Rational Method of Monitoring Molecular Transformations on Metal-Oxide Nanowire Surfaces.

Metal-oxide nanowires have demonstrated excellent capability in the electrical detection of various molecules based on their material robustness in liquid and air environments. Although the surface structure of the nanowires essentially determines their interaction with adsorbed molecules, understanding the correlation between an oxide nanowire surface and an adsorbed molecule is still a major challenge. Herein, we propose a rational methodology to obtain this information for low-density molecules adsorbed on metal oxide nanowire surfaces by employing infrared p-polarized multiple-angle incidence resolution spectroscopy and temperature-programmed desorption/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. As a model system, we studied the surface chemical transformation of an aldehyde (nonanal, a cancer biomarker in breath) on single-crystalline ZnO nanowires. We found that a slight surface reconstruction, induced by the thermal pretreatment, determines the surface chemical reactivity of nonanal. The present results show that the observed surface reaction trend can be interpreted in terms of the density of Zn ions exposed on the nanowire surface and of their corresponding spatial arrangement on the surface, which promotes the reaction between neighboring adsorbed molecules. The proposed methodology will support a better understanding of complex molecular transformations on various nanostructured metal-oxide surfaces.

Cobalt- and Nickel-Catalyzed Carboxylation of Alkenyl and Sterically Hindered Aryl Triflates Utilizing CO2.

A highly efficient cobalt-catalyzed reductive carboxylation reaction of alkenyl trifluoromethanesulfonates (triflates) has been developed. By employing Mn powder as a reducing reagent under 1 atm pressure of CO2 at room temperature, diverse alkenyl triflates can be converted to the corresponding α,ß-unsaturated carboxylic acids. Moreover, the carboxylation of sterically hindered aryl triflates proceeds smoothly in the presence of a nickel or cobalt catalyst.

N-Heterocyclic carbene ligands bearing poly(ethylene glycol) chains: effect of the chain length on palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions employing aryl chlorides.

N-Heterocyclic carbenes bearing poly(ethylene glycol) chains of different lengths have been designed and employed as ligands in palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions. The catalyst system having longer chains was found to be highly efficient for Suzuki-Miyaura coupling and borylation reactions employing aryl chlorides under mild reaction conditions.

Nickel-catalyzed double carboxylation of alkynes employing carbon dioxide.

The nickel-catalyzed double carboxylation of internal alkynes employing carbon dioxide (CO2) has been developed. The reactions proceed under CO2 (1 atm) at room temperature in the presence of a nickel catalyst, Zn powder as a reducing reagent, and MgBr2 as an indispensable additive. Various internal alkynes could be converted to the corresponding maleic anhydrides in good to high yields. DFT calculations disclosed the indispensable role of MgBr2 in the second CO2 insertion.

Copper-catalyzed borylation of α-alkoxy allenes with bis(pinacolato)diboron: efficient synthesis of 2-boryl 1,3-butadienes.

Something solid to build on: 2-Boryl 1,3-butadienes with various substitution patterns were formed in good to high yields in a copper-catalyzed borylation of α-alkoxy allenes with bis(pinacolato)diboron (see scheme; Bn=benzyl, pin=pinacolate, L is an N-heterocyclic carbene ligand). The products were found to be useful intermediates for the synthesis of cyclic vinyl boranes, α,ß-unsaturated ketones, and functionalized multisubstituted dienes.

Copper-catalyzed coupling reaction of unactivated secondary alkyl iodides with alkyl Grignard reagents in the presence of 1,3-butadiene as an effective additive.

Cu-catalyzed cross-coupling of unactivated secondary alkyl iodides with alkyl Grignard reagents in the presence of 1,3-butadiene as a ligand precursor was developed. The use of 1,3-butadiene resulted in improved yields of alkyl-alkyl products with improved selectivities.

Nickel-catalyzed carboxylation of aryl and vinyl chlorides employing carbon dioxide.

Nickel-catalyzed carboxylation of aryl and vinyl chlorides employing carbon dioxide has been developed. The reactions proceeded under a CO(2) pressure of 1 atm at room temperature in the presence of nickel catalysts and Mn powder as a reducing agent. Various aryl chlorides could be converted to the corresponding carboxylic acid in good to high yields. Furthermore, vinyl chlorides were successfully carboxylated with CO(2). Mechanistic study suggests that Ni(I) species is involved in the catalytic cycle.

A triarylphosphine ligand bearing dodeca(ethylene glycol) chains: enhanced efficiency in the palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction.

A new phosphine bearing dodeca(ethylene glycol) chains has been synthesized and employed as a ligand in the palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction. The system was found to be highly effective using unactivated aryl chlorides as the substrate.

Cross-coupling of alkyl halides with Grignard reagents using nickel and palladium complexes bearing eta(3)-allyl ligand as catalysts.

The cross-coupling of Grignard reagents with alkyl bromides and tosylates has been achieved by the use of eta(3)-allylnickel and eta(3)-allylpalladium complexes as catalysts.

Palladium-catalyzed dimerization disilylation of 1,3-butadiene with chlorosilanes.

[reaction: see text] 1,3-Butadiene reacted with chlorosilanes and Grignard reagents at 20 degrees C in the presence of a catalytic amount of Pd(acac)(2) to give disilylated dimers 2 regioselectively, which have two silyl groups (R(3)Si) at the 3- and 8-positions of a 1,6-octadiene skeleton. When phenyl- or allyl-substituted chlorosilanes were used, coupling product was obtained stereo- as well as regioselectively, giving rise to only (E)-olefins. It is proposed that Pd-ate complexes play important roles in both C-Si bond-forming processes.

Nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of grignard reagents with alkyl halides and tosylates: remarkable effect of 1,3-butadienes.

A new method for the cross-coupling reaction of Grignard reagents with alkyl chlorides, bromides, and tosylates has been developed by the use of a nickel catalyst in the presence of a diene as an additive. This reaction proceeds efficiently at 0-25 degrees C in THF using primary and secondary alkyl and aryl Grignard reagents. Nickel complexes bearing no phosphine ligands, such as NiCl2, Ni(acac)2, and Ni(COD)2, afford the coupling products in good yields, whereas NiCl2(PPh3)2 and NiCl2(dppp) were less effective. 1,3-Butadiene shows the highest activity as an additive for the present coupling reaction. A plausible reaction pathway was proposed.