A versatile and highly efficient method for 1-chlorination of terminal and trialkylsilyl-protected alkynes

Indium(III)-Catalyzed Haloalkynylation Reaction of Alkynes

Green chemistry strives for sustainability at the molecular level and is gaining increasing relevance in the development of chemical reactions. The haloalkynylation reaction is a highly atom-economical C-C coupling reaction that was previously only achieved using transition metal catalysts. It enables the introduction of an alkyne unit and a halogen atom into the target molecule. Herein, we present a haloalkynylation reaction catalyzed by indium(III) halides. The use of indium(III) bromide as a catalyst leads exclusively to the cis addition products with yields up to 86 %. In addition, iodoacetylenes can be applied for the first time for the haloalkynylation reaction of internal alkynes which is an important step forward in the development of industrially relevant and sustainable catalysts. In contrast to gold catalysis, which proceeds via a similar mechanism, the use of alkyl-substituted haloacetylenes as reagents is also possible. Based on 13C labeling experiments and quantum chemical calculations, we postulate two possible mechanisms for the indium(III)-catalyzed haloalkynylation reactions.

Impact of Halogen Termination and Chain Length on π-Electron Conjugation and Vibrational Properties of Halogen-Terminated Polyynes

We explored the optoelectronic and vibrational properties of a new class of halogen-terminated carbon atomic wires in the form of polyynes using UV-vis, infrared absorption, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray single-crystal diffraction, and DFT calculations. These polyynes terminate on one side with a cyanophenyl group and on the other side, with a halogen atom X (X = Cl, Br, I). We focus on the effect of different halogen terminations and increasing lengths (i.e., 4, 6, and 8 sp-carbon atoms) on the π-electron conjugation and the electronic structure of these systems. The variation in the sp-carbon chain length is more effective in tuning these features than changing the halogen end group, which instead leads to a variety of solid-state architectures. Shifts between the vibrational frequencies of samples in crystalline powders and in solution reflect intermolecular interactions. In particular, the presence of head-to-tail dimers in the crystals is responsible for the modulation of the charge density associated with the π-electron system, and this phenomenon is particularly important when strong I··· N halogen bonds occur.

Gold Catalysis of Non-Conjugated Haloacetylenes

Gold-catalyzed reactions of conjugated haloacetylenes are well known and usually result in the formation of addition or dimerization products. Herein, we report a gold-catalyzed reaction of non-conjugated­ haloacetylenes, which leads exclusively to the halogenated cyclization products. Remarkable is the gold-catalyzed reaction of tritylhaloacetylenes to haloindene derivatives, as mechanistic studies reveal that an 1,2-aryl shift occurs in the initially formed gold complex. The potential functionalization at the halogen atom and the wide scope of these cyclization reactions make them an attractive method for the construction of cyclic systems.

Solvent-free C–H alkynylation of azulenes

Simple grinding of azulenes with 1-haloalkynes and solid Al2O3 in a mortar leads to alkynylated azulenes without the use of solvents or precious metal catalysts. Such a method was used for the synthesis of azulene end-capped carbon molecular wires.

Dimerization of substituted 4-aryl-1,3-diacetylenes – quantum chemical calculations and kinetic studies

Thermal dimerization of 4-aryl-1,3-diacetylenes resulting in diradical intermediates were investigated by experimental and quantum chemical studies.

Polymerization of 1-chloro-2-phenylacetylene derivatives by using a Brookhart-type catalyst

A Brookhart-type catalyst (α-diimine)PdMeCl/AgOTf works well in the polymerization of 1-chloro-2-phenylacetylene monomers bearing nonpolar/polar and electron releasing/withdrawing substituents in nonpolar/polar solvents.

Rise of Conjugated Poly-ynes and Poly(Metalla-ynes): From Design Through Synthesis to Structure-Property Relationships and Applications

Conjugated poly-ynes and poly(metalla-ynes) constitute an important class of new materials with potential application in various domains of science. The key factors responsible for the diverse usage of these materials is their intriguing and tunable chemical and photophysical properties. This review highlights fascinating advances made in the field of conjugated organic poly-ynes and poly(metalla-ynes) incorporating group 4-11 metals. This includes several important aspects of conjugated poly-ynes viz. synthetic protocols, bonding, electronic structure, nature of luminescence, structure-property relationships, diverse applications, and concluding remarks. Furthermore, we delineated the future directions and challenges in this particular area of research.

An Additive-Free, Base-Catalyzed Protodesilylation of Organosilanes

We report an additive-free, base-catalyzed C-, N-, O-, and S-Si bond cleavage of various organosilanes in mild conditions. The novel catalyst system exhibits high efficiency and good functional group compatibility, providing the corresponding products in good to excellent yields with low catalyst loadings. Overall, this transition-metal-free process may offer a convenient and general alternative to current employing excess bases, strong acids, or metal-catalyzed systems for the protodesilylation of organosilanes.

Transition-Metal Free Mechanochemical Approach to Polyyne Substituted Pyrroles

In this contribution, the synthesis of long chain hexatriynyl- and octatetraynyl-substituted pyrroles in one step from 1-halopolyyne precursors is reported. The products were obtained via a mechanochemical approach by simple grinding of 1-haloalkynes with N-substituted pyrroles and potassium carbonate which played a role of heterogeneous catalyst and this solvent- and transition metal-free approach is unprecedent in the synthesis of new, organic, long chain polyynes. Additionally, an extensive X-ray single crystal study of pyrrole end-capped polyynes is presented. Such compounds are possible substrates for different oligoheterocycles and have a significant application potential such as for instance molecular wires.

Synthesis of Long, Palladium End-Capped Polyynes through the Use of Asymmetric 1-Iodopolyynes

The synthesis of a unique series of long, asymmetric 1-iodopolyynes (1-Cn I and 2-Cn I) with the sp-hybridized carbon chain up to a decapentayne is reported. These compounds were then used as substrates in reactions with Pd(PPh3 )4 leading to another series of palladium end-capped polyynes, which were unstable in solution. Organometallic octatetraynes 1-C8 [Pd]I, 2-C8 [Pd]I, and decapentayne 1-C10 [Pd]I are palladium end-capped polyyne compounds with the longest carbon chains reported so far. All the complexes as well as their organic precursors were fully characterized by NMR, HRMS(ESI), IR, TGA-DTA, and UV/Vis techniques, and the X-ray crystal structures of two silyl-protected precursors and one palladium complex are presented. The synthetic approach for palladium species is envisioned as a general route for the synthesis of labile organometallic polyynes.

Direct synthesis of butadiynyl-substituted pyrroles under solvent- and transition metal-free conditions

The work describes a convenient and highly efficient C–H butadiynylation of substituted pyrroles under mild and solvent-free conditions.