N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Stabilized Atomically Precise Metal Nanoclusters.

This perspective highlights advances in the preparation and understanding of metal nanoclusters stabilized by organic ligands with a focus on N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs). We demonstrate the need for a clear understanding of the relationship between NHC properties and their resulting metal nanocluster structure and properties. We emphasize the importance of balancing nanocluster stability with the introduction of reactive sites for catalytic applications and the importance of a better understanding of how these clusters interact with their environments for effective use in biological applications. The impact of atom-scale simulations, development of atomic interaction potentials suitable for large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, and a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind synthetic methods and physical properties (e.g., the bright fluorescence displayed by many clusters) are emphasized.

Synthesis and Characterization of Enantiopure Chiral Bis NHC-Stabilized Edge-Shared Au10 Nanocluster with Unique Prolate Shape.

Herein we report the first chiral Au10 nanoclusters stabilized by chiral bis N-heterocyclic carbene (bisNHC) ligands. ESI-MS and single-crystal X-ray crystallography confirmed the molecular formula to be [Au10(bisNHC)4Br2](O2CCF3)2. The chiral Au10 nanocluster adopts a linear edge-shared tetrahedral geometry with a prolate shape. DFT calculations provide insight into the electronic structure, optical absorption, and circular dichroism (CD) characteristics of this unique Au10 nanocluster. CD spectra demonstrate chirality transfer from the chiral bisNHC ligand to the inner Au10 nanocluster core. Examination of ESI-MS and UV-vis spectra show that cluster [Au9(bisNHC)4Br]Br2 is formed initially and then transformed into the Au10 nanocluster in solution.

Transition Metal-Catalyzed Cross-Couplings of Benzylic Sulfone Derivatives.

In recent years, the use of organosulfones as a new class of cross-coupling partner in transition-metal catalyzed reactions has undergone significant advancement. In this personal account, our recent investigations into desulfonylative cross-coupling reactions of benzylic sulfone derivatives catalyzed by Pd, Ni, and Cu catalysis is described. Combined with the facile α-functionalizations of sulfones, our methods can be used to form valuable multiply-arylated structures such as di-, tri-, and, tetraarylmethanes from readily available substrates. The reactivity of sulfones can be increased by introducing electron-withdrawing substituents such as 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl and trifluoromethyl groups, which enable more challenging cross-coupling reactions. Reactive intermediates including Cu-carbene complexes were identified as key intermediates in sulfone activation, representing new types of C-SO2 bond activation processes. These results indicate sulfones are powerful functional groups, enabling new catalytic desulfonylative transformations.

Alkyltriflones in the Ramberg-Bäcklund Reaction: An Efficient and Modular Synthesis of gem-Difluoroalkenes.

The unprecedented synthesis of gem-difluoroalkenes through the Ramberg-Bäcklund reaction of alkyl triflones is described herein. Structurally diverse, fully substituted gem-difluoroalkenes that are difficult to prepare by other methods can be easily prepared from readily available triflones by treatment with specific Grignard reagents. Experimental and computational studies provide insight into the unique and critical role of the Grignard reagent, which serves both as a base to remove the α-proton and as a Lewis acid to assist C-F bond activation.

Cu-Catalyzed Desulfonylative Amination of Benzhydryl Sulfones.

A new method for the synthesis of benzhydryl amines from the reaction of readily available sulfone derivatives with amines is described. The Cu-catalyzed desulfonylative amination not only provides structurally diverse benzhydryl amines in good yields, but is also applicable to iterative and intramolecular aminations. Control experiments suggested that the formation of a Cu-carbene intermediate generated from the sulfone substrate, which represents a new route for desulfonylative transformations.

Pyridine-catalyzed desulfonative borylation of benzyl sulfones.

Herein, we report the transition-metal free, pyridine-catalyzed desulfonative borylation of benzyl sulfones with bis(pinacolato)diboron (B2pin2). A variety of benzhydryl- and benzyl boronic esters could be synthesized from readily prepared sulfone derivatives. The borylation of cyclic sulfones accompanied by ring opening also proceeded to afford the corresponding sulfonate, which could be converted into functionalized sulfones and sulfonamides.

Preparation of Quaternary Centers via Nickel-Catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling of Tertiary Sulfones.

We describe the development of a nickel-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of tertiary benzylic and allylic sulfones with arylboroxines. A variety of tertiary sulfones, which can easily be prepared via a deprotonation-alkylation route, were reacted to afford symmetric and unsymmetric quaternary products in good yields. We highlight the use of either BrettPhos or Doyle's phosphines as effective ligands for these challenging desulfonative coupling reactions. The utility of this methodology was demonstrated in the concise synthesis of a vitamin D receptor modulator analogue.

Ultrastable Gold Nanoparticles Modified by Bidentate N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands.

Highly stable gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) functionalized by bidentate N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands have been synthesized by top-down and bottom-up approaches. A detailed study of the effect of alkylation, denticity, and method of synthesis has led to the production of NHC-stabilized nanoparticles with higher thermal stability than bi- and tridentate thiol-protected Au NPs and than monodentate NHC-stabilized NPs. Importantly, bidentate NHC-protected NPs also displayed unprecedented stability to external thiol, which has been an unsolved problem to date with all nanoparticles. Thus, multidentate NHC ligands are an important, and as yet unrecognized, step forward for the preparation of high stability nanomaterials.

Water-Soluble N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Protected Gold Nanoparticles: Size-Controlled Synthesis, Stability, and Optical Properties.

NHC-AuI complexes were used to prepare stable, water-soluble, NHC-protected gold nanoparticles. The water-soluble, charged nature of the nanoparticles permitted analysis by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), which showed that the nanoparticles were highly monodisperse, with tunable core diameters between 2.0 and 3.3 nm depending on the synthesis conditions. Temporal, thermal, and chemical stability of the nanoparticles were determined to be high. Treatment with thiols caused etching of the particles after 24 h; however larger plasmonic particles showed greater resistance to thiol treatment. These water-soluble, bio-compatible nanoparticles are promising candidates for use in photoacoustic imaging, with even the smallest nanoparticles giving reliable photoacoustic signals.

Combination of Synthetic Chemistry and Live-Cell Imaging Identified a Rapid Cell Division Inhibitor in Tobacco and Arabidopsis thaliana.

Cell proliferation is crucial to the growth of multicellular organisms, and thus the proper control of cell division is important to prevent developmental arrest or overgrowth. Nevertheless, tools for controlling cell proliferation are still poor in plant. To develop novel tools, we focused on a specific compound family, triarylmethanes, whose members show various antiproliferative activities in animals. By combining organic chemistry to create novel and diverse compounds containing the triarylmethyl moiety and biological screens based on live-cell imaging of a fluorescently labeled tobacco Bright Yellow-2 (BY-2) culture cell line (Nicotiana tabacum), we isolated (3-furyl)diphenylmethane as a strong but partially reversible inhibitor of plant cell division. We also found that this agent had efficient antiproliferative activity in developing organs of Arabidopsis thaliana without causing secondary defects in cell morphology, and induced rapid cell division arrest independent of the cell cycle stage. Given that (3-furyl)diphenylmethane did not affect the growth of a human cell line (HeLa) and a budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), it should act specifically on plants. Taking our results together, we propose that the combination of desired chemical synthesis and detailed biological analysis is an effective tool to create novel drugs, and that (3-furyl)diphenylmethane is a specific antiproliferative agent for plants.

Modular synthesis of triarylmethanes through palladium-catalyzed sequential arylation of methyl phenyl sulfone.

Triarylmethanes, which are valuable structures in materials, sensing and pharmaceuticals, have been synthesized starting from methyl phenyl sulfone as an inexpensive and readily available template. The three aryl groups were installed through two sequential palladium-catalyzed C-H arylation reactions, followed by an arylative desulfonation. This method provides a new synthetic approach to multisubstituted triarylmethanes using readily available haloarenes and aryl boronic acids, and is also valuable for the preparation of unexplored triarylmethane-based materials and pharmaceuticals.

NHC-Stabilized Au10 Nanoclusters and Their Conversion to Au25 Nanoclusters.

Herein, we describe the synthesis of a toroidal Au10 cluster stabilized by N-heterocyclic carbene and halide ligands via reduction of the corresponding NHC-Au-X complexes (X = Cl, Br, I). The significant effect of the halide ligands on the formation, stability, and further conversions of these clusters is presented. While solutions of the chloride derivatives of Au10 show no change even upon heating, the bromide derivative readily undergoes conversion to form a biicosahedral Au25 cluster at room temperature. For the iodide derivative, the formation of a significant amount of Au25 was observed even upon the reduction of NHC-Au-I. The isolated bromide derivative of the Au25 cluster displays a relatively high (ca. 15%) photoluminescence quantum yield, attributed to the high rigidity of the cluster, which is enforced by multiple CH-π interactions within the molecular structure. Density functional theory computations are used to characterize the electronic structure and optical absorption of the Au10 cluster. 13C-Labeling is employed to assist with characterization of the products and to observe their conversions by NMR spectroscopy.

Aziridinofullerene: a versatile platform for functionalized fullerenes.

An aziridine moiety on the fullerene core can serve as an acid-triggered reacting template for the controlled synthesis of a range of functionalized fullerenes that are otherwise difficult to synthesize in an efficient and selective manner. A copper-catalyzed aziridination of C(60) for the practical synthesis of aziridinofullerene 1 and acid-catalyzed reactions of 1 with mono- and bifunctional nucleophiles as well as alkynes are described. The rapid generation of structural diversity in a single chemical operation using the common platform 1 is notable.

Borenium-Catalyzed Reduction of Pyridines through the Combined Action of Hydrogen and Hydrosilane.

Mesoionic carbene-stabilized borenium ions efficiently reduce substituted pyridines to piperidines in the presence of a hydrosilane and a hydrogen atmosphere. Control experiments and deuterium labeling studies demonstrate reversible hydrosilylation of the pyridine, enabling full reduction of the N-heterocycle under milder conditions. The silane is a critical reaction component to prevent adduct formation between the piperidine product and the borenium catalyst.

Synthesis of quaternary centres by single electron reduction and alkylation of alkylsulfones.

A new method for the generation of tertiary radicals through single electron reduction of alkylsulfones promoted by Zn and 1,10-phenanthroline has been developed. These radicals could be employed in the Giese reaction, affording structurally diverse quaternary products in good yields. With the high modularity and functional group compatibility of sulfones, the utility of this method was demonstrated by intramolecular and iterative reactions to give complex structures. The radical generation process was investigated by control experiments and theoretical calculations.

Synthesis and enantioseparation of chiral Au13 nanoclusters protected by bis-N-heterocyclic carbene ligands.

A series of chiral Au13 nanoclusters were synthesized via the direct reduction of achiral dinuclear Au(i) halide complexes ligated by ortho-xylyl-linked bis-N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands. A broad range of functional groups are tolerated as wingtip substituents, allowing for the synthesis of a variety of functionalized chiral Au13 nanoclusters. Single crystal X-ray crystallography confirmed the molecular formula to be [Au13(bisNHC)5Cl2]Cl3, with a chiral helical arrangement of the five bidentate NHC ligands around the icosahedral Au13 core. This Au13 nanocluster is highly luminescent, with a quantum yield of 23%. The two enantiomers of the Au13 clusters can be separated by chiral HPLC, and the isolated enantiomers were characterized by circular dichroism spectroscopy. The clusters show remarkable stability, including configurational stability, opening the door to further investigation of the effect of chirality on these clusters.

Synthesis and properties of an Au6 cluster supported by a mixed N-heterocyclic carbene-thiolate ligand.

The preparation of a novel Au6 cluster bearing a bidentate mixed carbene-thiolate ligand is presented. The length of linker between the central benzimidazole and thiolate has a strong effect on the formation of cluster products, with a C2 chain giving an Au6 cluster, while a C3 chain results in no evidence of cluster formation. Density functional theory analysis predicts a non-metallic cluster with a large HOMO-LUMO (3.2-3.6 eV) and optical gap.

Regioselective unsymmetrical tetraallylation of C(60) through palladium catalysis.

A Pd-catalyzed tetraallylation of C(60) that selectively occurs with an unsymmetrical addition pattern has been established. Treatment of C(60) with CH(2)=CHCH(2)Cl, CH(2)=CHCH(2)SnBu(3), and PdCl(2)[P(OPh)(3)](2) in 1,2-Cl(2)C(6)H(4) at 50 degrees C afforded the tetraallylated fullerene in 74% yield with virtually complete regioselectivity. Mechanistic investigations showed that (i) tetraallylation proceeds through consecutive nucleophilic/electrophilic allylations [likely via a bis(pi-allyl)palladium intermediate] and (ii) both steric (for the first diallylation) and electronic (for the second diallylation) factors are responsible for the high regioselectivity.

Palladium-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond formation and cleavage of organo(hydro)fullerenes.

Palladium can tailor fullerenes: Palladium catalysts enable a number of C-H bond transformations of organo(hydro)fullerene. In addition to anticipated coupling reactions (C-H bond allylation and arylation), an unexpected new C-H bond dimerization reaction and C-C bond-cleavage reaction were also uncovered.

Modular synthesis of α-fluorinated arylmethanes via desulfonylative cross-coupling.

α-Fluoromethylarenes are common substructures in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, with the introduction of fluorine often resulting in improved biological activity and stability. Despite recent progress, synthetic routes to α-fluorinated diarylmethanes are still rare. Herein we describe the Pd-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of α-fluorinated benzylic triflones with arylboronic acids affording structurally diverse α-fluorinated diarylmethanes. The ease of synthesis of fluorinated triflones as the key starting materials enables powerful late-stage transformations of known biologically active compounds into fluorinated analogs.