Rapid and ordered carbonylation and oxygenation of a cobalt(ii) methyl

The oxidative carbonylation of To^MCoMe (1; To^M = tris(4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolinyl)phenylborate) involves its rapid, reversible reaction with CO to form To^MCo{C(O)Me}CO (2) followed by rapid reaction with O₂ yielding To^MCoOAc (3), in contrast to the slow direct carboxylation of To^MCoMe by CO₂.

Homoleptic organolanthanide compounds supported by the bis(dimethylsilyl)benzyl ligand

A β-SiH functionalized benzyl anion [C(SiHMe₂)₂Ph]⁻ reacts with early rare earth halides to provide homoleptic tris(alkyl)lanthanides containing secondary interactions in an efficient and high yielding route.

Cerium-Catalyzed Hydrosilylation of Acrylates to Give α-Silyl Esters

The homoleptic organocerium complex Ce{C(SiHMe₂ )₃ }₃ (1) reacts with B(C₆ F₅ )₃ to produce the zwitterionic bis(alkyl) hydridoborato Ce{C(SiHMe₂ )₃ }₂ HB(C₆ F₅ )₃ (2). NMR and IR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography indicate that each alkyl ligand contains two bridging Ce↼H-Si interactions in both 1 and 2. Compound 2 serves as a precatalyst for the hydrosilylation of acrylates to give α-silyl esters at room temperature with a turnover number of 2200.

A new class of spirocyclic photochromes reacting with light of both UV and visible ranges

Deep coloration of weakly colored spirocyclic derivatives (R = NMe₂, NEt₂, and OMe) can be achieved by irradiation with light of any wavelength between 254 and 642 nm.

Thioether-terminated nickel(ii) coordination clusters with {Ni6} horseshoe- and {Ni8} rollercoaster-shaped cores

We report two polynuclear nickel(ii) compounds whose supramolecular structures are controlled by small inorganic templating anions and π-conjugated Schiff-base ligands (L·SMe³⁻ and HL·SMe²⁻) with peripheral, structurally exposed methylthioether groups.

Magnesium-catalyzed hydrosilylation of α,β-unsaturated esters

ToMMgHB(C6F5)3 (1, ToM = tris(4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolinyl)phenylborate) catalyzes the 1,4-hydrosilylation of α,β-unsaturated esters. This magnesium hydridoborate compound is synthesized by the reaction of ToMMgMe, PhSiH3, and B(C6F5)3. Unlike the transient ToMMgH formed from the reaction of ToMMgMe and PhSiH3, the borate adduct 1 persists in solution and in the solid state. Crystallographic characterization reveals tripodal coordination of the HB(C6F5)3 moiety to the six-coordinate magnesium center with a ∠Mg-H-B of 141(3)°. The pathway for formation of 1 is proposed to involve the reaction of ToMMgMe and a PhSiH3/B(C6F5)3 adduct because the other possible intermediates, ToMMgH and ToMMgMeB(C6F5)3, react to give an intractable black solid and ToMMgC6F5, respectively. Under catalytic conditions, silyl ketene acetals are isolated in high yield from the addition of hydrosilanes to α,β-unsaturated esters with 1 as the catalyst.

Undecametallic and hexadecametallic ferric oxo-hydroxo/ethoxo pivalate clusters

Synthesis strategies for highly condensed {Fe11} and {Fe16} pivalate clusters have been developed based on archetypal geometrically frustrated triangular {Fe3(μ3-O)} motifs that are interlinked via oxo, hydroxo, ethoxo, and carboxylate groups.

A thioether-decorated {Mn11Tb4} coordination cluster with slow magnetic relaxation

A {MnIII11TbIII4}-nuclearity coordination complex with structurally exposed thioether functional groups and antiferromagnetic intramolecular coupling interactions was synthesised and characterised by temperature- and field-dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements.

UV-visible spectroscopy of macrocyclic alkyl, nitrosyl and halide complexes of cobalt and rhodium. Experiment and calculation

Visible light photolysis of Co(NH₃)₅CH₃²⁺ generates alkyl radicals, unlike the halide complexes Co(NH₃)₅X²⁺ which produce halogen anions, X⁻.

A versatile and efficient synthesis of bithiophene-based dicarboxaldehydes from a common synthon

The efficient synthesis of several bithiophene dialdehydes from a common intermediate is reported.