Reacting in the 'Ni'ck of time : The title reaction is realized by using an isolated NiII complex ( 1 ). The catalysis tolerates a wide range of important functional groups that are often incompatible with Grignard reagents in cross‐coupling reactions.
′I′ is all the hype : A twofold excess of iodoarene in the title reaction leads to ortho‐quinols in good yields, whereas organocatalytic versions of this reaction enable subsequent epoxidation in a regio‐ and diastereoselective fashion. Chiral iodobiarenes led to enantioselectivities up to 50 % ee. m‐CPBA=meta‐chloroperoxybenzoic acid.
Control yourself! The mesoporous silica nanofibers (MSNFs) from dual structure‐directing agents were fabricated inside the pores of porous alumina (AAO, see figure) by using vapor phase synthesis. The pore structures could be controlled to form a range of structures from mesocellular foams to cylindrical mesopores with long‐range order by adding cationic cosurfactants.
Simple and brilliant : 1‐Substituted 1H‐indole‐2‐carboxylic acids efficiently undergo successive diarylation accompanied by C? H bond cleavage and decarboxylation upon treatment with aryl bromides in the presence of a palladium catalyst system to afford fluorescent 2,3‐diarylindoles. This facile synthetic method provides a highly efficient blue emitter with a quantum yield of 0.97 in the solid state (see scheme).
Two different mechanisms : Shift 1,2‐isomerization and isomerization via the disproportionation reaction are investigated for aromatic hydrocarbons over acidic mordenite zeolite by using our own n‐layered integrated molecular orbital and molecular mechanics (ONIOM) scheme. The picture shows a schematic energy profile for the isomerization of toluene catalyzed by acidic mordenite.
The missing link : Ferrocene and porphyrin monolayers are tethered on silicon surfaces with short (see picture, left) or long (right) linkers. Electron transfer to the silicon substrate is faster for monolayers with a short linker.
Two very distinct chemical reactions, yet a single catalyst : A gold complex promotes the formation of tertiary enamines from a variety of terminal and internal alkynes. Subsequent addition of a terminal alkyne to the reaction mixture affords allenes (see scheme).
Assembly language : The programmed sequences of stereochemical building blocks lead to novel biomimetic helices. The rational design approach offers new possibilities for creating periodic secondary structures.
