2-Sulfanylhydroquinone Dimer as a Switchable Fluorescent Dye

A new dye was developed, the photoluminescence properties of which are controlled by a chemical reaction. The fluorescence properties of 2-sulfanylhydroquinone dimers depend on the number of hydroxyl groups that are acylated. Unprotected or monoacylated 2-sulfanylhydroquinone dimers displayed good fluorescence properties, whereas diacylated and tetraacylated 2-sulfanylhydroquinone dimers showed dramatically decreased fluorescence. A monomesylated derivative was devised, which shows good fluorescence characteristics as a switching fluorescence dye through a chemical reaction.

Activation of Periodate by Freezing for the Degradation of Aqueous Organic Pollutants

A new strategy (i.e., freezing) for the activation of IO₄^- for the degradation of aqueous organic pollutants was developed and investigated. Although the degradation of furfuryl alcohol (FFA) by IO₄^- was negligible in water at 25 °C, it proceeded rapidly during freezing at -20 °C. The rapid degradation of FFA during freezing should be ascribed to the freeze concentration effect that provides a favorable site (i.e., liquid brine) for the proton-coupled degradation process by concentrating IO₄^-, FFA, and protons. The maximum absorption wavelength of cresol red (CR) was changed from 434 nm (monoprotonated CR) to 518 nm (diprotonated CR) after freezing, which confirms that the pH of the aqueous IO₄^- solution decreases by freezing. The degradation experiments with varying experimental parameters demonstrate that the degradation rate increases with increasing IO₄^- concentration and decreasing pH and freezing temperature. The application of the IO₄^-/freezing system is not restricted to FFA. The degradation of four other organic pollutants (i.e., tryptophan, phenol, 4-chlorophenol, and bisphenol A) by IO₄^-, which was negligible in water, proceeded during freezing. In addition, freezing significantly enhanced the IO₄^--mediated degradation of cimetidine. The outdoor experiments performed on a cold winter night show that the IO₄^-/freezing system for water treatment can be operated without external electrical energy.

Iron-mediated oxidative C–H coupling of arenes and alkenes directed by sulfur: an expedient route to dihydrobenzofurans

A route to medicinally-relevant dihydrobenzofurans utilises a sulfur-directed, iron-mediated C–H ortho-coupling of arenes and alkenes, and a palladium-catalysed heterocyclisation.

Sodium periodate mediated oxidative transformations in organic synthesis

The investigation of new oxidative transformations for the synthesis of carbon-heteroatom and heteroatom-heteroatom bonds is of fundamental importance in the synthesis of numerous bioactive molecules and fine chemicals. In this context, NaIO4, an exciting reagent, has attracted increasing attention enabling the development of these unprecedented oxidative transformations that are difficult to achieve otherwise. Thus, NaIO4 has been successfully explored as a versatile oxidant for a variety of fundamental organic transformations such as C-H activation, oxidative functionalization of alkenes and other interesting oxidative transformations and its application in the synthesis of bioactive natural products. This review summarizes recent developments in this area with NaIO4 as a versatile oxidant and brings out many challenges that still remain elusive for the future.

Iron-mediated C–H coupling of arenes and unactivated terminal alkenes directed by sulfur

A sulfur-directed Fe(iii)-mediated ortho C–H coupling of arenes with unactivated terminal alkenes gives products of regioselective alkene chloroarylation.