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We realized a highly efficient formal [1,2]‐sigmatropic rearrangement of ammonium ylides generated from 3‐methylene‐azetidines and α‐diazo pyrazoamides. The employ of readily available chiral cobalt(II) complex of chiral N,N′‐dioxide enabled the ring‐expansion of azetidines, affording a variety of quaternary prolineamide derivatives with excellent yield (up to 99 %) and enantioselectivity (up to 99 % ee) under mild reaction condition. For the rearrangement of ammonium ylides, the installation of a pyrazoamide group as a masked brick to build chiral scaffolds proved successful. The enantioselective ring expansion process was elucidated by DFT calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for active narrow band gap semiconductor photocatalysts that directly split water or degrade organic pollutants under solar irradiation remains an open issue. We synthesized Cu2Se nanowires with exposed {111} facets using ethanol and glycerol as morphology controlling agents. The {111} facets were found to be the active facets for decomposing organic contaminants in the entire solar spectrum. Based on the polar structure of the Cu2Se {111} facets, a charge separation model between polar (111) and (1̅1̅1̅) surfaces is proposed. The internal electric field between polar (111) and (1̅1̅1̅) surfaces created by spontaneous polarization drives charge separation. The reduction and oxidation reactions occur on the positive (111) and negative (1̅1̅1̅) polar surfaces, respectively. This suggests the surface-engineering of narrow band gap semiconductors as a strategy to fabricate photocatalysts with high reactivity in the entire solar spectrum. The charge separation model can deepen the understanding of charge transfer in other semiconductor nanocrystals with high photocatalytic activities and offer guidance to design more effective photocatalysts as well as new types of solar cells, photoelectrodes and photoelectric devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly efficient asymmetric [1,3]- and [3,3]-O-to-C sigmatropic rearrangement of 3-allyloxy-4 H -chromenones and their analogues was developed. Chiral N , N '-dioxide complexes of 3d late transition metal complexes enabled two mechanistically different processes, giving a series of optically active 2,2-disubstituted chromane-3,4-diones and 2-allyl-3-hydroxy-4 H -chromen-4-ones as well as their related compounds in excellent yield and enantioselectivity. Systemic mechanistic studies and DFT calculation revealed the nature of the vinyl ether unit of the substrate, which biased regioselectivity via a stepwise tight ion pair pathway and a concerted pericyclic pathway, respectively. The enantioselectivity of the two processes is also disclosed., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

A diastereodivergent asymmetric desymmetrization of azetidinium salts with benzothiazoleamides as carbon nucleophiles through a chiral N , N '-dioxide/Mg(II) complex-promoted ring-opening reaction is realized by tuning ligands. Both syn - and anti -chiral δ-amino acid derivatives bearing benzothiazole structure were obtained in moderate to good yields and dr and ee values. DFT calculations indicated that the diastereodivergency stems from the different size of the chiral pocket formed by variable substructures of the ligands, leading to the opposite attack direction of the nucleophiles.

We realized a highly efficient formal [1,2]-sigmatropic rearrangement of ammonium ylides generated from 3-methylene-azetidines and α-diazo pyrazoamides. The employ of readily available chiral cobalt(II) complex of chiral N,N'-dioxide enabled the ring-expansion of azetidines, affording a variety of quaternary prolineamide derivatives with excellent yield (up to 99 %) and enantioselectivity (up to 99 % ee) under mild reaction condition. For the rearrangement of ammonium ylides, the installation of a pyrazoamide group as a masked brick to build chiral scaffolds proved successful. The enantioselective ring expansion process was elucidated by DFT calculations., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

An efficient catalytic asymmetric [2+2] cycloaddition of allenyl imide and mono- or disubstituted alkenes is disclosed. The key feature of this method is the use of bidentate allenyl imide and weakly activated and less steric hindered alkene pair by utilizing chiral magnesium(II) complex of N,N'-dioxide, which could provide through-space dispersion interactions to orientate the arrangement of the alkene. This protocol allows the generation of a series of axially chiral cyclobutenes and four-membered ring-containing spirocycles (80 examples) in high yield (up to 99 %) with excellent enantioselectivity (up to >99 % ee), and the late-stage modification of biologically active molecules as well. Experimental studies and DFT calculations revealed that this [2+2] cycloaddition proceeded via a stepwise mechanism involving a short-lived zwitterionic intermediate. The π-π interaction between the alkenes and the amide moiety in the ligand was crucial for the enantiocontrol., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

It is rather challenging to develop photocatalysts based on narrow-band-gap semiconductors for water splitting under solar irradiation. Herein, we synthesized the Cu 2 O/Cu 2 Se multilayer heterostructure nanowires exposing {111} crystal facets by a hydrothermal reaction of Se with Cu and KBH 4 in ethanol amine aqueous solution and subsequent annealing in air. The photocatalytic H 2 production activity of Cu 2 O/Cu 2 Se multilayer heterostructure nanowires is dramatically improved, with an increase on the texture coefficient of Cu 2 O(111) and Cu 2 Se(111) planes, and thus the exposed {111} facets may be the active surfaces for photocatalytic H 2 production. On the basis of the polar structure of Cu 2 O {111} and Cu 2 Se {111} surfaces, we presented a model of charge separation between the Cu-Cu 2 Se(111) and O-Cu 2 O(1̅ 1̅ 1̅) polar surfaces. An internal electric field is created between Cu-Cu 2 Se(111) and O-Cu 2 O(1̅ 1̅ 1̅) polar surfaces, because of spontaneous polarization. As a result, this internal electric field drives the photocreated charge separation. The oxidation and reduction reactions selectively occur at the negative O-Cu 2 O(1̅ 1̅ 1̅) and the positive Cu-Cu 2 Se(111) surfaces. The polar surface-engineering may be a general strategy for enhancing the photocatalytic H 2 -production activity of semiconductor photocatalysts. The charge separation mechanism not only can deepen the understanding of photocatalytic H 2 production mechanism but also provides a novel insight into the design of advanced photocatalysts, other photoelectric devices, and solar cells.

The search for active narrow band gap semiconductor photocatalysts that directly split water or degrade organic pollutants under solar irradiation remains an open issue. We synthesized Cu2Se nanowires with exposed {111} facets using ethanol and glycerol as morphology controlling agents. The {111} facets were found to be the active facets for decomposing organic contaminants in the entire solar spectrum. Based on the polar structure of the Cu2Se {111} facets, a charge separation model between polar (111) and (1[combining macron]1[combining macron]1[combining macron]) surfaces is proposed. The internal electric field between polar (111) and (1[combining macron]1[combining macron]1[combining macron]) surfaces created by spontaneous polarization drives charge separation. The reduction and oxidation reactions occur on the positive (111) and negative (1[combining macron]1[combining macron]1[combining macron]) polar surfaces, respectively. This suggests the surface-engineering of narrow band gap semiconductors as a strategy to fabricate photocatalysts with high reactivity in the entire solar spectrum. The charge separation model can deepen the understanding of charge transfer in other semiconductor nanocrystals with high photocatalytic activities and offer guidance to design more effective photocatalysts as well as new types of solar cells, photoelectrodes and photoelectric devices.