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The aggregation process of a series of mono- and dinuclear gold(I) complexes containing a 4-ethynylaniline ligand and a phosphane at the second coordination position (PR 3 -Au-C≡CC 6 H 4 -NH 2 , complexes 1 - 5 , and (diphos)(Au-C≡CC 6 H 4 -NH 2 ) 2 , complexes 6 - 8 ), whose biological activity was previously studied by us, has been carefully analyzed through absorption, emission, and NMR spectroscopy, together with dynamic light scattering and small-angle X-ray scattering. These experiments allow us to retrieve information about how the compounds enter the cells. It was observed that all compounds present aggregation in fresh solutions, before biological treatment, and thus they must be entering the cells as aggregates. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry measurements showed that mononuclear complexes are mainly found in the cytosolic fraction; the dinuclear complexes are mainly found in a subsequent fraction composed of nuclei and cytoskeleton. Additionally, dinuclear complex 8 affects the actin aggregation to a larger extent, suggesting a cooperative effect of dinuclear compounds.

The synthesis of iodine(I) complexes with either benzoimidazole or carbazole-derived sp 2 N-containing Lewis bases is described, as well as their corresponding silver(I) complexes. The addition of elemental iodine to the linear two-coordinate Ag(I) complexes produces iodine(I) complexes with a three-center four-electron (3c-4e) [N-I-N] + bond. The 1 H and 1 H- 15 N HMBC NMR studies unambiguously confirm the formation of the complexes in all cases via the [N-Ag-N] + →[N-I-N] + cation exchange, with the 15 N NMR chemical shift change between 94 to 111 ppm when compared to the free ligand. The single crystal X-ray crystallographic studies on eight I + complexes revealed highly symmetrical [N-I-N] + bonds with I-N bond distances of 2.21-2.26 Å and N-I-N angles of 177-180°, whilst some of the corresponding Ag + complexes showed a clear deviation from linearity with N-Ag-N angles of ca. 150° and Ag-N bond distances of 2.09-2.18 Å., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Although machine learning bears enormous potential to accelerate developments in homogeneous catalysis, the frequent need for extensive experimental data can be a bottleneck for implementation. Here, we report an unsupervised machine learning workflow that uses only five experimental data points. It makes use of generalized parameter databases that are complemented with problem-specific in silico data acquisition and clustering. We showcase the power of this strategy for the challenging problem of speciation of palladium (Pd) catalysts, for which a mechanistic rationale is currently lacking. From a total space of 348 ligands, the algorithm predicted, and we experimentally verified, a number of phosphine ligands (including previously never synthesized ones) that give dinuclear Pd (I) complexes over the more common Pd (0) and Pd (II) species.

New 1-2 nm macrocyclic iodine(I) complexes prepared VIA a simple ligand exchange reaction manifest rigid 0.5-1 nm cavities that bind the hexafluorophosphate anion in the gas phase. The size of the cavities and the electrostatic interactions with the iodine(I) cations influence the anion binding properties of these macrocyclic complexes.

TBS-protected or N H-sulfonimidamides react with β-alkoxyvinyl trifluoromethylketones under solvent-free mechanochemical conditions to give 3-trifluoromethyl-substituted three-dimensional 1,2,6-thiadiazine 1-oxides. C4-Functionalized products can be obtained by starting from cyclic enones and brominations of the initially formed heterocycles. The stability of the products was investigated by varying the pH value and storage under aerobic conditions.

Upon treatment with Cs 2 CO 3 , S -methyl- N -ynonylsulfoximines undergo 5-exo-dig cyclizations to give three-dimensional heterocycles. The reactions proceed at ambient temperature with a wide range of substrates affording the corresponding products in good to excellent yields.

Four bis (O-I-N) compounds have been synthesised from various dihypoiodites and 4-ethylpyridine. The compounds were characterised in both the solution and solid states by NMR spectroscopy ( 1 H, 15 N), X-ray diffraction, and computational calculations.

A mechanochemical van Leusen pyrrole synthesis with a base leads to 3,4-disubstitued pyrroles in moderate to excellent yields. The developed protocol is compatible with a range of electron-withdrawing groups and can also be applied to the synthesis of oxazoles. Attempts to mechanochemically convert the resulting pyrroles into porphyrins proved to be difficult.

Neutral halogen-bonded O-I-N complexes were prepared from in situ formed carbonyl hypoiodites and aromatic organic bases. The carbonyl hypoiodites have a strongly polarized iodine atom with larger σ-holes than any known uncharged halogen bond donor. Modulating the Lewis basicity of the selected pyridine derivatives and carboxylates leads to halogen-bonded complexes where the classical O-I⋅⋅⋅N halogen bond transforms more into a halogen-bonded COO - ⋅⋅⋅I-N + ion-pair (salt) with an asymmetric O-I-N moiety. X-ray analyses, NMR studies, and calculations reveal the halogen bonding geometries of the carbonyl hypoiodite-based O-I-N complexes, confirming that in the solid-state the iodine atom is much closer to the N-atom of the pyridine derivatives than its original position at the carboxylate O-atom., (© 2021 The Authors. Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

A series of compressed M[Li313Ti2] (M = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) and expanded helicates M4[13Ti2] has been obtained. The helicates Li3[M13Ti2] or M4[13Ti2] with M = Na+, K+, Rb+, or Cs+ adopt the expanded structure in solution. By crystallization the compressed structures M[Li313Ti2] (M = Na, Rb) are obtained. This represents an example of cation-translocation based isomerism.

Based on the DFT-level-calculated molecular volume (V mol ) of pyrrole and its liquid density, pyrrole manifests the highest liquid density coefficient LD c (defined as [V mol ×density ×0.6023]/FW) value of 0.7. Normal liquids have LD c <0.63. This very high LD c is due to the strong N-H⋅⋅⋅π interactions in solution, and hence pyrrole can be considered to be a pseudo-crystalline liquid. When trapped inside the confined space of a crystalline sponge, a reorientation of the N-H⋅⋅⋅π interaction is observed leading to specific cyclic N-H⋅⋅⋅π tetramers and N-H⋅⋅⋅π dimers, as verified by single-crystal X-ray crystallographic and computational methods. These tetramers are of the same size as four pyrrole molecules in the solid-state of pyrrole, yet the cyclic N-H⋅⋅⋅π intermolecular interactions are circularly oriented instead of being in the linear zigzag structure found in the X-ray structure of a solid pyrrole. The confinement thus acts as an external driving force for tetramer formation., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

A self-assembled metallobox from copper(ii) and two macrocycles containing 1H-pyrazole ligands has been prepared. The internal cavity of the box is able to selectively encapsulate a single chloride anion over any other halide anion.

Iodonium complexes incorporating tertiary amines have been synthesised to study and explore why such species comprised of alkyl amines are relatively rare. The complexes were characterised in solution (1H and 15N NMR spectroscopy) and the solid state (SCXRD), and analysed computationally.

The synthesis of di- and tritopic gold(i) metallaligands of the type [(Au4-py)2(μ2-diphosphane)] (diphosphane = bis(diphenylphosphanyl)isopropane or dppip (1), 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)ethane or dppe (2), 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)propane or dppp (3) and 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)butane or dppb (4)) and [(Au4-py)3(μ3-triphosphane)] (triphosphane = 1,1,1-tris(diphenylphosphanylmethyl)ethane or triphos (5) and 1,3,5-tris(diphenylphosphanyl)benzene or triphosph (6)) from [(AuCl)2(μ2-diphosphane)] or [(AuCl)3(μ3-triphosphane)] and 4-pyridylboronic acid in the presence of Cs2CO3 has been conducted. Interestingly, when [(AuCl)2(μ2-dppm)] (dppm = bis(diphenylphosphanyl)methane) was used as a starting material, the cyclic tetranuclear gold(i) compound [(Au4-py)2(CH)2{μ2-Au(PPh2)2}2] (I) was obtained instead. All the products have been characterized by IR and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis and in the case of 1, 3, 5 and I by X-ray crystallography, which showed the presence of aurophilic interactions in all of them. The obtained metallaligands have been used as building blocks in self-assembly reactions with cis-blocked palladium or platinum acceptor moieties producing [2 + 2] metallamacrocycles or trigonal bipyramidal (TBP) [2 + 3] metallacages in good yields. The photophysical properties of both the metallaligands and the corresponding assemblies have been investigated.

We report a remote functionalization strategy, which allows the Z -selective synthesis of silyl enol ethers of (hetero)aromatic and aliphatic ketones via Ni-catalyzed chain walking from a distant olefin site. The positional selectivity is controlled by the directionality of the chain walk and is independent of thermodynamic preferences of the resulting silyl enol ether. Our mechanistic data indicate that a Ni (I) dimer is formed under these conditions, which serves as a catalyst resting state and, upon reaction with an alkyl bromide, is converted to [Ni (II) -H] as an active chain-walking/functionalization catalyst, ultimately generating a stabilized η 3 -bound Ni (II) enolate as the key selectivity-controlling intermediate.

The generality of nucleophilic iodonium interactions (NIIs) has been demonstrated by preparing a range of silver(i) and iodonium (I+) complexes and studying their 15N NMR chemical shifts, with the first example of a NII-complex involving a 2-coordinate silver(i) complex being confirmed by X-ray crystallography, and its nucleophilicity studied by DFT calculations.

Upon application of a multicomponent Petasis reaction, a broad range of N H-sulfoximines and boronic acids react with glyoxalic acid to afford the corresponding 2-substituted acetic acids with N-bound sulfoximidoyl groups. The protocol features excellent yields under ambient, metal-free conditions and short reaction times. Furthermore, the applicability of 2-sulfoximidoyl acetic acids as building blocks for synthesizing sulfoximine-based benzodiazepine analogues was demonstrated.

Hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) and N -haloimides form two types of short (imide)X···N and X-X···N (X = Br, I) halogen bonds. Nucleophilic substitution or ligand-exchange reaction on the peripheral X of X-X···N with the chloride of N -chlorosuccinimide lead to Cl-X···N halogen-bonded complexes. The 1:1 complexation of HMTA and ICl manifests the shortest I···N halogen bond [2.272(5) Å] yet reported for an HMTA acceptor. Two halogen-bonded organic frameworks are prepared using 1:4 molar ratio of HMTA and N -bromosuccinimide, each with a distinct channel shape, one possessing oval and the other square grid. The variations in channel shapes are due to tridentate and tetradentate (imide)Br···N coordination modes of HMTA. Density Functional Theory (DFT) studies are performed to gain insights into (imide)X···N interaction strengths (ΔE int ). The calculated ΔE int values for (imide)Br···N (-11.2 to -12.5 kcal/mol) are smaller than the values for (imide)I···N (-8.4 to -29.0 kcal/mol). The DFT additivity analysis of (imide)Br···N motifs demonstrates Br···N interaction strength gradually decreasing from 1:1 to 1:3 HMTA: N -bromosuccinimide complexes. Exceptionally similar charge density values ρ(r) for N-I covalent bond and I···N non-covalent bond of a (saccharin)N-I···N motif signify the covalent character for I···N halogen bonding., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Anyfanti, Bauzá, Gentiluomo, Rodrigues, Portalone, Frontera, Rissanen and Puttreddy.)

The work herein describes the synthesis of five three-coordinate silver(I) complexes comprising a bidentate ligand L1, either bpy (2,2'-bipyridyl) or bpyMe 2 (4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-dipyridyl), and a monodentate ligand L2, either mtz (1-methyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole), 4-Etpy (4-ethylpyridine), or 4-DMAP ( N , N -dimethylpyridin-4-amine). Upon reaction of the three-coordinate silver(I) complexes with 0.5 equiv of I 2 , the reactions quantitatively produce a 1:1 pair of complexes of a four-coordinate silver(I) complex [Ag(L1) 2 ]PF 6 and a two-coordinate iodonium complex [I(L2) 2 ]PF 6 . The combination of [Ag(bpyMe 2 ) 2 ]PF 6 and [I(4-DMAP) 2 ]PF 6 gave rise to an I + ···Ag + interaction where the I + acts as a nucleophile, only the second example of which, that was observed in both the solution (NMR) and solid (X-ray) states.

Biginelli-type multicomponent reactions (MCRs) with N H-free sulfonimidamides provide 2,3-dihydro-1,2,6-thiadiazine 1-oxides in high yields. The couplings are performed in a planetary ball mill under solvent-free mechanochemical conditions. Acetic acid or ytterbium triflate are used as catalysts. A representative product was characterized by X-ray single crystal structure analysis revealing molecular details of the highly functionalized three-dimensional heterocycle. Further product modifications lead to additional structural scaffolds.

Unlike the closely related and widely investigated amidino-substituted benzimidazoles and benzothiazoles with a range of demonstrated biological activities, the matching benzoxazole analogues still remain a largely understudied and not systematically evaluated class of compounds. To address this challenge, we utilized the Pinner reaction to convert isomeric cyano-substituted 2-aminophenols into their amidine derivatives, which were isolated as hydrochlorides and/or zwitterions, and whose structure was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The key step during the Pinner synthesis of the crucial carboximidate intermediates was characterized through mechanistic DFT calculations, with the obtained kinetic and thermodynamic parameters indicating full agreement with the experimental observations. The obtained amidines were subjected to a condensation reaction with aryl carboxylic acids that allowed the synthesis of a new library of 5- and 6-amidino substituted 2-arylbenzoxazoles. Their antiproliferative features against four human tumour cell lines (SW620, HepG2, CFPAC-1, HeLa) revealed sub-micromolar activities on SW620 for several cyclic amidino 2-naphthyl benzoxazoles, thus demonstrating the usefulness of the proposed synthetic strategy and promoting amidino substituted 2-aminophenols as important building blocks towards biologically active systems.

The synthesis of four novel gold(i)-phosphane complexes coordinated to 9-phenanthrene chromophore has been carried out through the reaction of 9-phenanthreneboronic acid and the corresponding AuClPR 3 (PR 3 = PPh 3 for triphenylphosphane (1a); 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)butane or dppb (2b); bis(diphenylphosphanyl)acetylene or dppa (2c); (AuCl) 2 (diphos) (diphos = bis(diphenylphosphanyl)methane or dppm (3)) sources. The X-ray crystal structures of compounds 1a and 2b show the existence of MOF-like intermolecular assemblies that contain empty inner cavities in the absence of aurophilic contacts. In contrast, the formation of a tetranuclear complex with intramolecular aurophilic interactions was evidenced for 3. Photophysical characterization indicates dual emission in all gold(i) complexes when oxygen is removed from the sample, while only fluorescence emission is recorded for the uncoordinated ligand. The introduction of the compounds within PMMA and Zeonex was assayed, and luminescent films containing gold(i) complexes where phosphorescence is the sole pathway for emission are obtained, instead of the dual emission (with significant fluorescence contribution) recorded in solution.

Resorcinarenes are cavity-containing compounds when in the crown conformation, from the calixarene family of concave compounds. These easy to synthesize macrocycles can be decorated at the upper rim through the eight hydroxyl groups and/or the 2-position of the aromatic ring. They are good synthons in supramolecular chemistry leading to appealing assemblies such as open-inclusion complexes, capsules and tubes through multiple weak interactions with various guests. Halogen bonding (XB) is a highly directional non-covalent interaction by an electron-deficient halogen atom as a donor that interacts with a Lewis base, the XB acceptor. This tutorial review provides an overview of recent advances in halogen-bonded assemblies based on resorcinarenes and their derivatives, specifically focusing on discrete and capsular assemblies., (© 2020 The Chemical Society of Japan & Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The synthesis of two series of gold(I) complexes with the general formulae PR 3 -Au-C≡C-phenanthrene (PR 3 =PPh 3 (1 a/2 a), PMe 3 (1 b/2 b), PNaph 3 (1 c/2 c)) or (diphos)(Au-C≡C-phenanthrene) 2 (diphos=1,1-bis(diphenylphosphino)methane, dppm (1 d/2 d), 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane, dppb (1 e/2 e)) has been realized. The two series differ in the position of the alkynyl substituent on the phenanthrene chromophore, being at the 9-position (9-ethynylphenanthrene) for the L1 series and at the 2-position (2-ethynylphenanthrene) for the L2 series. The compounds have been fully characterized by 1 H, 31 P NMR, and IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction resolution in the case of compounds 1 a, 1 e, 2 a, and 2 c. The emissive properties of the uncoordinated ligands and corresponding complexes have been studied in solution and within organic matrixes of different polarity (polymethylmethacrylate and Zeonex). Room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) is observed for all gold(I) complexes whereas only fluorescence can be detected for the pure organic chromophore. In particular, the L2 series presents better luminescent properties regarding the intensity of emission, quantum yields, and RTP effect. Additionally, although the inclusion of all the compounds in organic matrixes induces an enhancement of the observed RTP owing to the decrease in non-radiative deactivation, only the L2 series completely suppresses the fluorescence, giving rise to pure phosphorescent materials., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

A metalloorganic capsule was synthesized where the ligand is a derivative of heptazine with three carboxylic groups that are coordinated to Cu II cations, forming paddle-wheel motifs. Each nanocapsule is neutral, with 12 Cu II centers and 8 ligands adopting a rhombicuboctahedron shape. It has almost 3 nm diameter, and the main intermolecular interactions in the solid are π··· π stacking between the C 6 N 7 heptazine moieties. The nanocapsules can form monolayers deposited on graphite as observed by atomic force microscopy, which confirms their stability in solution.

A bis-acridinium cyclophane incorporating switchable acridinium moieties linked by a 3,5-dipyridylanisole spacer was studied as a multi-responsive host for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon guests. Complexation of perylene was shown to be the most effective and was characterized in particular by a charge-transfer band as signal output. Effective catch and release of the guest was triggered by both chemical (proton/hydroxide) and redox stimuli. Moreover, the dicationic host was also easily switched between organic and perfluorocarbon phases for applications related to the enrichment of perylene from a mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

We report a new air-stable Pd I dimer, [Pd(μ-I)(PCy 2 t Bu)] 2 , which triggers E-selective olefin migration to enamides and styrene derivatives in the presence of multiple functional groups and with complete tolerance of air. The same dimer also triggers extremely rapid C-C coupling (alkylation and arylation) at room temperature in a modular and triply selective fashion of aromatic C-Br, C-OTf/OFs, and C-Cl bonds in poly(pseudo)halogenated arenes, displaying superior activity over previous Pd I dimer generations for substrates that bear substituents ortho to C-OTf., (© 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Assessment of the solution equilibria of [bis(pyridine)iodine(i)]+ complexes by ESI-MS and NMR reveals the preference of iodine(i) to form complexes with a more basic pyridine. Mixtures of symmetric [bis(pyridine)iodine(i)]+ complexes undergo statistical ligand exchange, with a predominant entropic driving force favoring asymmetric systems. The influence of ligand basicity, concentration, temperature, and ligand composition is evaluated. Our findings are expected to facilitate the investigations, and the supramolecular and synthetic applications of halonium ions' halogen bonds.

Crown ethers are common building blocks in supramolecular chemistry and are frequently applied as cation sensors or as subunits in synthetic molecular machines. Developing switchable and specifically designed crown ethers enables the implementation of function into molecular assemblies. Seven tailor-made redox-active crown ethers incorporating tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) or naphthalene diimide (NDI) as redox-switchable building blocks are described with regard to their potential to form redox-switchable rotaxanes. A combination of isothermal titration calorimetry and voltammetric techniques reveals correlations between the binding energies and redox-switching properties of the corresponding pseudorotaxanes with secondary ammonium ions. For two different weakly coordinating anions, a surprising relation between the enthalpic and entropic binding contributions of the pseudorotaxanes was discovered. These findings were applied to the synthesis of an NDI-[2]rotaxane, which retains similar spectroelectrochemical properties compared to the corresponding free macrocycle. The detailed understanding of the thermodynamic and electrochemical properties of the tailor-made crown ethers lays the foundation for the construction of new types of molecular redox switches with emergent properties., (Copyright © 2020, Hupatz et al.; licensee Beilstein-Institut.)

The spin-spin interactions between unpaired electrons in organic (poly)radicals, especially nitroxides, are largely investigated and are of crucial importance for their applications in areas such as organic magnetism, molecular charge transfer, or multiple spin labeling in structural biology. Recently, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxyl and polymers functionalized with nitroxides have been described as successful redox mediators in several electrochemical applications; however, the study of spin-spin interaction effect in such an area is absent. This communication reports the preparation of a novel family of discrete polynitroxide molecules, with the same number of radical units but different arrangements to study the effect of intramolecular spin-spin interactions on their electrochemical potential and their use as oxidation redox mediators in a Li-oxygen battery. We find that the intensity of interactions, as measured by the d 1 / d electron paramagnetic resonance parameter, progressively lowers the reduction potential. This allows us to tune the charging potential of the battery, optimizing its energy efficiency.

A catalytic approach for the preparation of indolines by dearomatizing cyclization is presented. FeCl 3 acts as a catalyst to afford tetracyclic 5a,6-dihydro-12 H -indolo[2,1- b ][1,3]benzoxazin-12-ones in good yields. The cyclization also proceeds with tosylamides forming C-N bonds in 53% yield.

The new 2,3-secoiridoids morisecoiridoic acids A ( 1 ) and B ( 2 ), the new iridoid 8-acetoxyepishanzilactone ( 3 ), and four additional known iridoids ( 4 - 7 ) were isolated from the leaf and stem bark methanol extracts of Morinda asteroscepa using chromatographic methods. The structure of shanzilactone ( 4 ) was revised. The purified metabolites were identified using NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric techniques, with the absolute configuration of 1 having been established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The crude leaf extract (10 μg/mL) and compounds 1 - 3 and 5 (10 μM) showed mild antiplasmodial activities against the chloroquine-sensitive malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (3D7).

Five new compounds-rhodimer ( 1 ), rhodiflavan A ( 2 ), rhodiflavan B ( 3 ), rhodiflavan C ( 4 ), and rhodacarpin ( 5 )-along with 16 known secondary metabolites, were isolated from the CH 2 Cl 2 -CH 3 OH (1:1) extract of the roots of Tephrosia rhodesica . They were identified by NMR spectroscopic, mass spectrometric, X-ray crystallographic, and ECD spectroscopic analyses. The crude extract and the isolated compounds 2 - 5 , 9 , 15 , and 21 showed activity (100% at 10 μg and IC 50 = 5-15 μM) against the chloroquine-sensitive (3D7) strain of Plasmodium falciparum .

Photochromic systems have been used to achieve a number of engineering functions such as light energy conversion, molecular motors, pumps, actuators, and sensors. Key to practical applications is a high efficiency in the conversion of light to chemical energy, a rigid structure for the transmission of force to the environment, and directed motion during isomerization. We present a novel type of photochromic system (diindane diazocines) that converts visible light with an efficiency of 18 % to chemical energy. Quantum yields are exceptionally high with >70 % for the cis-trans isomerization and 90 % for the back-reaction and thus higher than the biochemical system rhodopsin (64 %). Two diastereomers (meso and racemate) were obtained in only two steps in high yields. Both isomers are directional switches with high conversion rates (76-99 %). No fatigue was observed after several thousands of switching cycles in both systems., (© 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.)

At elevated temperatures, N -cyanosulfoximines react with Meldrum's acid derivatives to give sulfoximines with N -bound 5-carbonyl-1,3-oxazine-2,4-dione groups. A representative product was characterized by single-crystal X-ray structure analysis. The product formation involves an unexpected molecular reorientation requiring several sequential bond-forming and -cleaving processes.

A study of the fluorescence enhancement of isoquinoline, acridine (benzo[ b ]quinoline) and benzo[ h ]quinoline is reported with six organic acids of different p K a values. Protonation was found to be an effective tool in the fluorescence enhancement of quinolines. A significant increase in the fluorescence intensity is observed only when strong acids are used, resulting in an over 50-fold increase in fluorescence with trifluoroacetic or benzenesulfonic acid and isoquinoline in a 1.5 : 1 ratio. The benzenesulfonic acid was found to be the most effective in the protonation of the bases despite its higher p K a value compared to trifluoro- and trichloroacetic acid. The X-ray crystal structures of 14 salts reveal the charge-assisted hydrogen bond O⋯N distances to vary very little, from 2.560(2)-2.714(3) Å, with the exception of the isoquinolinium benzenesulfonate where the O⋯N distance of 2.862(7) Å is caused by additional intermolecular interactions in the solid-state., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The first asymmetric halogen-bonded iodonium complexes [I(py)(4-DMAP)]PF6 (2c) and [I(py)(4-Etpy)]PF6 (2e) were prepared via [N-Ag-N]+ → [N-I-N]+ cation exchange of their analogous 2-coordinate silver complexes. The complexes were characterised by 1H and 1H-15N HMBC NMR spectroscopy, and single crystal X-ray crystallography.

Increased abiotic stress along with increasing temperatures, dry periods and forest disturbances may favor biotic stressors such as simultaneous invasion of bark beetle and ophiostomatoid fungi. It is not fully understood how tree desiccation is associated with colonization of sapwood by fungi. A decrease in xylem sap surface tension (σ xylem ) as a result of infection has been hypothesized to cause xylem embolism by lowering the threshold for air-seeding at the pits between conduits and disruptions in tree water transport. However, this hypothesis has not yet been tested. We investigated tree water relations by measuring the stem xylem hydraulic conductivity (K stem ), σ xylem , stem relative water content (RWC stem ), and water potential (Ψ stem ), and canopy conductance (g canopy ), as well as the compound composition in xylem sap in Norway spruce ( Picea abies ) saplings. We conducted our measurements at the later stage of Endoconidiophora polonica infection when visible symptoms had occurred in xylem. Saplings of two clones (44 trees altogether) were allocated to treatments of inoculated, wounded control and intact control trees in a greenhouse. The saplings were destructively sampled every second week during summer 2016. σ xylem , K stem and RWC stem decreased following the inoculation, which may indicate that decreased σ xylem resulted in increased embolism. g canopy did not differ between treatments indicating that stomata responded to Ψ stem rather than to embolism formation. Concentrations of quinic acid, myo-inositol, sucrose and alkylphenol increased in the xylem sap of inoculated trees. Myo-inositol concentrations also correlated negatively with σ xylem and K stem . Our study is a preliminary investigation of the role of σ xylem in E. polonica infected trees based on previous hypotheses. The results suggest that E. polonica infection can lead to a simultaneous decrease in xylem sap surface tension and a decline in tree hydraulic conductivity, thus hampering tree water transport., (Copyright © 2020 Paljakka, Rissanen, Vanhatalo, Salmon, Jyske, Prisle, Linnakoski, Lin, Laakso, Kasanen, Bäck and Hölttä.)

Tree stems are an overlooked source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Their contribution to ecosystem processes and total VOC fluxes is not well studied, and assessing it requires better understanding of stem emission dynamics and their driving processes. To gain more mechanistic insight into stem emission patterns, we measured monoterpene, methanol and acetaldehyde emissions from the stems of mature Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) in a boreal forest over three summers. We analysed the effects of temperature, soil water content, tree water status, transpiration and growth on the VOC emissions and used generalized linear models to test their relative importance in explaining the emissions. We show that Scots pine stems are considerable sources of monoterpenes, methanol and acetaldehyde, and their emissions are strongly regulated by temperature. However, even small changes in water availability affected the emission potentials: increased soil water content increased the monoterpene emissions within a day, whereas acetaldehyde and methanol emissions responded within 2-4 days. This lag corresponded to their transport time in the xylem sap from the roots to the stem. Moreover, the emissions of monoterpenes, methanol and acetaldehyde were influenced by the cambial growth rate of the stem with 6-10-day lags., (© 2020 The Authors. Plant, Cell & Environment published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

2,2,2-Trifluoroethyl-substituted 3-oxazolines, 3-thiazolines, and 5,6-dihydro-2 H -1,3-oxazines have been obtained by reacting substituted vinyl azides with a combination of Togni's reagent and substoichiometric amounts of iron(II) chloride. The results of density functional theory calculations support the proposed mechanism involving 1, n -hydrogen-atom transfer reactions.

The synthesis of five novel cyclometalated platinum(II) compounds containing five different alkynyl-chromophores was achieved by the reaction of the previously synthesized Pt-Cl cyclometalated compound ( 1 ) with the corresponding RC≡CH by a Sonogashira reaction. It was observed that the spectral and photophysical characteristics of the cyclometalated platinum(II) complexes (Pt-Ar) are essentially associated with the platinum-cyclometalated unit. Room-temperature emission of the Pt-Ar complexes was attributed to phosphorescence in agreement with DFT calculations. Broad nanosecond (ns)-transient absorption spectra were observed with decays approximately identical to those obtained from the emission of the triplet state. From the femtosecond-transient absorption (fs-TA) data, two main excited-state decay components were identified: one in the order of a few picoseconds was assigned to fast intersystem crossing to populate the triplet excited-state and the second (hundreds of ns) was associated with the decay of the transient triplet state. In general, efficient singlet oxygen photosensitization quantum yields were observed from the triplet state of these complexes.

Induced fit and conformational selection are two dominant binding mechanisms in biology. Although induced fit has been widely accepted by supramolecular chemists, conformational selection is rarely studied with synthetic systems. In the present research, we report a macrocyclic host whose binding mechanism is unambiguously assigned to conformational selection. The kinetic and thermodynamic aspects of this system are studied in great detail. It reveals that the kinetic equation commonly used for conformational selection is strictly followed here. In addition, two mathematical models are developed to determine the association constants of the same guest to the two host conformations. A "conformational selectivity factor" is defined to quantify the fidelity of conformational selection. Many details about the kinetic and thermodynamic aspects of conformational selection are revealed by this synthetic system. The conclusion and the mathematical models reported here should be helpful in understanding complex molecular recognition in both biological and synthetic systems.

An enantiomerically pure (R)-2-methylpyrrolidine-based anilino squaraine crystallizes in two chiral polymorphs adopting a monoclinic C2 and an orthorhombic P2 1 2 1 2 1 structure, respectively. By various thin-film preparation techniques, a control of the polymorph formation is targeted. The local texture of the resulting textured thin films is connected to the corresponding optical properties. Special attention is paid to an unusual Davydov splitting, the anisotropic chiroptical response arising from preferred out-of-plane orientation of the crystallites, and the impact of the polymorph specific excitonic coupling., (© 2020 The Authors. Chirality published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

C ethyl -2-methylresorcinarene ( A ), pyridine ( B ), and a set of 10 carboxylic acids ( C n ) associate to form A·B·C n ternary assemblies with 1:1:1 stoichiometry, representing a useful class of ternary systems where the guest mediates complex formation between the host and a third component. Although individually weak in solution, the combined strength of the multiple noncovalent interactions organizes the complexes even in a highly hydrogen-bond competing methanol solution, as explored by both experimental and computational methods. The interactions between A·B and C n are dependent on the p K a values of carboxylic acids. The weak interactions between A and C further reinforce the interactions between A and B , demonstrating positive cooperativity. Our results reveal that the two-component system such as that formed by A and B can form the basis for the development of specific sensors for the molecular recognition of carboxylic acids.

Unprecedented three-dimensional 1,2,6-thiadiazine 1-oxides have been prepared by an aza-Michael-addition/cyclization/condensation reaction sequence starting from sulfonimidamides and propargyl ketones. The products have been further functionalized by standard cross-coupling reactions, selective bromination of the heterocyclic ring, and conversion into a β-hydroxy substituted derivative. A representative product was characterized by single-crystal X-ray structure analysis.

The review deals with an expanding number of steroidal compounds that are capable of forming a metallogel providing a multitude of novel materials rich in their properties. The future of steroidal metallogels holds a myriad of potential applications as new intelligent materials. Detection of potentially harmful compounds without expensive instrumentation, entrapment of environmentally hazardous substances, and sensitive and selective nanomaterials represent only a few of these potential applications. This article reviews the design, synthesis, characterization, and applications of steroidal metallogels.

Two isostructural ligands with either nitrile (L nit ) or isonitrile (L iso ) moieties directly connected to a [2.2]paracyclophane backbone with pseudo-meta substitution pattern have been synthesized. The ligand itself (L nit ) or its precursors (L iso ) were resolved by HPLC on a chiral stationary phase and the absolute configuration of the isolated enantiomers was assigned by XRD analysis and/or by comparison of quantum-chemical simulated and experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Surprisingly, the resulting metallosupramolecular aggregates formed in solution upon coordination of [(dppp)Pd(OTf) 2 ] differ in their composition: whereas L nit forms dinuclear complexes, L iso exclusively forms trinuclear ones. Furthermore, they also differ in their chiral self-sorting behavior as (rac)-L iso undergoes exclusive social self-sorting leading to a heterochiral assembly, whereas (rac)-L iso shows a twofold preference for the formation of homochiral complexes in a narcissistic self-sorting manner as proven by ESI mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. Interestingly, upon crystallization, these discrete aggregates undergo structural transformation to coordination polymers, as evidenced by single-crystal X-ray diffraction., (© 2019 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.)

"Naphthocage", a naphthalene-based organic cage, reveals very strong binding (up to 10 10 M -1 ) to aromatic (di)cationic guests, i.e., the tetrathiafulvalene mono- and dication and methyl viologen. Intercalation of the guests between two naphthalene walls is mediated by C-H···O, C-H···π, and cation···π interactions. The guests can be switched into and out of the cage by redox processes with high binding selectivity. Oxidation of the flexible cage itself in the absence of a guest leads to a stable radical cation with the oxidized naphthalene intercalated between and stabilized by the other two. Encapsulated guest cations are released from the cavity upon cage oxidation, paving the way to future applications in redox-controlled guest release or novel stimuli-responsive materials.

We report on the synthesis and self-assembly study of novel supramolecular monomers encompassing quadruple hydrogen-bonding motifs and metal-coordinating 2,2'-bipyridine units. When mixed with metal ions such as Fe 2+ or Zn 2+ , the tetrahedron cage complexes are formed in quantitative yields and full diastereoselectivity, even in highly polar acetonitrile or methanol solvents. The symmetry of the complexes obtained has been shown to depend critically on the flexibility of the ligand. Restriction of the rotation of the hydrogen-bonding unit with respect to the metal-coordinating site results in a T -symmetric cage, whereas introducing flexibility either through a methylene linker or rotating benzene ring allows the formation of S 4 -symmetric cages with self-filled interior. In addition, the possibility to select between tetrahedral cages or helicates and to control the dimensions of the aggregate has been demonstrated with a three-component assembly using external hydrogen-bonding molecular inserts or by varying the radius of the metal ion (Hg 2+ vs Fe 2+ ). Self-sorting studies of individual Fe 2+ complexes with ligands of different sizes revealed their inertness toward ligand scrambling.

The enantiomers of aromatic 4-dibenzocyclooctynol (DIBO), used for radiolabeling and subsequent conjugation of biomolecules to form radioligands for positron emission tomography (PET), were separated by kinetic resolution using lipase A from Candida antarctica (CAL-A). In optimized conditions, ( R )-DIBO [( R )- 1 , ee 95%] and its acetylated ( S )-ester [( S )- 2 , ee 96%] were isolated. In silico docking results explained the ability of CAL-A to differentiate the enantiomers of DIBO and to accommodate various acyl donors. Anhydrous MgCl 2 was used for binding water from the reaction medium and, thus, for obtaining higher conversion by preventing hydrolysis of the product ( S )- 2 into the starting material. Since the presence of hydrated MgCl 2 6H 2 O also allowed high conversion or effect on enantioselectivity, Mg 2+ ion was suspected to interact with the enzyme. Binding site predictions indicated at least two sites of interest; one in the lid domain at the bottom of the acyl binding pocket and another at the interface of the hydrolase and flap domains, just above the active site., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.