Chemistry – An Asian Journal

Meso soup: Microbial-mineralization-inspired approaches facilitate the selective syntheses of thin films that consist of CuO, Cu₂O, and Cu₂(OH)₃Cl in aqueous solution at room temperature. The resultant CuO mesocrystal nanosheets showed enhanced properties for the electrochemical detection of dopamine.

Freecycle: A theoretical study of the Rh^I-catalyzed [3+2+2] carbocyclization reactions between alkenylidenecyclopropanes (ACPs) and alkynes is reported. The regioselectivity is determined by the steric effect in the alkyne-insertion step.

Homeward Zn-bound: New chiral Zn²⁺ complexes of amino acids that contained adequate hydrophobic and bulky side chains were synthesized as catalysts for enantioselective aldol reactions between acetone and various benzaldehydes.

Exphlorin′ all avenues: 2,3,17,18-Tetrahalohexaphyrins were prepared by acid-catalyzed condensation of 3,4-dihalopyrroles and dipyrromethane-dicarbinol. These β-tetrahalogenated hexaphyrins display variable structural and electronic properties depending upon the halogen atom and the number of π-electrons. Tetrabromo- and tetrachloro[28]hexaphyrin were further reduced to provide phlorin-type hexaphyrins.

Match maker: The chiral bimetallic multinuclear CuZn complex that contains a novel phosphine ligand and bears matching axial and sp³-central chirality from binaphthol and chiral amine was found to be a highly efficient catalyst in the enantioselective conjugate addition of an organic zinc reagent.