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We report a new series of low band gap (LBG) polymers (P1-P4), in which para or meta- alkoxyphenylthiophene (APTh) substituted benzodithiophene and 2,5-ethylhexyl-3,6-bis(5-bromothiophen-2-yl)pyrrolo[3,4-c]-pyrrole-1,4-dione or 2-ethylhexyl-4,6-dibromo-3-fluorothieno[3,4-b]thiophene-2-carboxylate are key repeating units. All the polymers showed broad absorption profiles over 900 nm with reduced optical band gaps (E g opt ). Interestingly, the straightforward modification (exchanging the topology of alkoxy side chain on phenyl group of APTh in donor unit) brought considerable changes in photophysical and photovoltaic properties of new polymers. In particular, meta-substituted polymers (P2, P4) showed reduced E g opt (1.26, 1.41 eV), deep highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs) (-5.23, -5.28 eV) than para-substituted polymers P1, P3 (E g opt =1.33, 1.44 eV; HOMOs=-5.19, -5.20 eV). Furthermore, the optimized P2 and P4 based devices delivered an enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.39 and 4.33%, with open-circuit voltage (V oc ) of 0.71 and 0.79 V, respectively, which are higher than P1 (PCE of 2.95 with V oc of 0.65) and P3 (PCE of 2.33% with V oc of 0.69 V) based devices.

We report an efficient and highly enantioselective hydroboration of aliphatic 1,1-disubstituted alkenes with pinacolborane using a phosphine-Cu catalyst. The method allows facile preparation of enantiomerically enriched β-chiral alkyl pinacolboronates from a range of 1,1-disubstituted alkenes with high enantioselectivity up to 99% ee. Unprecedented enantiodiscrimination between the geminal alkyl substituents was observed with functional group compatibility in the hydroboration. Furthermore, a catalyst loading as low as 1 mol % furnished the desired product without a decrease in yield or selectivity, demonstrating its efficiency in gram scale synthesis.

A Cu-catalyzed highly Z-stereoselective hydroboration of alkynes with 1,8-naphthalenediaminatoborane (HB(dan)) is developed. DPEphos (bis[(2-diphenylphosphino)phenyl]ether)-ligated Cu catalysts produced alkenylboron compounds from terminal alkynes with excellent Z-stereoselectivity. In contrast, using a SIPr-CuCl complex as the precatalyst exclusively produced E-hydroboration products at mild conditions. Both catalytic procedures form alkenylboron products stereocomplementary to each other, constituting stereodivergent hydroboration of alkynes through Cu catalysis. Deuterium labeling and isomerization studies support the Z-selective hydroboration via trans-addition of the boron reagent to terminal alkynes as opposed to precedent noble-metal-catalyzed trans-hydroborations.

The detailed reaction mechanism for the borylation of internal aryl alkynes catalyzed by copper(I) boryl complexes was studied by experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The calculated results indicate that the Cu(I)-catalyzed borylation occurs through Ph–C≡C–R insertion into the Cu–B bond to give the α- and β-borylalkyl intermediates. Among the various substituent groups (Me, Et, i-Pr, t-Bu, 1,1-Et2Pr, and Cum) at the R position, internal aryl alkynes having substituent groups less bulky than an aryl group converted to β-borylated products, whereas those having substituent groups bulkier than an aryl group converted to α-borylated products with high regio- and stereoselectivity.

A series of cationic N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precursors that can be utilized as fluorescent chemosensors for carbon dioxide capture were investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Activation energy barriers for the reactions of the cationic NHC precursors and hydrogen carbonate (HCO3(-)) based on intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) profiles as well as proton affinity of the precursors were compared. The calculated proton affinity of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazol-2-yliene was in good agreement with experimental one within the margin of error. We clarified main factors to lower the activation energy barrier based on the correlation among the number of N-heterocyclic functional group, aromatic ring size, and structural characteristics for the candidate compounds. On the basis of the results, it was verified that some of our model systems spontaneously generate NHCs without any specific catalyst.

Calix[n]triazoles are developed as new derivatives in the calixarene family. Calixtriazole compounds 2–4 are synthesized using an iterative convergent strategy including an inter-/intramolecular copper(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition reaction. Solid-state structures are clearly refined to give 1,2-alternate and partial cone conformations for calix[4]triazole and calix[5]triazole, respectively. Theoretical studies based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicated that intermolecular interactions are crucial in determining the conformers of the crystals, and the most stable conformers of calix[4]triazole, calix[5]triazole, and calix[6]triazole in the monomeric forms are 1,3-alternate, 1,3-alternate, and 1,3,5-alternate, respectively.

Crystalline coordination polymers are a newer class of organic–inorganic hybrid nanomaterials created by infinitely extending metal–ligand coordination interactions. These polymers show promise in a broad range of applications, including gas storage, molecular sieves, ion exchange, sensing, magnetism, and catalysis. [1, 2] Recently, a rational-design strategy for supramolecular gels based on the concept of coordination polymers is attracting interest. [3–6] In particular, recent studies have demonstrated that simple bridging organic units can facilitate the formation of coordination polymer gels in the absence of auxiliary moieties (e.g., urea, sugar, cholesterol, long alkyl chains), offering new possibilities to produce functional soft materials from structurally

A nucleotide is composed of a nucleobase, a five-carbon sugar, and phosphate groups. Recognition of these three sites can provide useful information for the development of selective fluorescent receptors for a specific nucleotide. In this paper, anthracene derivatives with two imidazolium groups at the 1,8- and 9,10-positions, quaternary ammonium groups, or the boronic acid group were examined for the recognition of nucleotides, such as ATP, GTP, CTP, TTP, UTP, ADP, and AMP, via fluorescence changes. The anthracene group provides the interaction between the bases of the nucleotides. The imidazolium and quaternary ammonium groups induce hydrogen bonding interactions with the phosphate groups of the nucleotides. The boronic acid group can interact with the ribose of the nucleotides.

Naphthoimidazolium groups can form unique ionic hydrogen bonds with anions as imidazolium moieties, and in addition, they are fluorescent, so no further elaborative synthesis is needed to introduce a fluorescent group. In this paper, three naphthoimidazolium derivatives were synthesized and studied for the recognition of nucleotides. Compound 1 composed of a single naphthoimidazolium group and quaternary ammonium group did not show any significant fluorescent changes with various anions and nucleotides, such as ATP, GTP, CTP, TTP, UTP, ADP and AMP. A tripodal compound 3 bearing three naphthoimidazolium groups and three quaternary ammonium groups, respectively, showed large fluorescence enhancements with UTP, CTP and TTP and moderate fluorescence enhancements with ATP and pyrophosphate and a fluorescence quenching effect with GTP. On the other hand, compound 2 bearing two naphthoimidazolium groups and two quaternary ammonium groups displayed a selective fluorescence enhancement with ATP and a selective fluorescence quenching effect with GTP in 100% aqueous solution.

Polydiacetylenes (PDAs), a family of conjugated polymers, are known to show stimulus-induced apparent blue-to-red transitions, which have led to the development of a variety of PDA-based chemosensors. However, in most cases, recognition sites were introduced at the terminal ends of PDAs, therefore, recognition processes on the surface of PDAs have been the primary stimulations to induce blue to red colorimetric changes. In this study, we reported that diverse colorimetric changes can be observed for PDA based sensors in which penetration of cationic surfactant into PDAs bearing benzoic acid groups can cause not only the typical blue to red change but also blue to violet, blue to yellow or blue to orange color change. We systematically demonstrated that these novel findings can be used effectively to discriminate different cationic surfactants by using three different PDAs. Furthermore, theoretical calculations and transmission electron microscope (TEM) images also confirm these unique colorimetric changes. These results suggest a new direction in which to design colorimetric sensors based on PDA polymers.