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Zirconium is a silvery-white malleable and ductile metal at room temperature with a crustal abundance of 162 ppm. Its compounds, showing Lewis acidic behavior and high catalytic performance, have been recognized as a relatively cheap, low-toxicity, stable, green, and efficient catalysts for various important organic transformations. Commercially available inorganic zirconium chloride was widely applied as a catalyst to accelerate amination, Michael addition, and oxidation reactions. Well-designed zirconocene perfluorosulfonates can be applied in allylation, acylation, esterification, etc. N-Chelating oganozirconium complexes accelerate polymerization, hydroaminoalkylation, and CO

On-surface synthesis is a powerful method for the fabrication of π-conjugated nanomaterials. Herein, we demonstrate chemoselective Sonogashira coupling between (trimethylsilyl)ethynyl and chlorophenyl groups in silylethynyl- and chloro-substituted partially fluorinated phenylene ethynylenes (SiCPFPEs) on Ag(111). The desilylative Sonogashira coupling occurred with high chemoselectivity up to 75 %, while the competing Ullmann and desilylative Glaser homocoupling reactions were suppressed. A combination of bond-resolved scanning tunneling microscopy/atomic force microscopy (STM/AFM) and DFT calculations revealed that the oligomers were obtained by the formation of intermolecular silylene tethers (-Me2 Si-) through CH3 -Si bond activation at 130 °C and subsequent elimination of the tethers at an elevated temperature of 200 °C.

The Sonogashira coupling of 1,3,6,8-tetrabromopyrene with 4-[(–)-β-citronellyloxy]phenylethyne was employed to synthesize 1,3,6,8-tetra[4-(citronellyloxy)phenylethynyl]pyrene. The pyrene derivative catalyzed the reductive desulfonylation of ethenyl sulfones via visible-light irradiation (514 nm green light-emitting diodes) in the presence of i-Pr2NEt. The β-citronellyloxy groups provided the sufficient solubility to the highly π-expanded pyrene catalyst, and their polar oxygen functionalities enabled the easy separation of the catalyst from the products via column chromatography.

Diarylethenes were obtained from the corresponding ethenyl sulfones by photocatalyzed desulfonylation using UV or blue LEDs. When perylene and i-Pr2NEt were used as a photocatalyst and a sacrificin...

A series of 9-amino-10-halophenanthrenes were synthesized through a one-pot process, including dephosphinylative Sonogashira-Hagihara coupling of 2-bromobiphenyls with air-stable phosphinyl ynamines, followed by halonium-promoted [4 + 2] benzannulation of the resulting 2-(aminoethynyl)biphenyls. Nonsubstituted and methyl-substituted 2-bromobiphenyls rapidly underwent the Sonogashira-Hagihara aminoethynylation and the halogenative Friedel-Crafts benzannulation to provide the corresponding amino(halo)phenanthrenes in high yields, while electron-sufficient and -deficient substrates did slowly undergo the former and the latter to result in low yields, respectively. This protocol worked well for the syntheses of highly π-extended aminophenanthrenes and aminobenzonaphthothiophenes with different optical properties. Further application of this approach between 2,2″- and 2',5'-dibromo-p-terphenyls with phosphinyl ynamines led to the regioselective formation of 6,13-diamino-5,12-dihalo- and 5,12-diamino-6,13-dihalo-dibenz[a,h]anthracenes via dual aminoethynylation and [4 + 2] benzannulation. The obtained analogues showed different ultraviolet-visible absorption and photoluminescence spectra with different emission quantum yields in CH2Cl2 solution and the powder state.

A polyiodide complex has been newly obtained during the cathodic oxidation of iodide ions (I−) in the presence of propylene carbonate (PC). This complex demonstrates features of both ionicity and hydrophobicity. The properties and structure of this complex were investigated and discussed in the light of electrochemical investigations, instrumental analyses, and theoretical calculations using quantum chemistry. The oxygen atom of the C O bond in PC was considered to play an essential role in forming this complex, and a large dipole moment structure between I2 and PC was suggested by the theoretical calculations. This PC/I2 structure was considered to play an essential role in enhancing the dissolution rate of I2 films on a cathode and in accelerating the cathodic oxidation of I−. A model for the structure of this complex is demonstrated. A zinc/iodine redox flow battery of an aqueous-based single electrolyte-type was examined as an application of this complex to a battery without a cation-exchange membrane. Over 90% Coulombic efficiency was observed through charge and discharge cycles.

We developed a regiodivergent syntheses of 4- and 5-bromo-substituted 1,2,3-triazoles in copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloadditions (CuAACs) by taking advantage of bromo(phosphoryl)ethyne 1 as a ...

The thermally and photolytically induced disproportionation of 6,13-dihydropentacene derivatives into tetrahydropentacenes and pentacenes results in unique solid-state fluorescence. The fluorescence thereby depends on the molecular structure and the molecular arrangement in the solid state.

When iodide ions (I−) are electrochemically oxidized in an aqueous solution containing a high concentration of I−, an iodine (I2) film is formed on the electrode surface and inhibits further oxidation of I−. The effect of adding an organic compound as an additive on the I2 film was investigated and discussed in the light of electrochemical investigations, spectroscopic analyses, and quantum chemical calculations. Aprotonic organic compounds such as acetonitrile (AN) increased the current of I− oxidation while protonic organic compounds such as ethanol (EtOH) did not increase it. The effect did not simply correspond to the increase in solubility of I2 molecules. In the theoretical calculations, AN showed a behavior that it promoted hydration of an I2 molecule by coordinating with the I2 molecule while EtOH formed hydrogen bonds with H2O molecules and did not show the behavior. AN desorbed from the I2 molecule when the coordinated I2 molecule was hydrated. The aprotonic organic compounds were considered to act as a catalyst to promote the hydration of the I2 molecules contained in the I2 film and thereby promote dissolution of the I2 film.

On-surface chemical reaction has become a very powerful technique to conjugate small precursor molecules and several reactions have been proposed with the aim to fabricate functional nanostructures on surfaces. Here we present an unforeseen adsorption mode of 9,10-bis-((trimethylsilyl)ethynyl)anthracene on a Cu(111)surface and the resulting one-shot desilylative homocoupling of of the adsorbate by annealing at 400 K. With a combination of high-resolution atomic force microscopy and density functional theory calculations, we found that the triple bonds and silicon atoms of the monomer chemically interact with the copper surface. After the oligomerization, we discovered that the anthracene units are linked to each other via buta-1,3-diynediyl fragments while keeping the surface clean. Furthermore, the force measurement revealed the chemical nature at the center of anthracene unit.

We have developed new boron paste materials for the process of diffusing crystalline silicon solar cells. The boron paste promotes pattern-forming, long carrier lifetime, and allows good sheet resistance uniformity. The cell efficiency achieved when applying boron paste to an n-type PERT cell was practically excellent. A high efficiency was also obtained under a codiffusion process with POCl3 gas for a simplifying process. We reported on the diffusion characteristic and process details of the boron paste in this paper.

We have developed a novel diastereoselective iron-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of various glycosyl halides with aryl metal reagents for the efficient synthesis of aryl C-glycosides, which are of significant pharmaceutical interest due to their biological activities and resistance toward metabolic degradation. A variety of aryl, heteroaryl, and vinyl metal reagents can be cross-coupled with glycosyl halides in high yields in the presence of a well-defined iron complex, composed of iron(II) chloride and a bulky bisphosphine ligand, TMS-SciOPP. The chemoselective nature of the reaction allows the use of synthetically versatile acetyl-protected glycosyl donors and the incorporation of various functional groups on the aryl moieties, producing a diverse array of aryl C-glycosides, including Canagliflozin, an inhibitor of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), and a prevailing diabetes drug. The cross-coupling reaction proceeds via generation and stereoselective trapping of glycosyl radical intermediates, representing a rare example of highly stereoselective carbon-carbon bond formation based on iron catalysis. Radical probe experiments using 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-O-allyl-α-d-glucopyranosyl bromide (8) and 6-bromo-1-hexene (10) confirm the generation and intermediacy of the corresponding glycosyl radicals. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the observed anomeric diastereoselectivity is attributable to the relative stability of the conformers of glycosyl radical intermediates. The present cross-coupling reaction demonstrates the potential of iron-catalyzed stereo- and chemoselective carbon-carbon bond formation in the synthesis of bioactive compounds of certain structural complexity.

Graphene nanoribbons are one of the most promising materials for nanoscale electronics. While various structures have successfully been synthesized by on-surface reactions, curved connections remain less investigated, yet they could prove highly useful in the development of copolymerization technology. Here, we present the synthesis of three different regioisomeric junctions on Au (111) by using 10,10'-dibromo-9,9'-bianthryl and 1,3,6,8-tetrabromopyrene. The chemical structures and the electronic properties of junctions were studied with a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy with a CO terminated tip, scanning tunneling spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations. We found that two identical nanoribbon-junction interface electronic states appear within the band gaps of connected graphene nanoribbons.

The effect of electrochemical oxidation and reduction of the surface of a glassy carbon (GC) electrode on the redox reaction of iodide ions (I−) in aqueous solution was investigated. The mechanism was also analyzed on the basis of the results of spectroscopic analyses. When a GC electrode was electrochemically oxidized in an aqueous solution, the carbon on the GC surface was transformed to a functional group, and the redox reaction activity of I− on the GC electrode was significantly decreased. This is presumably because transformation decreases the number of reaction sites at which I− are adsorbed. The functional groups on the oxidized GC were electrochemically reduced in an aqueous solution, and the redox reaction activity of I− was restored and further improved in comparison with the activity of the GC before oxidation. It is possible that the recovery of the redox reaction activity of I− was derived from the restoration of reaction sites on the GC. The reaction site of I− is considered to be carbon in the graphite structure with the π orbital or carbon adjacent to a defect in the diamond structure. Spectroscopic analyses revealed that the ratio of the graphite structure to diamond structure increases, and defects in the diamond structure become more abundant on the GC reduced after oxidation. The increase in the number of reaction sites is considered to enhance the redox reaction activity of I− on the GC reduced after oxidation.

Substitution of 1,3,6,8-tetraethynylpyrene with sterically bulky trimethylsilyl groups enabled four modes of molecular packing, two polymorphs (triclinic system (Y-form) and “loose” crystal Colho (OK-form)), a ”rigid” liquid crystalline phase Colho (OC-form), and an amorphous phase (OA-form), which emitted fluorescence at different wavelengths under UV light. The four phases could be interconverted by physical stimuli such as heating, grinding by mortar and pestle, and exposing to the vapor of organic solvents.

The versatility in design of redox flow batteries makes them apt to efficiently store energy in large-scale applications at low cost. The discovery of inexpensive organic electroactive materials for use in aqueous flow battery electrolytes is highly attractive, but is thus far limited. Here we report on a flow battery using an aqueous electrolyte based on the sodium salt of flavin mononucleotide. Flavins are highly versatile electroactive molecules, which catalyse a multitude of redox reactions in biological systems. We use nicotinamide (vitamin B3) as a hydrotropic agent to enhance the water solubility of flavin mononucleotide. A redox flow battery using flavin mononucleotide negative and ferrocyanide positive electrolytes in strong base shows stable cycling performance, with over 99% capacity retention over the course of 100 cycles. We hypothesize that this is enabled due to the oxidized and reduced forms of FMN-Na being stabilized by resonance structures., Redox flow batteries using organic active materials are highly sought after because of their potential to satisfy low cost and sustainability requirements. Here, the authors report a biomimetic flow battery based on flavin mononucleotide and a hydrotrope with promising performance characteristics.

A tungsten oxide catalysts supported on yttrium- or ytterbium-doped crystalline zirconium oxide (WOx/Y(Yb)-ZrO2) with different dopant concentrations but the same tungsten loadings and calcination temperatures were prepared to investigate the mechanism responsible for the strong solid acidity of so-called tungstated zirconia. The surface acid–base properties of WOx/Y(Yb)-ZrO2 and the support were characterized by catalyses of n-butane skeletal isomerization, alkylation of anisole with benzyl alcohol, and 2-butanol decomposition. The structural characterization and quantitative analysis were conducted by XRD, XAFS, and UV–Vis techniques. Crystalline zirconium oxides were effective as the starting material for tungsten–zirconium-based strong solid acid catalysts instead of amorphous Zr(OH)x if the crystalline form was tetragonal. Tetragonal-phase Y(Yb)-ZrO2 substitutional solid solutions with dopant concentrations of 3–5 mol % was a suitable support for stabilization of active small WO3 clusters. Tungsten s...

Electrochemical and UV-VIS measurements demonstrate that the pH value of a 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-pipperidinyloxyl (TEMPOL) electrolyte significantly impacts its redox reversibility. The diffusion coefficient and kinetic rate constant of TEMPOL in neutral aqueous solution are determined and shown to be comparable to those of vanadium ions used for industrially utilized redox flow batteries (RFBs). RFBs that incorporate a TEMPOL catholyte and Zn-based anolyte have an average voltage of 1.46 V and an energy efficiency of 80.4% during the initial cycle, when subject to a constant current of 10 mA cm −2 . We demonstrate several factors that significantly influence the concentration and capacity retention of TEMPOL upon cycling; namely, pH and atmospheric gases dissolved in electrolyte. We expand upon the known reactions of TEMPOL in aqueous electrolyte and propose several concepts to improve its electrochemical performance in a RFB. Controlling these factors will be the key to enable the successful implementation of this relatively inexpensive and environmentally friendly battery.

A new synthetic protocol of 1-arylpropyne was developed by taking advantage of 1-(diphenylphosphoryl)propyne as propyne equivalent in Sonogashira coupling: consecutive subjection of phosphorylpropyne to t-BuOK and to aryl halides in the presence of Pd and Cu catalysts afforded the corresponding 1-arylpropynes. The following olefination of the 1-arylpropyne with aldehyde provided the corresponding diarylenyne. When the enynes thus obtained were irradiated with UV light, they showed strong emission in organic solvents and in the solid states. In solution, Ph2N-substituted enynes exhibited remarkable solvatofluorochromism, and Lippert–Mataga plot analysis demonstrated that they undergo the larger polarization in the excited states than in the ground states.

Photoluminescent diamino-substituted dinaphthopentalenes were synthesized successfully by the treatment of in situ prepared dinaphthocyclooctadiyne with lithium amide. This reaction involves a series of transformations including the nucleophilic addition of the lithium amide to a triple bond of the cyclooctadiyne moiety, transannulation, protonation of the resulting pentalene anion, and the nucleophilic substitution of the pentalene core with the lithium amide. In this procedure, a novel double amination step plays a key role. When the diamino-substituted dinaphthopentalenes were irradiated with UV light in toluene, fluorescence was observed at around 580 nm (ΦF < 0.03).

The electronic effect of the Ph2P(O)-ethynyl group in Sonogashira couplings was investigated. Ph2P(O)-ethynylphenyl iodide showed higher reactivity than diiodobenzene because of the electron-withdrawing effect of the Ph2P(O) group. Copper acetylide, which was prepared in situ from Ph2P(O)-ethyne, exhibited poor nucleophilicity and reacted with aryl iodides in Sonogashira couplings, but did not react with aryl bromides. This high selectivity enabled practical syntheses of a cyclic phenyleneethynylene and unsymmetrically substituted 9,10-bis(ethynyl)anthracenes.

The underlying mechanisms of image distortions in atomic force microscopy (AFM) with CO-terminated tips are identified and studied in detail. AFM measurements of a partially fluorinated hydrocarbon molecule recorded with a CO-terminated tip are compared with state-of-the-art ab initio calculations. The hydrogenated and fluorinated carbon rings in the molecule appear different in size, which primarily originates from the different extents of their π-electrons. Further, tilting of the CO at the tip, induced by van der Waals forces, enlarges the apparent size of parts of the molecule by up to 50%. Moreover, the CO tilting in response to local Pauli repulsion causes a significant sharpening of the molecule bonds in AFM imaging.

Ph2P(O)-protected ethynes were successfully transformed to arylethynes in one-pot manner through t-BuOK-catalyzed deprotection followed by Sonogashira coupling with aryl halide. The arylethynes were obtained similarly by Ph2P(O)-deprotection, stannylation of the resulting terminal ethynes, and Migita-Kosugi-Stille coupling. Deprotection followed by intramolecular Eglinton coupling could be carried out in one-pot to provide cyclic butadiynes.