatropic rearrangement of sulfonium and selenium ylides (39 examples, up to 99% yield). Furthermore, we report on the limitations of sigmatropic rearrangement reactions of aryl allyl anilines, which deliver exclusively C-H functionalized products.

Polypeptide synthesis was accomplished using the urethane derivatives of amino acids as monomers, which can be easily prepared, purified, and stored at ambient temperature without the requirement for special precautions. The urethanes of amino acids are readily synthesized by the N-carbamoylation of onium salts of amino acids using diphenyl carbonate (DPC). The prepared urethanes are then efficiently cyclized to produce amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs). Thereafter, in the presence of primary amines, the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of NCAs is initiated using the amines, to yield polypeptides with controlled molecular weights. The polypeptides have propagating chains bearing reactive amino groups and initiating chain ends endowed with functional moieties that originate from the amines. Aiming to benefit from these interesting characteristics of the polypeptide synthesis using the urethanes of amino acids, various macromolecular architectures containing polypeptide components have been constructed and applied as biofunctional materials in highly efficient antifouling coatings against proteins and cells, as biosensors for specific molecules, and in targeted drug delivery.

The aim was study the influence of onium salts on the kinetics of photopolymerization in the visible light region. Trimethylolpropane triacrylate TMPTA was selected as a monomer, and activated by 1,3-bis(phenylamino)squaraine (SQ) used as a photosensitizer in addition to tetramethylammonium n-butyltriphenylborate (B2). The iodonium salt [A–I–B]+X− functioned as a second radical initiator, bearing a different substitution pattern for the cation. The ternary system was formulated with different concentrations of both borate and diphenyliodonium salts. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to investigate the polymerization reaction over the photoactivation time carried out at 300 nm < λ < 500 nm irradiation. When the squaraine dye/borate salt was used as photoinitiator, a slow polymerization reaction was observed and a lower monomer conversion. The addition of a third component (onium salt) increased the polymerization rate and conversion. Ternary photoinitiator systems showed improvement in the polymerization rate of triacrylate leading to high conversion in a short photoactivation time. The photoinitiating ability of bi- and tri-component photoinitiators acting in the UV-Vis region for initiation polymerization of triacrylate was compared with those of some commercially used photoinitiating systems. It was also found, that, the parallel electron transfer from an excited state of the sensitizer to [A–I–B]+X−, and an electron transfer from a ground state of R(Ph)3B−N(CH3)4+ to an excited state of the sensitizer results in two types of initiating radical.

Cyclic amino(ylide)carbenes (CAYCs) are the ylide-substituted analogues of N-heterocyclic Carbenes (NHCs). Due to the stronger &pi, donation of the ylide compared to an amino moiety they are stronger donors and thus are desirable ligands for catalysis. However, no stable CAYC has been reported until today. Here, we describe experimental and computational studies on the synthesis and stability of CAYCs based on pyrroles with trialkyl onium groups. Attempts to isolate two CAYCs with trialkyl phosphonium and sulfonium ylides resulted in the deprotonation of the alkyl groups instead of the formation of the desired CAYCs. In case of the PCy3-substituted system, the corresponding ylide was isolated, while deprotonation of the SMe2-functionalized compound led to the formation of ethene and the thioether. Detailed computational studies on various trialkyl onium groups showed that both the &alpha, and &beta, deprotonated compounds were energetically favored over the free carbene. The most stable candidates were revealed to be &alpha, hydrogen-free adamantyl-substituted onium groups, for which &beta, deprotonation is less favorable at the bridgehead position. Overall, the calculations showed that the isolation of CAYCs should be possible, but careful design is required to exclude decomposition pathways such as deprotonations at the onium group.

This work demonstrates a new versatile, efficient photoinitiating system based on 2-amino-4-phenyl-6-(4-phenylphenyl)benzene-1,3-dicarbonitrile and 2-amino-4-phenyl-6-[4-[(E)-styryl]phenyl]benzene-1,3-dicarbonitrile derivatives as photosensitisers of iodonium and thianthrenium salts for photopolymerization under visible low light intensity with potential translation to high performance 3D printing. The new meta-terphenyl derivatives were characterised by standard analytical and spectroscopic techniques. The activity of new bimolecular photoinitiating systems was investigated using Fourier transform real-time infrared spectroscopy. As the choices for an efficient visible sensitiser are rather limited for thianthrenium salt, the syntheses of new photo-sensitisers have received considerable attention. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to apply meta-terphenyl derivatives as visible photosensitisers for different types of onium salts. For this purpose, the new 2-amino-4-phenyl-6-(4-phenylphenyl)benzene-1,3-dicarbonitrile and 2-amino-4-phenyl-6-[4-[(E)-styryl]phenyl]benzene-1,3-dicarbonitrile derivatives were combined with commercially available iodonium salt (HIP) and thianthrenium salt to create visible light photoinitiating systems. It was shown that the efficiency of these bimolecular photoinitiating systems was based on the favorable free energy change of the photoinduced electron transfer from the meta-terphenyl derivatives to the iodonium and thianthrenium salts. It was confirmed by the experiments that the ability of tested photoredox pairs to initiate the photopolymerization processes depends on the oxidation potentials of the meta-terphenyl derivatives and the reduction potentials of the onium salts. Here, we explore the role of the scientific aspects of the mechanism, energetics and dynamics of applicability of the new meta-terphenyl compounds as efficient and versatile photosensitisers of onium salts with different oxidising power. Moreover, the investigated terphenyl derivatives can work as photoredox catalysts and efficient photoinitiating systems, and can be used with typical oxidation and reduction agents in both reductive and oxidation cycles.

Cooperative dual catalysis and bifunctional catalysis have emerged as reliable strategies for the development of hitherto difficult asymmetric transformations because they could deliver new reactivity and selectivity, and allow for the employment of substrates not amenable to reaction systems relying on a single, monofunctional catalysts. Furthermore, these modes of catalysis often improve yields and stereoselectivities via the precise recognition and simultaneous activation of nucleophiles and electrophiles. Efforts towards utilizing chiral cationic organic catalysts for asymmetric cooperative catalysis with metal complexes have provided a unique platform to address the challenging issues associated with reaction development. Chiral onium ions, such as tetraalkylammonium, guanidinium, and azolium ions, are employed mainly to control the reactivity and stereochemistry of anionic intermediates through electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding interactions. Metal complexes complement the synergy of the catalysis by activating the substrates via the formation of electrophilic π-allyl complexes, Lewis acid-base adducts, nucleophilic ate complexes, etc. The electrostatic interactions between cations and anions also offer a means to construct complex molecular assemblies, and, thus, onium ions are useful not only for controlling pairing with anionic species, but also for the design of supramolecular catalysts. The combination of onium ions and metal complexes leads to the introduction of novel concepts and powerful strategies for the development of catalysts and chemical transformations.

Herein we report the evaluation of the frequently employed tetrabutyl ammonium and phosphonium halides as well as their bifunctional analogs as catalysts in cyclic carbonate synthesis under benchmarked conditions. The kinetic data of all catalysts were evaluated and the rate constants determined. Moreover, a systematic infrared spectroscopic study of the interactions between cation and anion of the catalysts as well as the interactions between the catalysts and the substrate were conducted. These experimental results were additionally supported by DFT calculations. The observed trends in the interaction between the onium cation and the anion are correlated to their catalytic activity. Moreover, these investigations revealed the mode of the substrate activation for the monofunctional and the bifunctional catalysts. Furthermore, the kinetic studies and in situ infrared experiments revealed a product inhibition of the bifunctional catalysts via the unexpected formation of catalyst–carbonate adducts. The inte...

The reaction products formed in the SO2–L–H2O–O2 systems (L is n-propylamine, n-butylamine, tert-butylamine, n-heptylamine, n-octylamine, aniline) were isolated and identified as “onium” salts [n-C3H7NH3]2SO4, [n-C4H9NH3]2SO4, [t-C4H9NH3]2SO4, [n-C7H15NH3]3SO4(HSO4), [n-C8H17NH3]3SO4(HSO4), and [C6H5NH3]2SO4. The products were characterized by elemental analysis, IR and Raman spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and thermogravimetry.

In recent years, solvate and protic ionic liquids (ILs) have attracted much attention. We synthesized both types of ILs from alkyl aza-crown ethers (L = N-propyl-1-aza-15-crown-5 (L1) and N-C6F13C2H4-1-aza-15-crown-5 (L2)). The solvate ILs [ML][Tf2N] (M = Na+, K+) were solids (Tm = 58-68 °C), whereas the solvate ILs [ML][Tf2N] (M = Li+, Ag+) and protic ILs [HL][Tf2N] were liquids with low glass transition temperatures. The ILs containing Na ions were more crystalline and exhibited higher melting points than the other ILs. The decomposition temperatures of the protic ILs were higher than those of the solvate ILs. A protic IL with a paramagnetic anion, [HL1][FeCl4] (Tm = 70.5 °C), was also synthesized and its crystal structure was determined. The solvate ILs [NaL2][X] (X = Cl−, CF3CO2−, TsO−, PhSO3−) exhibited a lower critical solution temperature (LCST)-type behavior in water. The effects of salt addition on the LCST of L2 were also investigated. The LCST of these ILs generally increased with increasing hydrophilicity or basicity of the counter anion. This tendency, which is nearly opposite to that of ILs with quaternary onium cations, is ascribed to the amphiphilic nature of the cation. The corresponding protic ILs did not exhibit LCST behavior.

We report the first spectroscopic evidence for a [C-F-C]+ fluoronium ion in solution. Extensive NMR studies (19 F, 1 H, 13 C) characterize a symmetric cage-like species in which fluorine exhibits substantial covalent bonding to each of the two carbon atoms involved in the three-center interaction. Experimental NMR data comport well with calculated values to lend credence to the structural assignment. As the culminating experiment, a Saunders isotopic perturbation test confirmed the symmetric structure. Congruent with the trend in other types of onium ions, the calculated charge at fluorine moves in a more positive (less negative) direction from the neutral. It is this important trend that explains in part the extraordinary historical difficulty in making theoretical predictions of fluoronium ions come true in solution, and why it takes fluorine captured in a cage to produce, finally, a stable ion and complete the historical arc of the organic halonium ion story.