Chemistry – An Asian Journal

Of extraterrestrial proportions is the magnetic field used in the preparation of mesoporous silica films that contain low-molecular-weight surfactants with magnetic anisotropy. The mesochannels in these films are induced by the strong magnetic field to orientate perpendicular to the substrates. Applications for these films could include highly sensitive chemical sensors, highly selective separations, and ultrahigh-density magnetic recording media. Y. Yamauchi, K. Kuroda, and co-workers tell us more in their Full Paper on page 1505 ff.

A fresh take: Several variants of the Tsuji allylation reactions have been rendered enantioselective in recent years. These important developments have provided valuable methods for the synthesis of enantioenriched cycloalkanone building blocks. The use of these asymmetric reactions in total synthesis has also been reported. TMS=trimethylsilyl.

SOS! Thin films of the title oligomers prepared by vacuum deposition and/or spin coating have their structural and electronic properties as well as film morphologies investigated. Field-effect transistor mobilities of top-contact devices made from the films are as high as 10⁻²–10⁻³ cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹.

Channels of the perpendicular style: Continuous and transparent mesoporous silica films with perpendicular mesochannels can be prepared by applying an extremely high magnetic field of 30 T generated by a hybrid magnet. This process is principally applicable to any type of surfactant with magnetic anisotropy.

On… and on… and on… A variety of p-, m-, and o-disubstituted benzenes can be synthesized based on the Br–Li exchange reaction of the corresponding dibromobenzene by using a micro flow system. This method allows the use of much higher temperatures than are required for conventional macro batch systems.

Life on the edge: Ru nanoparticles supported on carbon nanofibers (CNFs) are readily synthesized by pyrolysis of [Ru₃(CO)₁₂] in toluene at reflux. The Ru species on the platelet-type CNF (Ru/CNF-P) are dispersed homogeneously on the edge of the graphite layers and are excellent catalysts for arene hydrogenation with high activity, productivity, and durability.

Unity in diversity: The dinitrile anion [C(CN)₂(CONH₂)]⁻ forms a hydrogen-bonded tape containing two different supramolecular synthons, a heterotape (top), that incorporates both an amide dimer and a nitrile-containing ring. The robustness of the motif is shown by its persistence in structures that range from separated ion pairs (→discrete chains) to metal complexes (→2D sheets; bottom).

From compact to bulk: Diastereomeric second-generation dendrons based on (2S,4S)-, (2S,4R)-, and (2R,4S)-4-aminoprolines can be synthesized by highly optimized and reproducible solution-phase methods. Their compact and conformationally rigid structure makes them interesting candidates for applications such as in dendronized polymers and organocatalysis.

Snakes and ladders: Mixed solvothermal conditions produce three zinc phosphonocarboxylates with 4-phosphonobenzoic acid as a ligand. Their structures are described as zeolite-like (1), layered (2), and pillar-layered (3). Importantly, they undergo structural transformations from one to the other after solution-mediated and thermal treatments.

Forward bound? Energy decomposition analysis elucidates the metal–ligand bonding in transition-metal complexes with imidazole (IMID), imidazol-2-ylidene (nNHC), or imidazol-4-ylidene (aNHC). These N-heterocyclic carbene tautomers are stronger σ donors and weaker π acceptors than the phosphine ligands PMe₃ and PCl₃.

S tags on: Boiling of the title compounds in ethereal solvents or cycloalkanes in the presence of a radical initiator leads to radical C(sp³)H functionalization, by which a sulfur atom is introduced into the ethereal solvents at the oxygenated carbon atom or into the cycloalkanes. This reaction is useful for the synthesis of monothioacetals, thiols, and sulfides.

Stuck on at both ends: This heterooligomeric array is based on a metalloid phthalocyanine as a basal scaffolding unit and either a free base or a metalloporphyrin at the axial position. Its synthesis involves only simple inorganic reactions. Its excited-state properties show the presence of both electronic energy transfer and photoinduced electron transfer. M=H₂, Zn^II.

The strong interactions between DNA and boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) allow the preparation of high-concentration aqueous solutions of BNNTs, which were filtered to give nematic ordered ensembles. The ordering trend was found to depend on the concentration of the aqueous BNNT solution. A localized liquid-crystal phase appearing during filtration could be responsible for the nematic ordering of the BNNTs.