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An efficient formal nitrene insertion reaction into the β-vinyl C-H bond of acroleins with an electron-rich organic azide was developed. The reaction protocol can produce secondary enaminals in high yield with a broad substrate scope. In the reaction, acid mediated [3 + 2] cycloaddition of organic azides with an acrolein generated intermediate protonated triazolines, which were selectively decomposed into enaminals with addition of a weakly Brønsted basic reagent such as methanol. The resulting secondary enaminal could be easily reduced into a γ-amino alcohol under mild hydrogenation conditions.

Employing pure water, the ultimate green source of hydrogen donor to initiate chemical reactions that involve a hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) step is fascinating but challenging due to its large H−O bond dissociation energy (BDEH-O=5.1 eV). Many approaches have been explored to stimulate water for hydrogenative reactions, but the efficiency and productivity still require significant enhancement. Here, we show that the surface hydroxylated graphitic carbon nitride (gCN−OH) only requires 2.25 eV to activate H−O bonds in water, enabling abstraction of hydrogen atoms via dehydrogenation of pure water into hydrogen peroxide under visible light irradiation. The gCN−OH presents a stable catalytic performance for hydrogenative N−N coupling, pinacol-type coupling and dehalogenative C−C coupling, all with high yield and efficiency, even under solar radiation, featuring extensive impacts in using renewable energy for a cleaner process in dye, electronic, and pharmaceutical industries.

Highlights It is the first report that using dual-salt additives of LiPF6 and LiNO3 to significantly improve the cycling performance of the Li-CNT negative electrode.The mechanism why the combined use of LiPF6 and LiNO3 additive can improve the cycling performance and rate capability of the Li-CNT negative electrode was investigated.An average cycling Coulombic efficiency as high as 99.30% was obtained for the Li-CNT negative electrode at a current density of 2.5 mA cm−2 and an negative electrode to positive electrode capacity (N/P) ratio of 2. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40820-021-00633-3., Lithium metal is regarded as the ultimate negative electrode material for secondary batteries due to its high energy density. However, it suffers from poor cycling stability because of its high reactivity with liquid electrolytes. Therefore, continuous efforts have been put into improving the cycling Coulombic efficiency (CE) to extend the lifespan of the lithium metal negative electrode. Herein, we report that using dual-salt additives of LiPF6 and LiNO3 in an ether solvent-based electrolyte can significantly improve the cycling stability and rate capability of a Li-carbon (Li-CNT) composite. As a result, an average cycling CE as high as 99.30% was obtained for the Li-CNT at a current density of 2.5 mA cm–2 and an negative electrode to positive electrode capacity (N/P) ratio of 2. The cycling stability and rate capability enhancement of the Li-CNT negative electrode could be attributed to the formation of a better solid electrolyte interphase layer that contains both inorganic components and organic polyether. The former component mainly originates from the decomposition of the LiNO3 additive, while the latter comes from the LiPF6-induced ring-opening polymerization of the ether solvent. This novel surface chemistry significantly improves the CE of Li negative electrode, revealing its importance for the practical application of lithium metal batteries. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40820-021-00633-3.

A general metal-free route to 1,4-disubstituted and 1,4,5-trisubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles was developed. α-Haloacroleins reacted with organic azides in a DMSO/H2O mixture solvent at room temperature to produce 1,4-disubstituted triazoles (up to 99%) with exclusive regioselectivities. This protocol is convenient and scalable with a broad substrate scope including aliphatic and aromatic azides. The resulting triazoles exhibited an aldehyde group at the C4 position and demonstrated synthetic utilizations. One 1,2,3-triazole compound containing diastereotopic protons was also identified.