Search

Cyclocarbonylative Sonogashira reactions of ortho-ethynylbenzamides have been investigated. The process is carried out under CO pressure, in the presence of a very small amount of PdCl2(PPh3)2 (0.4 mol %) as a catalytic precursor and without the need for a Cu salt as the co-catalyst. 2-Ethynylbenzamide reacted successfully with iodoarenes bearing electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups, giving rise to different classes of compounds depending on the solvent used. On the contrary, N-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-ethynylbenzamide afforded exclusively polyfunctionalized isoindolinones with high stereoselectivity toward (E) isomers.

In this study, we report on the synthesis of new organic fluorophores containing either the p-phenylene or the benzodithiophene cyclic nucleus connected to thiophene units via triple bonds and carbonyl group, and on their application for the fabrication of luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs). Their optical properties were evaluated. Independent of the core, dyes containing the CO-thiophene residues seem to be the most promising for LSCs applications. In fact , carbonyl groups slightly enhance the quantum yield but significantly increase the red-shift of the emission so that the superimposition between the absorbance spectrum and the emission one is diminished. In the case of the benzodithiophene centre, light emission in the yellow-red portion of the spectrum is achieved. The latter dye is then selected for tests in a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix. It showed good compatibility and homogenous distribution, no auto-absorption phenomena, and optical efficiencies of about 8% at 1 wt. %, i.e. comparable with those PMMA/Lumogen Red films in the same range of concentration.

Oxygen and nitrogen heterocyclic systems are present in a large number of natural and synthetic compounds. In particular, oxa- and aza-silacyclane, tetrahydrofuran, benzofuran, cycloheptadifuranone, cycloheptadipyrrolone, pyrrolidine, lactone, lactam, phthalan, isochromanone, tetrahydroisoquinolinone, benzoindolizidinone, indoline and indolizidine scaffolds are present in many classes of biologically active molecules. Most of these contain a C=O moiety which can be easily introduced using carbonylative reaction conditions. In this field, intramolecular silylformylation and silylcarbocyclization reactions may afford heterocyclic compounds containing a carbonyl functional group together with a vinylsilane moiety which can be further transformed. Considering these two aspects, in this review a detailed analysis of the literature data regarding the application of silylformylation and silylcarbocyclization reactions to the synthesis of several heterocyclic derivatives is reported.

This work reports the first observation of circularly polarized electroluminescence (CPEL) in thin films of self-organized oligothiophenes. Four new 1,4-phenylene and 9H-carbazole-based oligothiophenes were ad hoc designed to ensure efficient spontaneous formation of chiral supramolecular order. They were easily synthesized and their chiroptical properties in thin films were measured. Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) spectra revealed glum in the order of 10−2 on a wide wavelengths range, originating from their self-organized chiral supramolecular organization. These molecules have reasonable properties as organic semiconductors and for this reason they can constitute the active layer of circularly-polarized organic light-emitting diodes (CP-OLEDs). Thus, we could investigate directly their electroluminescence (EL) and CPEL, without resorting to blends, but rather in a simple multilayer device with basic architecture. This is the first example of a CP-OLED with active layer made only of a small organic compound.

New luminophores having different aryl nuclei and propynones moieties have been obtained via Sonogashira reactions. Their optical properties were evaluated and indicated that carbonyl groups are responsible for significant bathochromic effects and high Stokes shifts. The insertion of -OMe groups on the central benzene unit gives to the fluorophore high optical efficiency (7.7%) when homogeneously dispersed in a poly(cyclohexyl methacrylate) (PCMA) film and connected to a PV cell.

A chiral benzo[1, 2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene-based oligothiophene with the very uncommon chiroptical property of signal inversion on sample flipping was recently described. This property is due to the interference between linear dichroism and linear birefringence, called LDLB effect, which is theoretically well understood, but to date very rarely reported in the literature. Samples with very large LDLB effect lead to the unique possibility of discriminating the direction of sample illumination (i. e., from the front or back). This article presents a set of analogue compounds, in which small structural changes are introduced to uncover which factors determine the very large LDLB effect or true circular dichroism connected to supramolecular chirality. It also reveals the impact of the deposition technique, in which spin coating may exert a primary role, and results in films with outstanding chiroptical features. These features are made even more relevant due to the semiconducting properties of oligothiophenes, which are interesting for optical sensing applications

Oxygen and nitrogen heterocycle systems are found in a vast number of natural substrates and biologically active molecules. In particular, phthalan, isochroman, and isoindoline scaffolds are present in many classes of products such as antimycotics, antibiotics, antioxidants, pigments, and fluorophores. Therefore several procedure dedicated to the building of such heterocycles have been developed. In this review a detailed analysis of literature data relating to these scaffolds is described. Particular attention has been devoted to their biological and chemical potentiality, and an in-depth investigation into the most important synthetic methods is reported. Cyclocarbonylative Sonogashira coupling of suitable alcohols and amides has been carefully considered, because it represents a valuable and atom-economic route for the construction of alkylidenephthalans, -isochromans, and -isoindolines.

A new protocol for the synthesis of 3-isochromanone derivatives based on rhodium-promoted silylcarbocyclisation reactions of ethynylbenzyl alcohol with different arylsilanes is described. The structure of the isochromanone depends upon the reaction conditions used: when the reaction is carried out without base, (Z)-4-[(aryldimethylsilyl)methylene]isochroman-3-ones are obtained as major products. These compounds can be submitted to a desilylation/aryl migration reaction to give 4-(arylmethyl)isochroman-3-ones in high yields. In contrast, in the presence of DBU (1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene), hydrogenation of methyleneisochroman-3-ones takes place, and the corresponding β-(silylmethyl)-3-isochromanones are formed. Moreover, when internal alkynes are treated with hydrosilanes under silylcarbocyclisation reaction conditions, alcoholysis of the hydrosilanes occurs exclusively.

A new chiral benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-based oligothiophene has been synthesized and spectroscopically characterized in solution and in the solid state. The electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra of the thin films revealed the occurrence of an uncommon phenomenon, consisting of the inversion of the circular dichroism sign by sample flipping. To the best of our knowledge, this is unprecedented in samples where no preferential orientation of the chromophores has been induced, and must be due to spontaneous local anisotropies. It reveals peculiar features upon the usual solvent annealing procedure, but finally results in stable and very strong signals, which are perfectly reproduced in sign, and relative and even absolute magnitude. Although the recorded signal cannot be considered as a true ECD spectrum, it corresponds to a very large discrimination of light circular polarization, which is well explained by means of the Mueller matrix analysis and does not depend on instrumental defects. It is a genuine property of this material, which correlates with polarized optical microscopy (POM) images and only depends on the self-assembling properties of this molecule. This phenomenon may have relevant implications, on account of its strength and of the interest of oligothiophenes in current optoelectronic devices.

The acyl Sonogashira reaction represents an extension of Sonogashira cross-coupling to acid chlorides which replace aryl or vinyl halides, while terminal acetylenes are used as coupling partners in both reactions. The introduction of a carbonyl functional group on the alkyne backbone determines a radical change in the reactivity of the products. Indeed, α,β-alkynyl ketones can be easily converted into different heterocyclic compounds depending on the experimental conditions employed. Due to its potential, the acyl Sonogashira reaction has been deeply studied with particular attention to the nature of the catalysts and to the structures of both coupling compounds. Considering these two aspects, in this review, a detailed analysis of the literature data regarding the acyl Sonogashira reaction and its role in the synthesis of several heterocyclic derivatives is reported.

Supported catalysts are important tools for developing green-economy-based processes. Palladium nanoparticles (NPs) that are immobilized on two fibers developed as metal scavengers (i.e., Smopex®-234 and Smopex®-111, 1% w/w) have been prepared and tested in copper-free cyclocarbonylative Sonogashira reactions. Their catalytic activity has been compared with that of a homogeneous catalyst (i.e., PdCl2(PPh3)2). Pd/Smopex®-234 showed high activity and selectivity in the synthesis of functionalized heterocycles, such as phthalans and isochromans, even when working with a very low amount of palladium (0.2–0.5 mol%). The extension of Pd/Smopex®-234 promoted cyclocarbonylative reactions to propargyl and homopropargyl amides afforded the corresponding isoindoline and dihydrobenzazepine derivatives. A preliminary test on Pd NPs leaching into the solution (1.7 × 10−3 mg) seems to indicate that, at the end of the reaction, almost all of the active metal is present on the fiber surface.

Controlling circularly polarized (CP) emission is key for both fundamental understanding and applications in the field of chiral photonics and electronics. Here, a completely new way to achieve this goal is presented. A luminescent thin film, made from a chiral conjugated phenylene bis-thiophenylpropynone able to self-assemble into ordered structures, emits highly circularly polarized light with opposite handedness from its two opposite faces. Such emergent nonreciprocal behavior in CP emission, so far unprecedented, represents a fundamental advance, opening new opportunities in design, preparation, and applications of CP emitting materials.

Oxygen and nitrogen heterocycles are present in a vast number of natural substrates and biologically active molecules. In particular, phthalan and isoindoline subunits are found in many classes of products such as antibiotics, antioxidants, antimycotics, pigments, and fluorophores. Therefore several procedures dedicated to the construction of these heterocycles have been developed. In this review, a detailed analysis of the literature data regarding the synthesis of these nuclei via cyclization reactions is reported.1 Introduction2 Phthalans2.1 Oxa-Pictet–Spengler Reaction2.2 Garratt–Braverman Cyclization2.3 Diels–Alder and Related Reactions2.4 [2+2+2] Cyclotrimerization of Alkynes2.5 Cycloetherification of ortho-Substituted Aromatics2.6 Tandem Carbonylative Sonogashira Coupling–Cyclization Reactions3 Isoindolines3.1 Amination of Dihalides3.2 Intramolecular Hydroamination3.3 Diels–Alder and Related Reactions3.4 [2+2+2] Cycloaddition Reactions3.5 Tandem Carbonylative Sonogashira Coupling–Cyclization Reactions4 Conclusions

A preliminary study was conducted on the hydrogenolysis of benzyl protected substrates using palladium nanoparticles supported on different inorganic and organic matrices, under mild experimental conditions (1 mol% Pd, T=358C, PH2=1 atm). The activity of commercially available Pd/C systems was compared with that of nanosized catalysts prepared by the Metal Vapour Synthesis (MVS) technique. MVS-derived systems resulted more efficient, affording phenols and aniline with complete chemoselectivity. Preliminary investigation on metal leaching during the reactions, indicated the presence of very low amount of palladium in solution, thus suggesting a heterogeneous behavior of the catalysts.