Arene Substitution Design for Controlled Conformational Changes of Dibenzocycloocta-1,5-dienes.

We report that an agile eight-membered cycloalkane can be stabilized by fusing a benzene ring on each side, substituted with proper functional groups. The conformational change of dibenzocycloocta-1,5-diene (DBCOD), a rigid-flexible-rigid organic moiety, from its Boat to Chair conformation requires an activation energy of 42 kJ/mol, which is substantially lower than those of existing submolecular shape-changing units. Experimental data corroborated by theoretical calculations demonstrate that intramolecular hydrogen bonding can stabilize Boat, whereas electron repulsive interaction from opposing ester substituents favors Chair. Intramolecular hydrogen bonding formed by 1,10-diamide substitution stabilizes Boat, spiking the temperature at which Boat and Chair can readily interchange from -60 to 60 °C. Concomitantly this intramolecular attraction raises the energy barrier from 42 kJ/mol for unsubstituted DBCOD to 68 kJ/mol for diamide-substituted DBCOD. Remarkably, this value falls within the range of the activation energy of highly efficient enzyme-catalyzed biological reactions. With shape changes once considered only possible with high energy, our work reveals a potential pathway exemplified by a specific submolecular structure to achieve low-energy-driven shape changes for the first time. The intrinsic cycle stability and high-energy output systems that would incur damage under high-energy stimuli could particularly benefit from this new kind of low-energy-driven shape-changing mechanism. This work has laid the basis to construct systems for low-energy-driven stimuli-responsive applications, hitherto a challenge to overcome.

Tetrahydroxydiboron-Mediated Palladium-Catalyzed Transfer Hydrogenation and Deuteriation of Alkenes and Alkynes Using Water as the Stoichiometric H or D Atom Donor.

There are few examples of catalytic transfer hydrogenations of simple alkenes and alkynes that use water as a stoichiometric H or D atom donor. We have found that diboron reagents efficiently mediate the transfer of H or D atoms from water directly onto unsaturated C-C bonds using a palladium catalyst. This reaction is conducted on a broad variety of alkenes and alkynes at ambient temperature, and boric acid is the sole byproduct. Mechanistic experiments suggest that this reaction is made possible by a hydrogen atom transfer from water that generates a Pd-hydride intermediate. Importantly, complete deuterium incorporation from stoichiometric D2O has also been achieved.

Transition-metal-catalyzed laboratory-scale carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions of ethylene.

Ethylene, the simplest alkene, is the most abundantly synthesized organic molecule by volume. It is readily incorporated into transition-metal-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions through migratory insertions into alkylmetal intermediates. Because of its D2h symmetry, only one insertion outcome is possible. This limits byproduct formation and greatly simplifies analysis. As described within this Minireview, many carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions incorporate a molecule (or more) of ethylene at ambient pressure and temperature. In many cases, a useful substituted alkene is incorporated into the product.

Palladium-catalyzed allylic cross-coupling reactions of primary and secondary homoallylic electrophiles.

The Pd(0)-catalyzed allylic cross-coupling of homoallylic tosylate substrates using boronic acids and pinacol esters is reported. The reaction uses 2-(4,5-dihydro-2-oxazolyl)quinoline (quinox) as a ligand and is performed at ambient temperature. The scope of the reaction is broad in terms of both the boronate transmetalating reagent and the substrate and includes secondary tosylates. Mechanistic studies support an alkene-mediated S(N)2-type stereoinvertive oxidative addition of unactivated primary and secondary alkyl tosylates.

Rh2(II)-catalyzed nitro-group migration reactions: selective synthesis of 3-nitroindoles from ß-nitro styryl azides.

Rhodium carboxylate complexes (1 mol %) catalyze the migration of electron-withdrawing groups to selectively produce 3-substituted indoles from ß-substituted styryl azides. The relative order of migratorial aptitude for this transformation is ester ≪ amide < H < sulfonyl < benzoyl ≪ nitro.

Examination of the mechanism of Rh(2)(II)-catalyzed carbazole formation using intramolecular competition experiments.

The use of a rhodium(II) carboxylate catalyst enables the mild and stereoselective formation of carbazoles from biaryl azides. Intramolecular competition experiments of triaryl azides suggested the source of the selectivity. A primary intramolecular kinetic isotope effect was not observed, and correlation of the product ratios with Hammett sigma(+) values produced a plot with two intersecting lines with opposite rho values. These data suggest that electronic donation by the biaryl pi-system accelerates the formation of rhodium nitrenoid and that C-N bond formation occurs through a 4pi-electron-5-atom electrocyclization.

Rh(2)(II)-catalyzed synthesis of carbazoles from biaryl azides.

An array of carbazoles (23 examples) can be synthesized from substituted biaryl azides at 60 degrees C using substoichiometric quantities of Rh(2)(O(2)CC(3)F(7))(4) or Rh(2)(O(2)CC(7)H(15))(4).

Dispersion-Controlled Regioselective Acid-Catalyzed Intramolecular Hydroindolation of cis-Methindolylstyrenes To Access Tetrahydrobenzo[ cd]indoles.

Readily prepared cis-ß-(α',α'-dimethyl)-4'-methindolylstyrenes undergo acid-catalyzed intramolecular hydroindolation to afford tetrahydrobenzo[ cd]indoles. Our experimental and computational investigations suggest that dispersive interactions between the indole and styrene preorganize substrates such that 6-membered ring formation is preferred, apparently via concerted protonation and C-C bond formation. When dispersion is attenuated (by a substituent or heteroatom), regioselectivity erodes and competing oligomerization predominates for cis substrates. Similarly, all trans-configured substrates that we evaluated failed to cyclize efficiently.

Nanoparticle-based hollow microstructures formed by two-stage nematic nucleation and phase separation.

Rapid bulk assembly of nanoparticles into microstructures is challenging, but highly desirable for applications in controlled release, catalysis, and sensing. We report a method to form hollow microstructures via a two-stage nematic nucleation process, generating size-tunable closed-cell foams, spherical shells, and tubular networks composed of closely packed nanoparticles. Mesogen-modified nanoparticles are dispersed in liquid crystal above the nematic-isotropic transition temperature (TNI). On cooling through TNI, nanoparticles first segregate into shrinking isotropic domains where they locally depress the transition temperature. On further cooling, nematic domains nucleate inside the nanoparticle-rich isotropic domains, driving formation of hollow nanoparticle assemblies. Structural differentiation is controlled by nanoparticle density and cooling rate. Cahn-Hilliard simulations of phase separation in liquid crystal demonstrate qualitatively that partitioning of nanoparticles into isolated domains is strongly affected by cooling rate, supporting experimental observations that cooling rate controls aggregate size. Microscopy suggests the number and size of internal voids is controlled by second-stage nucleation.

Phase Transition-Driven Nanoparticle Assembly in Liquid Crystal Droplets.

When nanoparticle self-assembly takes place in an anisotropic liquid crystal environment, fascinating new effects can arise. The presence of elastic anisotropy and topological defects can direct spatial organization. An important goal in nanoscience is to direct the assembly of nanoparticles over large length scales to produce macroscopic composite materials; however, limitations on spatial ordering exist due to the inherent disorder of fluid-based methods. In this paper we demonstrate the formation of quantum dot clusters and spherical capsules suspended within spherical liquid crystal droplets as a method to position nanoparticle clusters at defined locations. Our experiments demonstrate that particle sorting at the isotropic-nematic phase front can dominate over topological defect-based assembly. Notably, we find that assembly at the nematic phase front can force nanoparticle clustering at energetically unfavorable locations in the droplets to form stable hollow capsules and fractal clusters at the droplet centers.

Transition metal-catalyzed synthesis of pyrroles from dienyl azides.

A range of 2,5-disubstituted and 2,4,5-trisubstituted pyrroles can be synthesized from dienyl azides at room temperature using catalytic amounts of ZnI2 or Rh2(O2CC3F7)4.

Brønsted Acid-Catalyzed Intramolecular Hydroarylation of ß-Benzylstyrenes.

Using triphenylmethylium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate as a convenient Brønsted acid precatalyst, ß-(α,α-dimethylbenzyl)styrenes are shown to cyclize efficiently to afford a variety of new indanes that possess a benzylic quaternary center. The geminal dimethyl-containing quaternary center is proposed to be necessary to arm the substrate for cyclization through steric biasing.

Plasmon-actuated nano-assembled microshells.

We present three-dimensional microshells formed by self-assembly of densely-packed 5 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Surface functionalization of the AuNPs with custom-designed mesogenic molecules drives the formation of a stable and rigid shell wall, and these unique structures allow encapsulation of cargo that can be contained, virtually leakage-free, over several months. Further, by leveraging the plasmonic response of AuNPs, we can rupture the microshells using optical excitation with ultralow power (<2 mW), controllably and rapidly releasing the encapsulated contents in less than 5 s. The optimal AuNP packing in the wall, moderated by the custom ligands and verified using small angle x-ray spectroscopy, allows us to calculate the heat released in this process, and to simulate the temperature increase originating from the photothermal heating, with great accuracy. Atypically, we find the local heating does not cause a rise of more than 50 °C, which addresses a major shortcoming in plasmon actuated cargo delivery systems. This combination of spectral selectivity, low power requirements, low heat production, and fast release times, along with the versatility in terms of identity of the enclosed cargo, makes these hierarchical microshells suitable for wide-ranging applications, including biological ones.

Pd(Quinox)-Catalyzed Allylic Relay Suzuki Reactions of Secondary Homostyrenyl Tosylates via Alkene-Assisted Oxidative Addition.

Pd-catalyzed allylic relay Suzuki cross-coupling reactions of secondary alkyl tosylates, featuring a sterically-hindered oxidative addition and precise control of ß-hydride elimination, are reported. The identification of a linear free energy relationship between the relative rates of substrate consumption and the electronic nature of the substrate alkene suggests that the oxidative addition requires direct alkene involvement. A study of the effect of chain length on the reaction outcome supports a chelation-controlled oxidative addition.

A palladium-catalyzed three-component-coupling strategy for the differential vicinal diarylation of terminal 1,3-dienes.

A palladium-catalyzed intermolecular vicinal diarylation of terminal 1,3-dienes using aryldiazonium tetrafluoroborates and arylboronic acids is reported. Using this technology, two different arenes are regioselectively introduced in a vicinal fashion across the terminal alkene of a variety of terminal 1,3-dienes at ambient temperature. Through the action of a chiral bicyclo[2.2.2]octadienyl ligand at -20 °C, good enantioselectivity has also been achieved.

Intramolecular Fe(II)-catalyzed N-O or N-N bond formation from aryl azides.

Iron(II) bromide catalyzes the transformation of aryl and vinyl azides with ketone or methyl oxime substituents into 2,1-benzisoxazoles, indazoles, or pyrazoles through the formation of an N-O or N-N bond. This transformation tolerates a variety of different functional groups to facilitate access to a range of benzisoxazoles or indazoles. The unreactivity of the Z-methyloxime indicates that N-heterocycle formation occurs through a nucleophilic attack of the ketone or oxime onto an activated planar iron azide complex.