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Controlling product selectivity is essential for improving the efficiency of multi-product reactions. Electrochemical water oxidation is a reaction of main importance in different applications, e.g., renewable energy schemes and environmental protection, where H2O2 and O2 are the two principal products. In this Communication, the product selectivity of electrochemical water oxidation was controlled by making use of the chiral induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect at mesoporous-TiO2 on the molecule-modified Au substrate. Our results show a decrease in H2O2 formation when using chiral hetero-helicene molecules adsorbed on the Au substrate. We propose a mechanism for this kinetic effect based on the onset of CISS-induced spin polarization on the Au–helicene chiral interface. We also present a new tunable substrate to investigate the CISS mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An enlarged version of the ubiquitous tetrathiafulvalene-tetrabenzoic acid is described, with 4,4′-biphenyl moieties as spacers between the coordination moieties and the electroactive core. The obtained rectangular ligand has a 14 × 22 Å2 size and is combined with Zn(II) under solvothermal conditions to yield a coordination polymer endowed with large cavities of ca. 15 × 11 Å2/10 × 10 Å2. The topology of the material is discussed in detail using the Points of Extension and Metals (PE&M) or the Straight-rod (STR) representation, and the sqc1121 or tfo topological type of the structure is observed, respectively. Its stability towards solvent removal and electrical properties are discussed. The material does not present any permanent porosity upon desolvation according to nitrogen sorption measurements at 77 K. Nevertheless, a significant increase in conductivity is observed on compressed pellets of the material upon post-synthetic oxidation with iodine. Raman spectroscopy combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations has been used to characterize the oxidation state of tetrakis(4-carboxylic acid biphenyl)tetrathiafulvalene for coordination polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel coordination polymers embedding electroactive moieties present a high interest in the development of porous conducting materials. While tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) based metal‐organic frameworks were reported to yield through‐space conducting frameworks, the use of S‐enriched scaffolds remains elusive in this field. Herein is reported the employment of bis(vinylenedithio)‐tetrathiafulvalene (BVDT‐TTF) functionalized with pyridine coordinating moieties in coordination polymers. Its combination with various transition metals yielded four isostructural networks, whose conductivity increased upon chemical oxidation with iodine. The oxidation was confirmed in a single‐crystal to single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction experiment for the Cd(II) coordination polymer. Raman spectroscopy measurements and DFT calculations confirmed the oxidation state of the bulk materials, and band structure calculations assessed the ground state as an electronically localized antiferromagnetic state, while the conduction occurs in a 2D manner. These results are shedding light to comprehend how to improve through‐space conductivity thanks to sulfur enriched ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrocrystallization is a ubiquitous tool for the assembly of ions formed in situ from electroactive precursors into ordered crystalline macroscopic assemblies. Using tetrachalcogeno-fulvalene derivatives, many conducting and superconducting materials have been developed over the past fifty years, generally referred to as organic molecular conductors. The introduction of chirality in the structure of such molecular materials is encouraged by the possible observation of exotic physical effects, such as electrical magneto-chiral anisotropy (eMChA). Chirality is more commonly caused by the organic electron donor rather than the inorganic counter-anion. Herein, the synthesis of organic electrolytes based on a [4]helicene scaffold is described. Tetrabutylammonium salts of [4]helicene carboxylate and sulfonate have been synthesized and characterized. Electrocrystallization with three organic donors, namely tetramethyl-TTF (TMTTF), bis(ethylenedithio)-TTF (BEDT-TTF) and tetramethyl-tetraselenafulvalene (TMTSF), provided crystals whose single-crystal X-ray analysis is reported. While a covalent adduct of TMTTF has been observed with the carboxylate salt as the electrolyte, the structures display either discrete organic donor stacks of TMTTF and TMTSF or chains of laterally connected dimers of BEDT-TTF when sulfonate salts are used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volatile organic compounds are widely present as scents and odors in our daily lives and are readily found in a variety of natural extracts. Because these compounds are highly volatile and usually available only in minute quantities, little attention has been paid to X-ray diffraction as a technique for their structure determination. Here, we show that the structures of volatile organic compounds are easily elucidated using minute quantities of the compounds and the crystalline sponge method. The compound vapors can be directly absorbed into the sponge crystals, or alternatively, preparative gas chromatography can be used to separate the desired compound from a natural mixture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cast films of racemic helicene derivatives adsorbed onto the surface of nanometric silica helices with controlled handedness exhibited distinct CD signals, whereas no CD signal was observed in the absence of silica nanohelices. These CD signals originate from the helical supramolecular assemblies formed by the racemic mixture of helicenes, with no evidence of enantiospecific adsorption. Interestingly, when enantiomerically pure forms of these helicenes were drop-cast onto the silica helices, different CD spectra were observed depending on the combination of the helicenes' handedness with that of the silica nanohelices. In all cases, the sign of the CD signals was determined by the handedness of the silica helices, with positive signals for right-handed helices and negative signals for left-handed helices. Furthermore, the wavelength of the CD signal maxima is dictated by the combination of the handedness of both the helicene and silica helix and shifts from 250 to 340 nm when they have matching handedness.

Novel coordination polymers embedding electroactive moieties present a high interest in the development of porous conducting materials. While tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) based metal-organic frameworks were reported to yield through-space conducting frameworks, the use of S-enriched scaffolds remains elusive in this field. Herein is reported the employment of bis(vinylenedithio)-tetrathiafulvalene (BVDT-TTF) functionalized with pyridine coordinating moieties in coordination polymers. Its combination with various transition metals yielded four isostructural networks, whose conductivity increased upon chemical oxidation with iodine. The oxidation was confirmed in a single-crystal to single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiment for the Cd(II) coordination polymer. Raman spectroscopy measurements and DFT calculations confirmed the oxidation state of the bulk materials, and band structure calculations assessed the ground state as an electronically localized antiferromagnetic state, while the conduction occurs in a 2D manner. These results are shedding light to comprehend how to improve through-space conductivity thanks to sulfur enriched ligands., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The stereochemical outcome of the recently developed metal-free 1,2-diboration of aliphatic alkenes has, until now, only been elucidated by indirect means (e.g. derivatization). This is because classical conformational analysis of the resulting 1,2-diboranes is not viable; in the (1)H NMR spectrum the relevant (1)H resonances are broadened by (11)B, and the occurrence of the products as oily compounds precludes X-ray crystallographic analysis. Herein, the crystalline sponge method is used to display the crystal structures of the diboronic esters formed from internal E and Z olefins, evidencing the stereospecific syn addition mechanism of the reaction, which is fully consistent with the prediction from DFT calculations., (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Crystal structures of α-humulene, a cyclic sesquiterpene, and its oxidized subproducts, were analyzed by the crystalline sponge method. Regio- and stereochemistry, including absolute configuration when a chiral oxidant was applied, and the stable conformations of all the scaffold-related compounds were successfully determined for samples on a 5-50 μg scale., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)