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The direct synthesis of organomanganese reagents from organic halides and manganese metal remains a challenge. Current solution-based approaches require the preparation of activated manganese (Rieke manganese) or the use of multiple metal additives to promote the insertion of manganese metal into a carbon-halogen bond. Here, we show that a mechanochemical ball-milling protocol facilitates the generation of various arylmanganese nucleophiles from aryl halides and commercially available, unactivated manganese metal without the need for complicated pre-activation processes and metal additives. These manganese-based carbon nucleophiles can be used directly for one-pot addition reactions with various electrophiles and palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions under bulk-solvent-free mechanochemical conditions. Importantly, all experimental operations can be conducted under atmospheric conditions.

In this study, polymer-assisted grinding (POLAG), a ball-milling technique based on the use of polymer additives, was applied to mechanochemical solid-state Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions of insoluble aryl halides. We found that the efficiency of this challenging solid-state cross-coupling was improved by the addition of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as a POLAG additive under high-temperature ball-milling conditions. Our results suggest that POLAG is a promising approach for controlling the reactivity of insoluble substrates that are barely reactive under conventional solution-based conditions.

The direct synthesis of organomanganese reagents from organic halides and manganese metal remains a challenge. Current solution-based approaches require the preparation of activated manganese (Rieke manganese) or the use of multiple metal additives to promote the insertion of manganese metal into a carbon-halogen bond. Here, we show that a mechanochemical ball-milling protocol facilitates the generation of various arylmanganese nucleophiles from aryl halides and commercially available, unactivated manganese metal without the need for complicated pre-activation processes and metal additives. These manganese-based carbon nucleophiles can be used directly for one-pot addition reactions with various electrophiles and palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions under bulk-solvent-free mechanochemical conditions. Importantly, all experimental operations can be conducted under atmospheric conditions.

In this study, polymer-assisted grinding (POLAG), a ball-milling technique based on the use of polymer additives, was applied to mechanochemical solid-state Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions of insoluble aryl halides. We found that the efficiency of this challenging solid-state cross-coupling was improved by the addition of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as a POLAG additive under high-temperature ball-milling conditions. Our results suggest that POLAG is a promising approach for controlling the reactivity of insoluble substrates that are barely reactive under conventional solution-based conditions.

Sonogashira coupling represents an indispensable tool for the preparation of organic materials that contain C(sp)-C(sp(2)) bonds. Improving the efficiency and generality of this methodology has long been an important research subject in materials science. Here, we show that a high-temperature ball-milling technique enables the highly efficient palladium-catalyzed Sonogashira coupling of solid aryl halides that bear large polyaromatic structures including sparingly soluble substrates and unactivated aryl chlorides. In fact, this new protocol provides various materials-oriented polyaromatic alkynes in excellent yield within short reaction times in the absence of bulk reaction solvents. Notably, we synthesized a new luminescent material via the mechanochemical Sonogashira coupling of poorly soluble Vat Red 1 in a much higher yield compared to those obtained using solution-based conditions. The utility of this method was further demonstrated by the rapid synthesis of a fluorescent metal-organic framework (MOF) precursor via two sequential mechanochemical Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions. The present study illustrates the great potential of Sonogashira coupling using ball milling for the preparation of materials-oriented alkynes and for the discovery of novel functional materials.

This study describes the solid-state palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling between aryl halides and bis(pinacolato)diboron using ball milling. The reactions were completed within 10 min for most aryl halides to afford a variety of synthetically useful arylboronates in high yields. Notably, all experimental operations could be performed in air, and did not require the use of large amounts of dry and degassed organic solvents. The utility of this method was further demonstrated by gram-scale synthesis under solvent-free, mechanochemical conditions.

Shape-memory materials can be mechanically deformed and subsequently reverse the deformation upon changing the temperature. Shape-memory materials have attracted considerable attention for basic research and industrial applications, and polymer and alloy shape-memory materials have been well studied; however, it is formidably challenging to develop functional shape-memory materials, such as materials with multi-stage and anisotropic shape changes and shape changes accompanied by changes in color and light emission. Here, we found a reversible multi-stage shape-changing effect after mechanical deformation in a molecular crystal induced by multi-step thermal phase transitions with reversible shape changes and luminescence-color changes. Using single-crystal structure and thermal analyses as well as mechanical property measurements, we found that the reversible multi-stage shape-changing effect was achieved by a combination of a twinning deformation and multi-step thermal phase transitions. The changes in the crystal shape and luminescence suggest novel strategies for imparting known shape-memory materials with additional functionalities.

The palladium-catalyzed solid-state C-N cross-coupling of carbazoles with aryl halides via a high-temperature ball-milling technique has been reported. This reaction allowed simple, fast, and efficient synthesis of N-arylcarbazole derivatives in good to excellent yields without the use of large amounts of organic solvents in air. Importantly, the developed solid-state coupling approach enabled the cross-coupling of poorly soluble aryl halides with large polyaromatic structures that are barely reactive under conventional solution-based conditions.

Asymmetric gamma-boryl substitution of trifluoromethyl- and silyl-substituted alkenes has been investigated. A variety of substrates were reacted with bis(pinacolato)diboron in the presence of a copper(I) salt and optically active C-1 symmetric QuinoxP*-type bisphosphine ligand as the catalyst. The optically active silyl-substituted gem-difluoroallylboronates products bearing a stereogenic C-B bond, which have never been synthesized before, were obtained in good yield with high enantioselectivity (up to 83% and up to 86% ee, respectively). The resulting allylboron compounds undergo a stereoselective allylboration with a range of aldehydes to afford chiral silyl- and difluoromethylene-containing homoallylic alcohols without significant loss in their enantiomeric purity. The resulting silyl groups in the derivatives can serve as cross-coupling sites, allowing further transformation into structurally complex fluorinated chiral molecules.

In sharp contrast to the use of conventional magnesium-based Grignard reagents (R-MgX), the application of calcium-based heavy Grignard reagents (R-CaX) in organic synthesis remains poorly explored. This is mainly due to the lack of experimentally simple ways to access such organocalcium nucleophiles from readily available starting materials under mild conditions. Here, we show that a mechanochemical technique using ball milling allows the generation of calcium-based heavy Grignard reagents from aryl halides and commercially available calcium metal without complicated pre-activation processes. Notably, all experimental operations can be carried out in air. Our operationally simple protocol enables the rapid development of novel cross-electrophile-coupling reactions mediated by arylcalcium nucleophiles, which are rather difficult using conventional Grignard reagents. This method will allow synthetic chemists to readily access the novel and unique reactivity of organocalcium nucleophiles.

A new series of C-1-symmetric P-chirogenic bisphosphine ligands of the type (R)-5,8-Si-Quinox-tBu(3)(Silyl = SiMe3, SiEt3, SiMe2Ph) have been developed. The bulky silyl modulators attached to the ligand backbone fix the phosphine substituents to form rigid chiral environments that can be used for substrate recognition. The ligand showed high performances for a copper(I)-catalyzed asymmetric borylative cyclopropanation of bulky silyl-substituted allylic electrophiles to afford higher disfavored 1,2-cis-silyl-boryl-cyclopropanes than the other possible isomers, trans-cyclopropane and allylboronate (up to 97% yield; 98% ee; cis/trans = >99:1; cyclopropane/allylboronate = >99:1 Detailed computational studies suggested that the highly rigid phosphine conformation, which is virtually undisturbed by the steric interactions with the bulky silyl-substituted allyl electrophiles, is key to the high stereo- and product-selectivities. Furthermore, the detailed computational analysis provided insight into the mechanism of the stereoretention or -inversion of the chiral alkylcopper(I) intermediate in the intramolecular cyclization.

This study describes the solid-state palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling between aryl halides and bis(pinacolato)diboron using ball milling. The reactions were completed within 10 min for most aryl halides to afford a variety of synthetically useful arylboronates in high yields. Notably, all experimental operations could be performed in air, and did not require the use of large amounts of dry and degassed organic solvents. The utility of this method was further demonstrated by gram-scale synthesis under solvent-free, mechanochemical conditions.

Shape-memory materials can be mechanically deformed and subsequently reverse the deformation upon changing the temperature. Shape-memory materials have attracted considerable attention for basic research and industrial applications, and polymer and alloy shape-memory materials have been well studied; however, it is formidably challenging to develop functional shape-memory materials, such as materials with multi-stage and anisotropic shape changes and shape changes accompanied by changes in color and light emission. Here, we found a reversible multi-stage shape-changing effect after mechanical deformation in a molecular crystal induced by multi-step thermal phase transitions with reversible shape changes and luminescence-color changes. Using single-crystal structure and thermal analyses as well as mechanical property measurements, we found that the reversible multi-stage shape-changing effect was achieved by a combination of a twinning deformation and multi-step thermal phase transitions. The changes in the crystal shape and luminescence suggest novel strategies for imparting known shape-memory materials with additional functionalities.

The palladium-catalyzed solid-state C-N cross-coupling of carbazoles with aryl halides via a high-temperature ball-milling technique has been reported. This reaction allowed simple, fast, and efficient synthesis of N-arylcarbazole derivatives in good to excellent yields without the use of large amounts of organic solvents in air. Importantly, the developed solid-state coupling approach enabled the cross-coupling of poorly soluble aryl halides with large polyaromatic structures that are barely reactive under conventional solution-based conditions.

A new series of C-1-symmetric P-chirogenic bisphosphine ligands of the type (R)-5,8-Si-Quinox-tBu(3)(Silyl = SiMe3, SiEt3, SiMe2Ph) have been developed. The bulky silyl modulators attached to the ligand backbone fix the phosphine substituents to form rigid chiral environments that can be used for substrate recognition. The ligand showed high performances for a copper(I)-catalyzed asymmetric borylative cyclopropanation of bulky silyl-substituted allylic electrophiles to afford higher disfavored 1,2-cis-silyl-boryl-cyclopropanes than the other possible isomers, trans-cyclopropane and allylboronate (up to 97% yield; 98% ee; cis/trans = >99:1; cyclopropane/allylboronate = >99:1 Detailed computational studies suggested that the highly rigid phosphine conformation, which is virtually undisturbed by the steric interactions with the bulky silyl-substituted allyl electrophiles, is key to the high stereo- and product-selectivities. Furthermore, the detailed computational analysis provided insight into the mechanism of the stereoretention or -inversion of the chiral alkylcopper(I) intermediate in the intramolecular cyclization.

Asymmetric gamma-boryl substitution of trifluoromethyl- and silyl-substituted alkenes has been investigated. A variety of substrates were reacted with bis(pinacolato)diboron in the presence of a copper(I) salt and optically active C-1 symmetric QuinoxP*-type bisphosphine ligand as the catalyst. The optically active silyl-substituted gem-difluoroallylboronates products bearing a stereogenic C-B bond, which have never been synthesized before, were obtained in good yield with high enantioselectivity (up to 83% and up to 86% ee, respectively). The resulting allylboron compounds undergo a stereoselective allylboration with a range of aldehydes to afford chiral silyl- and difluoromethylene-containing homoallylic alcohols without significant loss in their enantiomeric purity. The resulting silyl groups in the derivatives can serve as cross-coupling sites, allowing further transformation into structurally complex fluorinated chiral molecules.

In sharp contrast to the use of conventional magnesium-based Grignard reagents (R-MgX), the application of calcium-based heavy Grignard reagents (R-CaX) in organic synthesis remains poorly explored. This is mainly due to the lack of experimentally simple ways to access such organocalcium nucleophiles from readily available starting materials under mild conditions. Here, we show that a mechanochemical technique using ball milling allows the generation of calcium-based heavy Grignard reagents from aryl halides and commercially available calcium metal without complicated pre-activation processes. Notably, all experimental operations can be carried out in air. Our operationally simple protocol enables the rapid development of novel cross-electrophile-coupling reactions mediated by arylcalcium nucleophiles, which are rather difficult using conventional Grignard reagents. This method will allow synthetic chemists to readily access the novel and unique reactivity of organocalcium nucleophiles.

The synthesis of a series of hydrosilylboronates via the selective iridium- or nickel-catalyzed monoborylation of dihydrosilane Si-H bonds is described. The synthesized silylboronates, which bear a single Si-H bond, can be used as novel silicon nucleophiles in the presence of transition-metal catalysts or bases. The first Si-29{H-1} NMR spectroscopic evidence for the formation of (t-Bu)(2)HSiLi, generated by the reaction of (t-Bu)(2)HSi-B(pin) with MeLi, is reported as the first example of a dialkylhydorosilyl lithium species.

Since the discovery of Grignard reagents in 1900, the nucleophilic addition of magnesium-based carbon nucleophiles to various electrophiles has become one of the most powerful, versatile, and well-established methods for the formation of carbon-carbon bonds in organic synthesis. Grignard reagents are typically prepared via reactions between organic halides and magnesium metal in a solvent. However, this method usually requires the use of dry organic solvents, long reaction times, strict control of the reaction temperature, and inert-gas-line techniques. Despite the utility of Grignard reagents, these requirements still represent major drawbacks from both an environmental and an economic perspective, and often cause reproducibility problems. Here, we report the general mechanochemical synthesis of magnesium-based carbon nucleophiles (Grignard reagents in paste form) in air using a ball milling technique. These nucleophiles can be used directly for one-pot nucleophilic addition reactions with various electrophiles and nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions under solvent-free conditions. Grignard reagents have widespread utility in organic chemistry, but their preparation is limited by several drawbacks, such as the use of dry organic solvents and long reaction times. Here, the authors report a general mechanochemical synthesis of Grignard reagents in paste form in air, using a ball milling technique.

The first catalytic intermolecular 1,2-alkylborylation reaction via a radical-relay mechanism between unactivated olefins, bis(pinacolato)diboron, and an alkyl electrophile is reported. Successful implementation of this method requires that the competing boryl substitution of the alkyl electrophile is retarded to facilitate the radical relay. This challenge was overcome using electronically or sterically demanding alkyl electrophiles, which results in the simultaneous and highly regioselective introduction of a gem-difluoro, monofluoro, tertiary, or secondary alkyl group and a boryl group across the C=C double bond.

The first examples of single crystals exhibiting salient effects by different structure change mechanisms are reported. The crystals of newly prepared aryl(9-isocyanoanthracene)gold(I) complexes jump in response to two different external stimuli: ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and cooling. The photosalient effect is triggered by photodimerization reaction of the anthracene moieties under photoirradiation. By contrast, the thermosalient effect is caused by anisotropic thermal contraction upon cooling without a chemical structure change. By taking advantage of the multiple-jump feature, we also show sequential jumps of crystals by cooling and then UV irradiation for demonstration of the programmed motion of molecular crystals.

A new C₂-symmetrical P-chirogenic bisphosphine ligand with silyl substituents on the ligand backbone, (R,R)-5,8-TMS-QuinoxP*, has been developed. This ligand showed higher reactivity and enantioselectivity for the direct enantioconvergent borylation of cyclic allyl electrophiles than its parent ligand, (R,R)-QuinoxP* (e.g., for a piperidine-type substrate: 95% ee vs 76% ee). The borylative kinetic resolution of linear allyl electrophiles was also achieved using (R,R)-5,8-TMS-QuinoxP* (up to 90% ee, s = 46.4). An investigation into the role of the silyl groups on the ligand backbone using X-ray crystallography and computational studies displayed interlocking structures between the phosphine and silyl moieties of (R,R)-5,8-TMS-QuinoxP*. The results of DFT calculations revealed that the entropy effect thermodynamically destabilizes the dormant dimer species in the catalytic cycle to improve the reactivity. Furthermore, in the direct enantioconvergent case, detailed calculations indicated a pronounced enantioselective recognition of carbon–carbon double bonds, which is virtually unaffected by the chirality at the allylic position, as a key for the borylation from both enantiomers of racemic allyl electrophiles.

Herein, we report a novel strategy for introducing a luminophore into generic polymers facilitated by mechanical stimulation. In this study, polymeric mechanoradicals were formed in situ under ball-milling conditions to undergo radical-radical coupling with a prefluorescent nitroxide-based reagent in order to incorporate a luminophore into the polymer main chains via a covalent bond. This method allowed the direct and conceptually simple preparation of luminescent polymeric materials from a wide range of generic polymers such as polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, and polyethylene. These results indicate that the present mechanoradical coupling strategy may help to transform existing commodity polymers into more valuable functional materials.

Multisubstituted allylic boronates are attractive and valuable precursors for the rapid and stereoselective construction of densely substituted carbon skeletons. Herein, we report the first synthetic approach for differentially 2,3,3-triallcyl-substituted allylic boronates that contain a stereodefined tetrasubstituted alkene structure. Copper(I)-catalyzed regio- and stereoselective three-component coupling reactions between gem-dialkylallenes, alkyl halides, and a diboron reagent afforded sterically congested allylic boronates. The allylboration of aldehydes diastereoselectively furnished the corresponding homoallylic alcohols that bear a quaternary carbon. A computational study revealed that the selectivity-determining mechanism was correlated to the coordination of a boryl copper(I) species to the allene substrate as well as the borylcupration step.

The Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling between poly-fluorinated arylboron nucleophiles and aryl halides enables the efficient construction of polyfluorinated structural motifs frequently found in organic materials and catalysts. A key challenge associated with this transformation involves the slow transmetalation with weakly nucleophilic polyfluorinated organoboron reagents, which often reduces the yield of the coupling products. Here, we show that solid-state high-temperature ball-milling conditions facilitate a palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling with polyfluorinated arylboronic acids and pinacol esters employing a simple catalytic system in the absence of any stoichiometric additives. This reaction exhibits a broad substrate scope and can be carried out in air, and the use of large amounts of dry and degassed organic solvents is not required. The successful cross-coupling of weakly nucleophilic polyfluorinated organoboron reagents was ascribed to the extremely high concentrations of the substrates and the catalyst under solid-state conditions.

One-dimensional cationic coordination polymers have been a promising platform for designing solid-state physical properties through diverse coordination geometries. In particular, the folding mode of the coordination polymers that form a helical structure directly determines the metal-centered coordination environment. Herein, we report N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) Cu(I) cationic coordination polymers with pyrazine as the linker, which construct a 4-fold or 3-fold helical column in luminescent crystals using octahedral anions (SbF6- and PF6-) or a tetrahedral anion (BF4-), respectively. Single-crystal XRD studies revealed that the folding modes depend on the structural shape of the counteranions, which form H-F interactions between ligands and anions. Indeed, the folding mode change from 4-fold to 3-fold by including a different shape of the counteranions, resulting in red-shifted emission from approximately 580 to 687 nm, which is difficult to modulate in the solid state.

Herein, we report a novel strategy for introducing a luminophore into generic polymers facilitated by mechanical stimulation. In this study, polymeric mechanoradicals were formed in situ under ball-milling conditions to undergo radical-radical coupling with a prefluorescent nitroxide-based reagent in order to incorporate a luminophore into the polymer main chains via a covalent bond. This method allowed the direct and conceptually simple preparation of luminescent polymeric materials from a wide range of generic polymers such as polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, and polyethylene. These results indicate that the present mechanoradical coupling strategy may help to transform existing commodity polymers into more valuable functional materials.

Multisubstituted allylic boronates are attractive and valuable precursors for the rapid and stereoselective construction of densely substituted carbon skeletons. Herein, we report the first synthetic approach for differentially 2,3,3-triallcyl-substituted allylic boronates that contain a stereodefined tetrasubstituted alkene structure. Copper(I)-catalyzed regio- and stereoselective three-component coupling reactions between gem-dialkylallenes, alkyl halides, and a diboron reagent afforded sterically congested allylic boronates. The allylboration of aldehydes diastereoselectively furnished the corresponding homoallylic alcohols that bear a quaternary carbon. A computational study revealed that the selectivity-determining mechanism was correlated to the coordination of a boryl copper(I) species to the allene substrate as well as the borylcupration step.

The Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling between poly-fluorinated arylboron nucleophiles and aryl halides enables the efficient construction of polyfluorinated structural motifs frequently found in organic materials and catalysts. A key challenge associated with this transformation involves the slow transmetalation with weakly nucleophilic polyfluorinated organoboron reagents, which often reduces the yield of the coupling products. Here, we show that solid-state high-temperature ball-milling conditions facilitate a palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling with polyfluorinated arylboronic acids and pinacol esters employing a simple catalytic system in the absence of any stoichiometric additives. This reaction exhibits a broad substrate scope and can be carried out in air, and the use of large amounts of dry and degassed organic solvents is not required. The successful cross-coupling of weakly nucleophilic polyfluorinated organoboron reagents was ascribed to the extremely high concentrations of the substrates and the catalyst under solid-state conditions.

One-dimensional cationic coordination polymers have been a promising platform for designing solid-state physical properties through diverse coordination geometries. In particular, the folding mode of the coordination polymers that form a helical structure directly determines the metal-centered coordination environment. Herein, we report N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) Cu(I) cationic coordination polymers with pyrazine as the linker, which construct a 4-fold or 3-fold helical column in luminescent crystals using octahedral anions (SbF6- and PF6-) or a tetrahedral anion (BF4-), respectively. Single-crystal XRD studies revealed that the folding modes depend on the structural shape of the counteranions, which form H-F interactions between ligands and anions. Indeed, the folding mode change from 4-fold to 3-fold by including a different shape of the counteranions, resulting in red-shifted emission from approximately 580 to 687 nm, which is difficult to modulate in the solid state.

Although xantphos has been employed in a variety of palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, there has been little progress in developing Xantphos-ligated precatalysts. In this report, we describe a Xantphos-ligated palladium dialkyl complex that acts as a powerful precatalyst for C-N, C-S, and C-C cross-coupling reactions. This precatalyst is air- and moisture stable but can be thermally activated in the absence of external reagents. Additionally, potential catalyst inhibitors are not generated during the precatalyst activation. This complex thus represents a convenient alternative to previously reported classes of Xantphos-ligated precatalysts.

The first enantioselective synthesis of five-membered N-heterocyclic allylboronates has been accomplished by a C-B bond-forming dearomatization of pyrroles using a copper(I) catalyst. This reaction involves the regio- and enantioselective addition of a borylcopper(I) species to pyrrole-2-carboxylates, followed by the diastereoselective protonation of the resulting copper(I) enolate to afford pyrrolidine-type allylboronates. The products are highly attractive reagents for the rapid construction of pyrrolidine derivatives that bear five consecutive stereocenters via subsequent allylboration/oxidation processes.

A new class of borate luminophores has been synthesized by a simple two-step reaction using potassium acyltrifluoroborates (KATs) as starting materials. The hydrazones obtained from reactions between KATs and 2-hydrazinopyridines followed by a cyclization resulted in the unprecedented formation of C,N-chelated six-membered bora-heterocycles. Under consideration of the results of DFT and TD-DFT calculations, four luminophores based on such bora-heterocycles are designed and synthesized, which exhibit a tunable fluorescence range from blue to red in the solid state. Moreover, one of the luminophores exhibits mechanofluorochromism from blue to yellow/green. As a result of the aforementioned mechanochromism of one of these luminophores, white-color emission was achieved by simply mixing the four luminophores.

A method to synthesize 3-boryl-1,1-gem-difluorodienes via the copper(I)-catalyzed boryl substitution of trifluoromethyl-substituted allenes was developed. The borylated compounds were obtained up to 91% yield with excellent selectivity. We proposed that the reaction proceeded via gamma-selective borylcupration into the trifluoromethyl-substituted alien; followed by copper(I)-beta-fluoro elimination. Subsequent transformations of the borylation product by Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling or Diels-Alder reaction provided various compounds bearing a difluoro moiety, which are difficult to synthesize by existing methods.

The first catalytic method for diastereo- and enantioselective synthesis of allylic boronates bearing a Z-trisubstituted alkenyl fluoride is disclosed. Boryl substitution is performed with either a Z- or E-allyldifluoride and is catalyzed by bisphosphine/Cu complexes, affording products in up to 99 % yield with >98:2 Z/E selectivity and 99:1 enantiomeric ratio. A variety of subsequent modifications are feasible, and notable examples are diastereoselective additions to aldehydes/aldimines to access homoallylic alcohols/amines containing a fluorosubstituted stereogenic quaternary center.

Photosensitizer design to allow effective use of low-energy light is important for developing photofunctional materials. Herein, we describe a rational photosensitizer design for effective use of low-energy light. The developed photosensitizer is a stacked nanocarbon based on a rigid polyaromatic framework, which allows efficient energy transfer from the low-energy T-1 level to the energy acceptor. We prepared an Eu(III) complex consisting of a luminescent center (Eu(III)) and stacked-coronene photosensitizer. The brightness of photosensitized Eu (III) excited using low-energy light (450 nm) is more than five times higher than the maximum brightness of previously reported Eu(III) complexes.

Ferroelasticity has been reported for several types of molecular crystals, which show mechanical-stress-induced shape change under twinning and/or spontaneous formation of strain. Aiming to create materials that exhibit both ferroelasticity and light-emission characteristics, we discovered the first examples of ferroelastic luminescent organometallic crystals. Crystals of arylgold(I)(N-heterocyclic carbene)(NHC) complexes bend upon exposure to anisotropic mechanical stress. X-ray diffraction analyses and stress-strain measurements on these ferroelastic crystals confirmed typical ferroelastic behavior, mechanical twinning, and the spontaneous build-up of strain. A comparison with single-crystal structures of related gold-NHC complexes that do not show ferroelasticity shed light on the structural origins of the ferroelastic behavior.

Palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions of liquid, unbiased dibromoarenes under mechanochemical conditions selectively afford the monoarylated products. The lower reactivity of the crystalline monoarylated products relative to the liquid starting materials should be attributed predominantly to the low diffusion efficiency of the former in the reaction mixture, which results in a selective monoarylation. The present study sheds light on a novel approach using in situ phase transitions in solids to design selective organic transformations that are difficult to achieve via conventional solution-based synthesis.

Compared to carbon-based nucleophiles, the number of silicon-based nucleophiles that is currently available remains limited, which significantly hampers the structural diversity of synthetically accessible silicon-based molecules. Given the high synthetic utility and ease of handling of carbon-based boron nucleophiles, silicon-based boron nucleophiles, i.e., silylboranes, have attracted considerable interest in recent years as nucleophilic silylation reagents that are activated by transition-metal catalysts or bases. However, the range of practically accessible silylboranes remains limited. In particular, the preparation of sterically hindered and functionalized silylboranes remains a significant challenge. Here, we report the use of rhodium and platinum catalysts for the direct borylation of hydrosilanes with bis(pinacolato)diboron, which allows the synthesis of new trialkylsilylboranes that bear bulky alkyl groups and functional groups as well as new dialkylarylsilylboranes that are difficult to synthesize via conventional methods using alkali metals. We further demonstrate that these compounds can be used as silicon nucleophiles in organic transformations, which significantly expands the scope of synthetically accessible organosilicon compounds compared to previously reported methods. Thus, the present study can be expected to inspire the development of efficient methods for novel silicon-containing bioactive molecules and organic materials with desirable properties. We also report the first B-11{H-1} and Si-29(H-1) NMR spectroscopic evidence for the formation of i-Pr3SiLi generated by the reaction of i-Pr3Si-B(pin) with MeLi.

The application of piezoelectricity for the generation of trifluoromethyl (CF3) radicals is reported together with the development of a method for the mechanochemical C-H trifluoromethylation of aromatic compounds. As compared to conventional solution-based approaches, this mechanoredox C-H trifluoromethylation enables cleaner and more sustainable access to a wide range of trifluoromethylated N-heterocycles and peptides, which are important structural motifs in modern drug discovery. This study thus represents an important milestone for future applications of mechanoredox systems to medicinal and pharmaceutical science.

Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions are one of the most powerful and versatile methods to synthesize a wide range of complex functionalized molecules. However, the development of solid-state cross-coupling reactions remains extremely limited. Here, we report a rational strategy that provides a general entry to palladium-catalyzed Buchwald-Hartwig cross-coupling reactions in the solid state. The key finding of this study is that olefin additives can act as efficient molecular dispersants for the palladium-based catalyst in solid-state media to facilitate the challenging solid-state cross-coupling. Beyond the immediate utility of this protocol, our strategy could inspire the development of industrially attractive solvent-free palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling processes for other valuable synthetic targets.

Mechanochemistry has been applied for the first time to an iridium(I)-catalyzed C-H borylation reaction. By using either none or just a catalytic amount of a liquid, the mechanochemical C-H borylation of a series of heteroaromatic compounds proceeded in air to afford the corresponding arylboronates in good-to-excellent yields. A one-pot mechanochemical C-H borylation/Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling sequence for the direct synthesis of 2-aryl indole derivatives is also described. The present study constitutes an important milestone towards the development of industrially attractive solvent-free C-H bond functionalization processes in air.

Two gold N-heterocyclic carbene complexes show contrasting luminescent mechanochromism behavior with hypso- and bathochromic spectral shifts. The distinct emission shifts upon mechanical stimulation can be explained by the aggregate-to-monomer transformation and intensified intermolecular interactions, respectively.

This work synthesized oxygen sensitive and near infrared (NIR) luminescent Yb(III) coordination polymers incorporating ligands based on pyrene derivatives: Yb(III)-TBAPy and Yb(III)-TIAPy (TBAPy: 1,3,6,8-tetrskis(p-benzoate)pyrene, TIAPy: 1,3,6,8-tetrakis(3,5-isophtalic acid)pyrene). The coordination structures of these materials were characterized using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis, while the porous structure of the Yb(III)-TIAPy was evaluated based on its adsorption isotherm. The NIR luminescence properties of the Yb(III)-TBAPy and Yb(III)-TIAPy were examined by acquiring emission spectra and determining emission lifetimes under air, argon and vacuum. The Yb(III)-TIAPy exhibited high thermal stability (with a decomposition temperature of 400 °C), intense luminescence (with an emission quantum yield under argon of 6.6%) and effective oxygen-sensing characteristics. These results suggest that NIR luminescent Yb(III) coordination polymers made using pyrene derivatives could have applications in novel thermo-stable oxygen sensors.

A new method was developed for synthesizing 2-alkyl-2-boryl-tetrahydrofuran derivatives from aliphatic ketones using a copper(i)/N-heterocyclic carbene complex catalyst. This reaction presumably proceeds through the nucleophilic addition of a borylcopper(i) intermediate to ketone, followed by intramolecular substitution of the resulting alkoxide for the halide leaving group. The new borylation products, 2-alkyl-2-boryl-tetrahydrofuran derivatives with a condensed structure around the C-B bond, cannot be synthesized by other methods.

Organic reactions that employ moisture- and/or oxygen-sensitive reagents or intermediates usually involve the use of glove-box or Schlenk-line techniques as well as dry and degassed solvents. Unfortunately, these requirements may greatly reduce the utility of the targeted organic molecules. Herein, we demonstrate that solvent-free mechanochemical synthetic techniques allow using highly oxygen-sensitive palladium(0) species in air for the stoichiometric oxidative addition of aryl halides. The low diffusion efficiency of gaseous oxygen in crystalline or amorphous solid-state reaction mixtures should be the main reason for the low impact of the presence of atmospheric oxygen on the sensitive oxidative addition reactions under the applied conditions. This study thus illustrates the outstanding potential of mechanochemistry to serve as an operationally simple, glove-box-and-Schlenk-line-free synthetic route to organometallic compounds and other valuable synthetic targets, even when sensitive reagents or intermediates are involved.

Direct dimesitylborylation of benzofuran derivatives by a C-H activation catalyzed by an iridium(I)/N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complex in the presence of Ph2MeSi-BMes(2) afforded the corresponding dimesitylborylation products in good to high yield with excellent regioselectivity. This method provides a straightforward route to donor-(pi-spacer)-acceptor systems with intriguing solvatochromic luminescence properties.

Potassium acyltrifluoroborates (KATs) were prepared through copper(I)-catalyzed borylation of aldehydes and subsequent oxidation. This synthetic route is characterized by the wide range of aldehydes accessible, favorable step economy, mild reaction conditions, and tolerance of various functional groups, and it enables the facile generation of a range of KATs, for example, bearing halide, sulfide, acetal, or ester moieties. Moreover, this method was applied to the three-step synthesis of various alpha -amino acid analogues that bear a KAT moiety on the C-terminus by using naturally occurring amino acids as the starting material.

Over the past decade, photoredox catalysis has harnessed light energy to accelerate bond-forming reactions. We postulated that a complementary method for the redox-activation of small organic molecules in response to applied mechanical energy could be developed through the piezoelectric effect. Here, we report that agitation of piezoelectric materials via ball milling reduces aryl diazonium salts. This mechanoredox system can be applied to arylation and borylation reactions under mechanochemical conditions.

Seven-coordinate Tb-III complexes with strong luminescence and thermosensing properties are reported. Mononuclear [Tb(tmh)(3)(PEB)] [tmh: 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedione, PEB: (diphenylphosphoryl)ethynyl]benzene and dinuclear [Tb-2(tmh)(6)(m-BPEB)] [m-BPEB: 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphoryl)ethynyl]benzene were characterized by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The quantum yields of [Tb(tmh)(3)(PEB)] and [Tb-2(tmh)(6)(m-BPEB)] were estimated to be 71 and 39%, respectively. Thermosensing properties are evaluated by temperature-dependent emission lifetime measurements (Arrhenius analysis), which are affected by the presence of ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (LLCT) bands. The LLCT bands are confirmed by DFT calculations.