Phase transition induced improvement in H2 desorption kinetics: the case of the high-temperature form of Y(BH4)3

The high-temperature (HT) phase of Y(BH(4))(3) has been prepared by heating of the as mechanochemically synthesised low-temperature (LT) phase of Y(BH(4))(3) to 194-216 °C and subsequent rapid cooling to ambient temperature. Although the differences in the crystal structure and vibrational spectra for these closely-related polymorphs are rather small, yet the NMR MAS (1)H and CP MAS (89)Y spectra reveal clear differences in the chemical shifts for both nuclei. The thermal decomposition process of both forms differs noticeably below 260 °C, decomposition being faster and more facile for the HT phase. The activation energy for thermal decomposition, calculated according to the Kissinger equation, is nearly three times lower for the HT than for the LT polymorph for the first step of the thermal decomposition signalling giant improvement of kinetics of H(2) desorption.     

A vanadyl Schiff base complex: {2,2′‐[1,1′‐(o‐phenylenedinitrilo)bis(ethan‐1‐yl‐1‐ylidene)]diphenolato}oxovanadium(IV)

The green crystals of the title compound, [V(C₂₂H₁₈N₂O₂)O], represent a mononuclear oxovanadium complex. The central V^IV centre has a distorted square‐pyramidal coordination. Two N atoms and two O atoms of the Schiff base ligand define the base of the pyramid, and the oxide O atom is in the apical position. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to analyse the changes in the geometry of the ligand during the complex formation. The most significant changes are observed in the values of the torsion angles in the vicinity of the donor N atoms. The HOMA index (Harmonic Oscillator Model of Aromaticity) has been calculated to compare the aromaticity of the benzene rings in the complex and its ligand.     

Catalytic enantioselective synthesis of vicinal dialkyl arrays

With a consecutive "asymmetric allylic alkylation (AAA)/cross-metathesis (CM)/conjugate addition (CA)" protocol it is possible to synthesize either stereoisomer of compounds containing a vicinal dialkyl array with excellent stereoselectivity. The versatility of this protocol in natural product synthesis is demonstrated in the preparation of the ant pheromones faranal and lasiol.     

Ability of Lewis Acids with Shallow σ-Holes to Engage in Chalcogen Bonds in Different Environments

Molecules of the type XYT = Ch (T = C, Si, Ge; Ch = S, Se; X,Y = H, CH₃, Cl, Br, I) contain a σ-hole along the T = Ch bond extension. This hole can engage with the N lone pair of NCH and NCCH₃ so as to form a chalcogen bond. In the case of T = C, these bonds are rather weak, less than 3 kcal/mol, and are slightly weakened in acetone or water. They owe their stability to attractive electrostatic energy, supplemented by dispersion, and a much smaller polarization term. Immersion in solvent reverses the electrostatic interaction to repulsive, while amplifying the polarization energy. The σ-holes are smaller for T = Si and Ge, even negative in many cases. These Lewis acids can nonetheless engage in a weak chalcogen bond. This bond owes its stability to dispersion in the gas phase, but it is polarization that dominates in solution.     

The solvent effects in the reactions of carboxylic acids with oxiranes. 1. Kinetics of the reaction of acetic acid with epichlorohydrin in butan‐1‐ol

Kinetics of the reaction of acetic acid with epichlorohydrin in the presence of chromium(III) acetate in butan‐1‐ol solution have been studied. The partial reaction orders with respect to reagents were found. The reactions were of first‐order with respect to both epichlorohydrin and catalyst and zeroth order with respect to acetic acid. A kinetic model for the overall process has been proposed. The reaction constants have been calculated along with the activation parameters. The effect of dilution on the rate of addition is discussed. In the equimolar mixture of acetic acid and epichlorohydrin the apparent rate constant of the addition k₁ initially decreases to increase again at the concentration of butan‐1‐ol exceeding 3 M. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 32: 378–387, 2000     

Toward stereocontrolled, chemoenzymatic synthesis of unnatural peptides

An efficient, chemoenzymatic method for the multicomponent synthesis of unnatural tripeptides is presented. Development of a previously described procedure combines the diversity offered by multicomponent reactions with the selectivity of biocatalysts and allows the convenient introduction of varied amino acid moieties into the tripeptide scaffold, with control of the stereochemistry. Additionally, it allows the introduction of a methyl group to the amide nitrogen, leading to derivatives of N-methylated amino acids.     

Simultaneous Hydrogen Generation and Exciplex Stimulated Emission in Photobasic Carbon Dots

Photocatalytic water splitting is a promising approach to generating sustainable hydrogen. However, the transport of photoelectrons to the catalyst sites, usually within ps-to-ns timescales, is much faster than proton delivery (∼μs), which limits the activity. Therefore, the acceleration of abstraction of protons from water molecules towards the catalytic sites to keep up with the electron transfer rate can significantly promote hydrogen production. The photobasic effect that is the increase in proton affinity upon excitation offers means to achieve this objective. Herein, we design photobasic carbon dots and identify that internal pyridinic N sites are intrinsically photobasic. This is supported by steady-state and ultrafast spectroscopic measurements that demonstrate proton abstraction within a few picoseconds of excitation. Furthermore, we show that in water, they form a unique four-level lasing scheme with optical gain and stimulated emission. The latter competes with photocatalysis, revealing a rather unique mechanism for efficiency loss, such that the stimulated emission can act as a toggle for photocatalytic activity. This provides additional means of controlling the photocatalytic process and helps the rational design of photocatalytic materials.