Electron-donating Methyl Research Articles

Acceleration of Photoinduced Electron Transfer by Modulating Electronegativity of Substituents in Stable Zr-Metal-Organic Frameworks to Boost Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction.

Photoreduction of CO2 with water into chemical feedstocks of fuels provides a green way to help solve both the energy crisis and carbon emission issues. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) show great potential for CO2 photoreduction. However, poor water stability and sluggish charge transfer could limit their application. Herein, three water-stable MOFs functionalized with electron-donating methyl groups and/or electron-withdrawing trifluoromethyl groups are obtained for the CO2 photoreduction. Compared with UiO-67-o-CF3-CH3 and UiO-67-o-(CF3)2, UiO-67-o-(CH3)2 achieves excellent performance with an average CO generation rate of 178.0 μmol g-1 h-1 without using any organic solvent or sacrificial reagent. The superior photocatalytic activity of UiO-67-o-(CH3)2 is attributed to the fact that compared with trifluoromethyl groups, methyl groups could not only elevate CO2 adsorption capacity and reduction potential but also promote photoinduced charge separation and migration. These are evidenced by gas physisorption, photoluminescence, time-resolved photoluminescence, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, transient photocurrent characteristics, and density functional theory calculations. The possible working mechanisms of electron-donating methyl groups are also proposed. Moreover, UiO-67-o-(CH3)2 demonstrates excellent reusability for the CO2 reduction. Based on these results, it could be affirmed that the strategy of modulating substituent electronegativity could provide guidance for designing highly efficient photocatalysts.

Engineering of Aromatic Naphthalene and Solvent Molecules to Optimize Chemical Prelithiation for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

A cost-effective chemical prelithiation solution, which consists of Li+, polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), and solvent, is developed for a model hard carbon (HC) electrode. Naphthalene and methyl-substituted naphthalene PAHs, namely 2-methylnaphthalene and 1-methylnaphthalene, are first compared. Grafting an electron-donating methyl group onto the benzene ring can decrease electron affinity and thus reduce the redox potential, which is validated by density functional theory calculations. Ethylene glycol dimethyl ether (G1), diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, and triethylene glycol dimethyl ether solvents are then compared. The G1 solution has the highest conductivity and least steric hindrance, and thus the 1-methylnaphthalene/G1 solution shows superior prelithiation capability. In addition, the effects of the interaction time between Li+ and 1-methylnaphthalene in G1 solvent on the electrochemical properties of a prelithiated HC electrode are investigated. Nuclear magnetic resonance data confirm that 10-h aging is needed to achieve a stable solution coordination state and thus optimal prelithiation efficacy. It is also found that appropriate prelithiation creates a more Li+-conducing and robust solid-electrolyte interphase, improving the rate capability and cycling stability of the HC electrode.

Enhancing color brilliance and fastness of polyester dyeing with antipyrine-derived disperse dyes

Disperse azo dyes are important colorants for dyeing polyester fabrics, but developing optimized disperse azo dyes remains a challenge. This work details the synthesis of seven new disperse azo dyes 3a-g derived from the coupling reaction of 4-aminoantipyrine diazonium salt with various phenolic precursors including phenol (3a), salicylic acid (3b), salicylaldehyde (3c), cresols (3d-f), and resorcinol (3g). The dyes were characterized by spectroscopic techniques. Their UV–visible absorption spectra were studied, revealing bathochromic shifts for 3d-g containing electron-donating methyl and hydroxyl substituents compared to parent dye 3a while dyes 3b-c showed hypsochromic shifts. The impact of acid and base on the absorption spectra indicates azo-hydrazone tautomerism for 3f-g but predominant azo form for 3a-e. The dyes showed excellent dyeing on polyester fabrics with up to 97.86 % dye exhaustion. High wash, light and perspiration fastness was exhibited while fastness to respiration varied. The strongest color yield on polyester was achieved with 3g derived from resorcinol coupler. Density functional theory calculations were performed to elucidate relationships between substituent effects and spectral attributes. Lower energy gaps were computed for 3f-g, consistent with enhanced reactivity. This work expands disperse azo dye precursors while offering fundamental structure-performance insight to guide future design. The potent polyester coloration and good fastness properties warrant ongoing investigation of these dyes.

Impact of Surface Ligand Identity and Density on the Thermodynamics of H Atom Uptake at Polyoxovanadate-Alkoxide Surfaces.

An understanding of how molecular structure influences the thermodynamics of H atom transfer is critical to designing efficient catalysts for reductive chemistries. Herein, we report experimental and theoretical investigations summarizing structure-function relationships of polyoxovanadate-alkoxides that influence bond dissociation free energies of hydroxide ligands located at the surface of the cluster. We evaluate the thermochemical descriptors of O-H bond strength for a series of clusters, namely [V6O13-x(OH)x(TRIOLR)2]-2 (x = 2, 4, 6; R = NO2, Me) and [V6O11-x(OMe)2(OH)x(TRIOLNO2)2]-2, via computational analysis and open circuit potential measurements. Our findings reveal that modifications to the TRIOL ligand (e.g., changing from the previously reported electron withdrawing nitro-backed ligand to the electron-donating methyl variant) have limited influence on the strength of surface O-H bonds as a result of near complete thermodynamic compensation in these systems (i.e., correlated changes in redox potential and cluster basicity). In contrast, changes in surface density of alkoxide ligands via direct alkoxylation of the polyoxovanadate-alkoxide surface result in measurable increases in bond dissociation free energies of surface O-H bonds for the mixed-valent derivatives. Our findings indicate that the extent of (de)localization of electron density across the cluster core has an impact on the bond dissociation free energies of surface O-H bonds across all oxidation states of the assembly.

The Impact of ortho-substituents on Bonding in Silver(I) and Halogen(I) Complexes of 2-Mono- and 2,6-Disubstituted Pyridines: An In-Depth Experimental and Theoretical Study.

The coordination nature of 2-mono- and 2,6-disubstituted pyridines with electron-withdrawing halogen and electron-donating methyl groups for [N-X-N]+ (X=I, Br) complexations have been studied using 15 N NMR, X-ray crystallography, and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. The 15 N NMR chemical shifts reveal iodine(I) and bromine(I) prefer to form complexes with 2-substituted pyridines and only 2,6-dimethylpyridine. The crystalline halogen(I) complexes of 2-substituted pyridines were characterized by using X-ray diffraction analysis, but 2,6-dihalopyridines were unable to form stable crystalline halogen(I) complexes due to the lower nucleophilicity of the pyridinic nitrogen. In contrast, the halogen(I) complexes of 2,6-dimethylpyridine, which has a more basic nitrogen, are characterized by X-crystallography, which complements the 15 N NMR studies. DFT calculations reveal that the bond energies for iodine(I) complexes vary between -291 and -351 kJ mol-1 and for bromine between -370 and -427 kJ mol-1 . The bond energies of halogen(I) complexes of 2-halopyridines with more nucleophilic nitrogen are 66-76 kJ mol-1 larger than those of analogous 2,6-dihalopyridines with less nucleophilic nitrogen. The experimental and DFT results show that the electronic influence of ortho-halogen substituents on pyridinic nitrogen leads to a completely different preference for the coordination bonding of halogen(I) ions, providing new insights into bonding in halogen(I) chemistry.

Modulation of Prelithiation Solution for Hard Carbon Anodes of Lithium-Ion Batteries

The increasing demand for high-energy and high-power lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in portable gadgets and electric vehicles has led to exploration of high-performance silicon and hard carbon (HC) anodes to replace traditional graphite anodes. However, their practical application is hindered by low initial coulombic efficiency and large irreversible capacity, which decreases the total energy density. Prelithiation is a strategy to restore energy density by supplying additional Li ions. Chemical prelithiation, involving immersing the electrode in a reductive Li−aromatic hydrocarbon (arene) complex solution, is a standout method due to its safety, high efficiency, and practical feasibility. It not only restores the lost lithium but also aids in maintaining a more stable solid electrolyte interphase layer to guarantee battery cycling stability. The first part of our study addresses the issue of expensive and impractical arene complexes for prelithiation, we focus on using low-cost and commercially available aromatic compounds such as naphthalene and methyl-substituted naphthalene compounds. This study investigates the effects of electron-donating methyl groups on naphthalene on the prelithiation activity toward HC using density functional theory calculations. In the second part of this study, we use low-cost and easily available solvents such as ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, bis(2-methoxyethyl) ether, and triethylene glycol dimethyl ether for chemical prelithiation. Ether solvents have a desirable solvation effect with Li+, and the ether with low solvation power enhances the prelithiation activity. The degree of prelithiation is greatly affected by the reaction time, and the details of this relationship are rarely investigated. In the final part of our study, we conduct a detailed investigation on the effects of various reaction times on the prelithiation activity toward the HC anode. This study provides useful insights for effective prelithiation, in terms of choosing aromatic compounds, solvents, and reaction time.

Thermophysical properties of binary mixtures of diethyl ether as oxygenate with cyclohexane and aromatic hydrocarbons

Density (ρ), speed of sound (u), and refractive index (nD) were measured for the binary mixture of diethyl ether (1) + cyclohexane, benzene, and toluene (2) systems at T= (288.15 K to 298.15 K) and 0.1 MPa. The measured data were utilized to calculate excess molar volume (VmE), deviation in ultrasonic speed (Δu), and deviation in refractive index (ΔnD). Our results illustrate that the positive value of VmE and negative value of Δu for diethyl ether + cyclohexane indicate the absence of specific interaction owing to the inert nature of cyclohexane and disruption of the dipole–dipole interactions in diethyl ether during mixing. Conversely, in diethyl ether + benzene or toluene system, the negative values of VmE and positive values of Δu suggest the presence of electron donor–acceptor interactions between the oxygen atom of diethyl ether and the π- electrons of benzene and toluene. These findings were further corroborated by the behavior of the molecular association parameter (MA), which showed that toluene exhibited the greatest value of MA and lower value of VmE compared to benzene, indicating a stronger degree of molecular association due increase in π-electron density because of the presence of electron-donating methyl group in toluene. On the other hand, cyclohexane showed the lowest value of MA, suggesting the disruption of dipole–dipole interaction in diethyl ether. Schaff’s collision factor theory demonstrated high predictive power for ultrasonic speed compared to other models. These experimental data significantly impact advancing theoretical models, process design, material development in chemical industries, and our understanding of the basic behavior of mixtures across various scientific and technical domains.

Methyl and carbon–carbon double bond in anhydride molecules modulated surface charge trap depth of epoxy materials

Epoxy insulators in gas insulated switchgear and gas insulated transmission lines tend to accumulate surface charges, leading to insulation flashover. Improving the surface trap characteristics of epoxy materials, which can accelerate the surface charge dissipation of epoxy insulators, is a promising method to improve the surface insulation performance. The surface trap characteristics of epoxy materials are strongly influenced by the chemical groups in the acid anhydride molecules. In this work, by quantum chemical calculations and isothermal surface potential decay tests, taking six organic anhydrides that differ only in the methyl and carbon–carbon double bonds, we find the modulation laws of methyl and carbon–carbon double bonds on the charge trap depth within and between molecular chains. The regulation mechanism is revealed from the microscopic perspectives of electron energy structure and electron cloud offset. The changes of surface charge trap depth of epoxy materials are primarily attributed to the changes in the spatial distribution of the electron cloud density between and on the valence bonds caused by the interaction between the electron-donating methyl group and the electron-absorbing carbon–carbon double bond.

Synthesis, mesomorphic and fluorescent properties of stilbene-containing 1,3,4-oxadiazole compounds

ABSTRACT A new class of mesogenic 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives 2a-2e based on stilbene has been synthesised and characterised by means of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electro spray ionisation-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) techniques and elemental analyses. The thermal properties were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarising optical microscopy (POM) and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). All compounds exhibited enantiotropic liquid crystal behaviours with typical calamitic mesophases (Smectic A (SmA), Smectic C (SmC) and Nematic phases) in very wide temperature range with excellent thermal stability. The nature of the mesophase is determined greatly by the polarity of the terminal groups. The electron-withdrawing cyano (for 2a) and fluoro (for 2b) groups tended to form smectic A phase, while the electron-donating methyl (for 2c), methoxy (for 2d) and decyloxy (for 2e) groups facilitated the SmA or SmC and nematic phases. Out of expectation, no banana phases were found in these mesogens. It’s noted that the solutions of all compounds in CH2Cl2 individually displayed one absorption band with λmax values at 340–355 nm, and exhibited an intense emission with λmax values at 428–486 nm and photoluminescence quantum yields of 0.39–0.55. The relationship between the molecular structures and mesogenic properties is discussed briefly in this work.

Ruthenium Azobis(benzothiazole): Electronic Structure and Impact of Substituents on the Electrocatalytic Single-Site Water Oxidation Process

The present article deals with the structurally and spectroelectrochemically characterized newer class of ruthenium-azoheteroarenes [RuII(Ph-trpy)(Cl)(L)]ClO4, [1]ClO4-[3]ClO4 (Ph-trpy: 4'-phenyl-2,2':6',2″-terpyridine; L1: 2,2'-azobis(benzothiazole) ([1]ClO4); L2: 2,2'-azobis(6-methylbenzothiazole) ([2]ClO4); L3: 2,2'-azobis(6-chlorobenzothiazole) ([3]ClO4)). A collective consideration of experimental (i.e., structural and spectroelectrochemical) and theoretical (DFT calculations) results of [1]ClO4-[3]ClO4 established selective stabilization of (i) the unperturbed azo (N═N)0 function of L, (ii) the exclusive presence of the isomeric form involving the N(azo) donor of L trans to Cl, and (iii) the presence of extended, hydrogen-bonded trimeric units in the asymmetric unit of [2]ClO4 (CH---O) via the involvement of ClO4- anions. The detailed electrochemical studies revealed metal-based oxidation of [RuII(Ph-trpy)(Cl)(L)]+ (1+-3+) to [RuIII(Ph-trpy)(Cl)(L)]2+ (12+-32+); however, the electronic form of the first reduced state (1-3) could be better represented by its mixed RuII(Ph-trpy)(Cl)(L•-)/RuIII(Ph-trpy)(Cl)(L2-) state. Both native (1+-3+) and reduced (1-3) states exhibited weak lower energy transitions within the range of 1000-1200 nm. Further, [1]ClO4-[3]ClO4 delivered an electrochemical OER (oxygen evolution reaction) process in alkaline medium on immobilizing them to a carbon cloth support, which divulged an amplified water oxidation feature for [2]ClO4 due to the presence of electron-donating methyl groups in the L2 backbone. The faster OER kinetics and high catalytic stability of [2]ClO4 could also be rationalized by its lowest Tafel slope (85 mV dec-1) and choronoamperometric experiment (stable up to 12 h), respectively, along with high Faradic efficiency (∼97%). A comparison of [2]ClO4 with the reported analogous ruthenium complexes furnished its excellent intrinsic water oxidation activity.

Dicarboxylate-containing and fully substituted ferrocene with rapid dissolvability, high solubility, good stability, and moderate formal potential for mediated electrochemical detection.

An electron mediator with rapid dissolvability and high solubility in aqueous electrolyte solutions is essential for point-of-care testing based on mediated electrochemical detection. However, most ferrocenyl (Fc) compounds have slow dissolvability and poor solubility owing to high hydrophobicity of the Fc backbone. Moreover, many Fc compounds have poor stability and nonoptimal formal potential (). Herein, we present an Fc compound, Fc8m2c, which exhibits rapid dissolvability, high solubility, good stability, and moderate along with its high electron-mediation rate. The of Fc8m2c (0.17 V vs. Ag/AgCl) is tuned by two electron-withdrawing acyl substituents and eight electron-donating methyl substituents. Two pendant carboxylate groups of Fc8m2c allow for rapid dissolvability and high solubility (0.63 M in water), whereas full substitution in its two cyclopentadienyl ligands facilitates good chemical stability against decomposition in the presence of dissolved O2 and ambient light. A moderate enables the application of a potential of 0.07 V at which electrochemical background currents are low and also contributes toward resisting the decomposition of both Fc8m2c and Fc8m2c+. Fc8m2c provides a high electron-mediation rate constant (2.4 × 106 M-1 s-1) in glucose detection using glucose dehydrogenase. When Fc8m2c is applied to a glucose sensor, the calculated detection limit is ∼0.1 mM with a measurement period of 5 s. Considering that the normal concentration of glucose in serum is between 3.9 and 6.6 mM, the detection limit is sufficiently low. These results show that Fc8m2c is an excellent electron-mediator candidate for sensitive and rapid glucose detection.

Comparative Study of 1,3,5-Trinitrobenzene and 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene Hydrogenation over Copper-Aluminum Oxide Catalyst in a Flow Reactor

The catalytic properties of a copper-aluminum oxide catalyst obtained from double layered hydroxide have been studied in hydrogenation of 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNB) and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in a flow reactor. The reaction was carried out at temperature of 120°C, total pressure of 30 bar and substrate concentration of 0.10–0.15 M, using methanol as a solvent. 1,3,5-Triaminobenzene (TAB) and 2,4,6-triaminotoluene (TAT) were isolated from the reaction mixture in the form of double salts with sulfuric acid TAB⋅2H2SO4 and TAT⋅2H2SO4, the yield of which was 92 and 98%, respectively. At an initial trinitroarene concentration of 0.10 M, the hydrolysis of triaminobenzene salts made it possible to synthesize phloroglucinol and methylphloroglucinol in 78 and 91% yields. Increasing the concentration to 0.15 M reduces the yield to 71 and 88%, respectively. According to thermal analysis data, the observed differences in the yields of triaminobenzene salts and polyphenols are explained by the formation of different amounts of resinous by-products on the catalyst surface during hydrogenation of trinitroarene. Hydrogenation of TNT produces less resin, resulting in higher yields of TAT⋅2H2SO4 and methyl phloroglucinol. This is probably due to the presence of an electron-donating methyl substituent, which slows down polycondensation of TAT molecules.

Ultrasound Assisted Synthesis and In Silico Modelling of 1,2,4-Triazole Coupled Acetamide Derivatives of 2-(4-Isobutyl phenyl)propanoic acid as Potential Anticancer Agents.

The development of an economical method for the synthesis of biologically active compounds was the major goal of this research. In the present study, we have reported the ultrasound-radiation-assisted synthesis of a series of novel N-substituted 1,2,4-triazole-2-thiol derivatives. The target compounds 6a-f were efficiently synthesized in significant yields (75-89%) by coupling 1,2,4-triazole of 2-(4-isobutylphenyl) propanoic acid 1 with different electrophiles using ultrasound radiation under different temperatures. The sonication process accelerated the rate of the reaction as well as yielded all derivatives compared to conventional methods. All derivatives were confirmed by spectroscopic (FTIR, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, HRMS) and physiochemical methods. All derivatives were further screened for their anticancer effects against the HepG2 cell line. Compound 6d containing two electron-donating methyl moieties demonstrated the most significant anti-proliferative activity with an IC50 value of 13.004 µg/mL, while compound 6e showed the lowest potency with an IC50 value of 28.399 µg/mL. The order of anticancer activity was found to be: 6d > 6b > 6f > 6a > 6c > 6e, respectively. The in silico modelling of all derivatives was performed against five different protein targets and the results were consistent with the biological activities. Ligand 6d showed the best binding affinity with the Protein Kinase B (Akt) pocket with the lowest ∆G value of -176.152 kcal/mol. Compound 6d has been identified as a promising candidate for treatment of liver cancer.

Poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide-co-4-acrylamidobenzo-18-crown-6) microgels with expanded networks for excellent adsorption of lead(II) ions

Lead(II) (Pb2+) ions are toxic heavy metal ions that can accumulate in the human body through water and cause severe health problems, including neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, hematological toxicity and even genotoxicity effects. To remove Pb2+ selectively and effectively from aqueous solutions, we develop a novel type of Pb2+-recognizable microgels with excellent adsorption capacity to Pb2+, which are fabricated from 4-acrylamidobenzo-18-crown-6 (B18C6Am) and N-isopropylmethacrylamide (NIPMAM) monomers by precipitation copolymerization method. The prepared poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide-co-4-acrylamidobenzo-18-crown-6) (PNMB) microgels exhibit expanded structures, because the electron-donating methyl groups at α-carbon could descend the polarity of CO in the NIPMAM monomers and thus weaken the polymer segment···segment interactions. The expanded structures of PNMB microgels are beneficial for adsorption of Pb2+ due to the low steric hindrance in the polymeric networks. The Pb2+ adsorption isotherms of PNMB microgels are consistent with the Langmuir model for monolayer adsorption. The results indicate that the prepared Pb2+-recognizable PNMB microgels are highly promising for the selective removal of lead(II) ions from aqueous solutions.

Sonochemical Synthesis and In Silico Evaluation of Imidazo[1,2-a]Pyridine Derivatives as Potential Inhibitors of Sirtuins

Encouraged by the reported sirtuin modulating ability of an imidazopyridazine derivative the structurally relevant imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine framework was explored for the design and synthesis of prospective inhibitors of sirtuins. The synthesis of targeted imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives was carried out via a NBS (N-bromosuccinimide) promoted reaction of 2-aminopyridines with β-keto esters (or 1,3-dione derivatives) in PEG-400 under ultrasound irradiation. This sonochemical method afforded the desired product in good yield when 2-aminopyridines containing electron donating methyl group were employed whereas the corresponding products were obtained in low yields when the electron withdrawing chloro group was present in 2-aminopyridines. The use of 1,3-diones in place of β-keto esters generally afforded the corresponding products in moderate to low yields. The compounds obtained from 1,3-diones were evaluated in silico against SIRT1, 2 and 3 for their potential inhibitory properties against these proteins. The carbonyl group generally played an important role in the interaction of test compounds with the target protein via formation of H-bond(s) with the appropriate residue(s). The docking studies also indicated the selective inhibition of SIRT1 over SIRT2 and 3 by the compound 4a whereas the selective SIRT3 inhibition was specified for compound 3x. Additionally, the in vitro SIRT1 inhibition e.g. 66.7 ± 2.1, 76.8 ± 1.3, 51.9 ± 3.0 and 70.1 ± 1.9% shown by 3x, 4a, 4b and 4c, respectively at 10 µM corroborated the in silico findings concerning this protein.

DFT exploration to tune the silyl group as anchoring unit on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells: an approach to suppress dye leaching from semiconductor surface.

In this work, we report the lower stability of dyes containing cyanoacrylic acid anchoring group on semiconductor TiO2 surface compared to the corresponding silyl unit in dye-sensitized solar cell. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been performed with simple donor (N,N diphenylamine) and π-conjugated spacers, with silyl anchoring groups to examine the efficiency of DSSCs. The calculated results in CAM-B3LYP/6-31G(d)/CPCM(THF) reveal that the cyanoacrylic acid anchoring group would have weaker coordination on semiconductor TiO2 surface compared to the silyl anchoring group on the same surface. The designed dyes 1-7 exhibit comparable or in cases superior optical properties than that of the reference dye molecule with cyanoacrylic acid as an anchoring group. All designed dyes have lower ΔGrejection values implying efficient and faster electron recombination between the dye and electrolyte. The electron transition coefficient for these dyes is higher enough (~72-87%) suggesting successful electron propagation from dye to the semiconductor. The electron-donating methyl and ethyl groups show lower ΔGrejection values than the commonly studied -OEt substitution with the silyl anchoring group. The extended π conjugation for better electronic propagation and higher λmax values have been achieved with simple ethylene and butadiene units in the dye molecules. Dye 7 with butadiene as π-spacer unit shows superior oscillatory strength (f) of 2.19 and light-harvesting efficiency (LHE) of 0.99 than the other studied dyes and reference dye with carboxylic anchoring group (TA-ST-CA). The lowest ΔGrejection value (0.53 eV) of dye 7 suggests better electronic recombination than all the other dyes studied here. Transition Density matrix and PDOS calculations with the representative dye 7 suggest a good electronic propagation from the dye to the semiconductor. The incorporation of a highly π-conjugated spacer 4,8-di(thiophen-2-yl)-1H,5H-benzo[1,2-c:4,5-c']bis([1,2,5]thiadiazole) in dye 7 (7-BBT) showed remarkable enhancement in the absorption maxima ~800 nm corresponds to the UV-vis and NIR regions. The DFT calculated results shed light on designing new DSSCs with silyl anchoring groups for enhanced stability and superior efficiency.

Selective Synthesis of Azoloyl NH-1,2,3-Triazoles and Azolyl Diazoketones: Experimental and Computational Insights.

Here, we report that the reaction of enaminones, from a class of azole series, with sulfonyl azides leads to a difficult-to-separate mixture of two pairs of compounds: (1) 4-azoloyl-NH-1,2,3-triazoles with sulfonamides and (2) azolyl diazoketones with N-sulfonamidines, as a result of the implementation of two competing reactions. On one hand, the electron-donating methyl or methoxy group in the aryl para-position of arylsulfonyl azides favors the production of NH-1,2,3-triazoles together with sulfonamides. On the other hand, the use of highly electrophilic 4-nitrophenylsulfonyl azide promotes the formation of diazoketones and sulfonamidines. It is shown that the direction of each reaction is not only controlled by the nature of the initial enaminones and sulfonyl azides but also depends on the tested solvent. The problem of removing sulfonamides and amidines from the desired products was solved for the first time using new water-soluble enaminones. Based on the experimental and computational studies, the factors contributing to the selective course of alternative reactions were identified, and methods for the synthesis of azoloyl-NH-1,2,3-triazoles and azolyl diazoketones were developed. Density functional theory (DFT) results have shown that the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition is totally driven toward one single regioisomer with a high asynchronous bond formation, and the introduction of an electron-deficient group in sulfonyl azides induces faster cycloaddition. Additionally, DFT calculations were used to gain further mechanistic insights on the reaction studied here.

Resonance-assisted intramolecular triel bonds.

The possibility that the intramolecular Tr⋯S triel bond is strengthened by resonance is examined by quantum chemical calculations within the planar five-membered ring of TrH2-CRCR-CRS (Tr = Al, Ga, In; R = NO2, CH3). This internal bond is found to be rather short (2.4-2.7 Å) with a large bond energy between 12 and 21 kcal mol-1. The pattern of bond length alternation and atomic charges within the ring is consistent with resonance involving the conjugated double bonds. This resonance enhances the triel bond strength by some 25%. The electron-withdrawing NO2 group weakens the bond, but it is strengthened by the electron-donating CH3 substituent. NICS analysis suggests the presence of a certain degree of aromaticity within the ring.

Mononuclear copper(I) complexes bearing 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane and functional 6-Cyano-2,2′-bipyridine ligands

Two new monometallic copper(I) complexes bearing 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane (dppp) and functional 6-cyano-2,2′-bipyridine ligands, [Cu(dppp)(cbpy)](ClO4) (1) and [Cu(dppp)(mcbpy)](ClO4) (2) (cbpy = 6-cyano-2,2′-bipyridine; mcbpy = 4,4′-dimethyl-6-cyano-2,2′-bipyridine), have been synthesized and characterized. It is revealed that complexes 1 and 2 display a distorted N2P2 tetrahedral configuration formed by two N donors of the 2,2ʹ-bipyridyl ring and two P atoms of dppp. It is shown that the introduction of two electron-donating methyl groups at the 4- and 4′-positions of 6-cyano-2,2′-bipyridine is favorable for improving luminescence properties of Cu(I) complexes.

Ionic Liquid-Stabilized Single-Atom Rh Catalyst Against Leaching

Ionic Liquid-Stabilized Single-Atom Rh Catalyst Against Leaching