Themed collection Most popular 2018-2019 main group, inorganic and organometallic chemistry articles

This perspective report presents the key approaches for the development of various organometallic reactions in aqueous media.

The existence of intramolecular chalcogen bonds (IChBs) in 2,6-disubstituted arylchalcogen derivatives is determined by the substituents and the sigma hole donor behavior of the chalcogen atom in the molecule.

Spin–vibration coupling has been proven to be crucial for spin dynamics; theoretical studies are now addressing this experimental challenge.

This perspective includes the synthesis and future challenges of aromatic dianion metalloles and their analogues.

Incorporating selenium or tellurium into photoactive species imparts new photophysical properties that may be exploited in materials applications.

Recent attempts to isolate cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene stabilized radicals of p-block elements have been described here.

This minireview focuses on recent advances in site-selective C–H functionalization on 2-pyridone which is an important heterocyclic motif in medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry.

The hydration of a broad range of aliphatic and (hetero)aromatic nitriles is reported via catalysis by metal–ligand cooperative Ru pincer complexes under very mild conditions.

We have demonstrated that mechanochemistry allows synthesizing a wide range of palladium oxidative addition complexes in air.

The tetracationic diketopyrrolopyrrole compound 5M exhibits a σ₂ value of 4560 GM at 740 nm.

Alkali metal complexes of an enantiopure iminophosphonamide bearing chiral centers at both nitrogen atoms are described. They show bright phosphorescence and thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF).

The monomeric molecular aluminium(I) complex 1 [{(ArNCMe)₂CH}Al] (Ar = 2,6-di-iso-propylphenyl) reacts with a series of terminal and strained alkenes including ethylene, propylene, allylbenzene and norbornene to form alkene bound products.

Electrostatic charges patterning along crystalline channels recognize CO₂ with high selectivity and promote its fast screwing dynamics through the crystal at one million steps per second, strongly reminiscent of trans-membrane transport in biological channels.

Two reductive polyoxometalate (POM)-based heterogeneous photo-catalysts display highly selective CO₂-to-CH₄ conversion in water.

Subtle changes in ligand substitution result in substantial changes in molecular structure and magnetic properties in a series of dysprosium(III) metallocenium salts.

Al(OCAr^F₃)₃ (Ar^F = C₆F₅) – a readily accessible, adduct free and highly stable Lewis superacid with an extreme fluoride ion affinity to store in your glove box!

We herein describe a tandem highly selective B–Cl/C–B cross-metathesis of two same or different arylboranes and C–H bond borylation to synthesize four-coordinate triarylboranes with broad substrate scope.

Two-electron reduction of bis(1,3-imidazolinium) salts 2 and 3 with KC₈ gives rise to stable diradicaloids 4 and 5, respectively. Calculations reveal a very low singlet–triplet energy gap ΔE_S–T for 5 (10.7 kcal mol⁻¹), while ΔE_S–T for 4 (29.1 kcal mol⁻¹) is rather large.

A new class of tunable heterophosphole dimeric ligands have been designed and synthesized.

Pd-catalyzed, transient group-directed diarylation of cage B(4,5)–H bonds in 1-CH₂NH₂-o-carboranes was reported, including the isolation and structural characterization of key intermediates.

Targeted C(sp³)–H activation or nucleophilic substitution reactions have been achieved through the interaction of a diborane dianion with haloalkanes.

Through a combined experimental and computational (DFT) approach, the reaction mechanism of the addition of fluoroarenes to Mg–Mg bonds has been determined as a concerted S_NAr-like pathway in which one Mg centre acts as a nucleophile and the other an electrophile.

The detailed reaction mechanism of anionic Ni complex-promoted C–C bond forming reactions was clarified by experimental and theoretical methods.

This side-by-side reactivity study of a borylene and a diborene with the same empirical formula demonstrates their non-interconvertibility.

Chemical shift analysis predicts the ease of alkylidene formation from bis-alkyl d⁰ complexes via α-H abstraction.

An aldehyde functionalized amino-borane has been found to respond to multiple external stimuli such as temperature, pressure and solvents, producing distinct patterns and colours.

Installation of bridging alkoxide ligands leads to improvements to solubility, stability and redox profile of POM clusters!

The reaction of pinB-BMes₂ with Xyl-NC and pyridine results in the formation of a pyridine-coordinated boraalkene that exhibits an intense color. In the presence of an excess of pyridine, the ortho C–H bond of pyridine was selectively functionalized.

Two ultrasmall gold clusters, Au₁₃ and Au₈, were identified as a distorted I_h icosahedral Au₁₃ and edge-shared “core + 4exo” structure Au₈S₂ cores, respectively. They showed interesting luminescence and electrochemical properties.

Lewis superacid with higher fluoride ion affinity than SbF₅.