Recent advances in transition-metal catalyzed nitrene transfer reactions with carbamates

Nitrene transfer reactions are powerful tools in synthetic organic chemistry.In recent years,transitionmetal catalyzed nitrene transfer reactions with carbamates as the nitrene precursors have been widely pursued.Such species undergoes facile C-H amination,aziridination,and bifunctionalization of alkenes under the catalysis of different transition metals including Rh,Fe,Ru and others,enabling the efficient construction of various nitrogen-containing molecules.In this review,the recent developments in nitrene transfer reactions with carbamates via N-O bond cleavage were introduced based on different types of reaction,and the key mechanistic information and synthetic applications of the methodologies were discussed.

Pulsed laser interference patterning of transition-metal carbides for stable alkaline water electrolysis kinetics

We investigated the role of metal atomization and solvent decomposition into reductive species and carbon clusters in the phase formation of transition-metal carbides(TMCs;namely,Co_(3)C,Fe_(3)C,TiC,and MoC)by pulsed laser ablation of Co,Fe,Ti,and Mo metals in acetone.The interaction between carbon s-p-orbitals and metal d-orbitals causes a redistribution of valence structure through charge transfer,leading to the formation of surface defects as observed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.These defects influence the evolved TMCs,making them effective for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions(HER and OER)in an alkaline medium.Co_(3)C with more oxygen affinity promoted CoO(OH)intermediates,and the electrochemical surface oxidation to Co_(3)O_(4)was captured via in situ/operando electrochemical Raman probes,increasing the number of active sites for OER activity.MoC with more d-vacancies exhibits strong hydrogen binding,promoting HER kinetics,whereas Fe_(3)C and TiC with more defect states to trap charge carriers may hinder both OER and HER activities.The results show that the assembled membrane-less electrolyzer with Co_(3)C∥Co_(3)C and MoC∥MoC electrodes requires~2.01 and 1.99 V,respectively,to deliver a 10 mA cm−2 with excellent electrochemical and structural stability.In addition,the ascertained pulsed laser synthesis mechanism and unit-cell packing relations will open up sustainable pathways for obtaining highly stable electrocatalysts for electrolyzers.

Transition-metal catalyzed asymmetric reactions under continuous flow from 2015 to early 2020

During last two decades,transition-metal catalyzed asymmetric reactions under continuous flow system have attracted a widespread attention.With its prominent advantages including higher safety and efficiency,precise control,better heat/mass transfer,easier scale-up and better sustainability,it has impressed both the academia and related industries.However,comparing with the prosperous development of transition-metal catalyzed asymmetric reactions in batch,utilization of this type of chemistry under continuous flow is still at an early stage.To inspire more potential industrial application and further studies of this chemistry in flow,this review sum-marized the recent advances of transition-metal catalyzed asymmetric reactions under continuous flow.Moreover,we further discussed the encountered challenges including reactor engineering,catalyst design,catalyst deacti-vation,pressure drop,clogging,side reactions etc.,as well as their corresponding solutions and achievements in this mini-review.

Recent advances in transition-metal catalyzeddirected C–H functionalization with fluorinatedbuilding blocks

The increasing demand for the development of unprecedented routes to access fluorinated molecules hasled researchers to perform intriguing research around the world. In this context, fluorinating reagents andfluorinated building blocks have been the two pillars for the generation of diverse organic scaffolds.Moreover, synthetic approaches involving transition-metal catalyzed C–H functionalization have tremendously evolved in the past two decades. Looking towards the great potential of the C–H functionalizationstrategy to maximize atom- and step-economy, the approach has been utilized for the synthesis of fluorinated molecules. Moreover, Fluorinated building blocks have been used in organic synthesis over the pastseveral decades;however newer strategies to use these building blocks have recently been explored. In thisreview, we have presented the advances made in the recent past in transition-metal catalyzed directed C–Hfunctionalization with various fluorinated building blocks. The understanding of the mechanistic aspects ofdirected C–H activation has led to efficient design of newer protocols for cross-couplings involving fluorinated building blocks as one of the coupling partners. Furthermore, it has been observed that in almost allcases the outcome of the reaction is greatly influenced by the effect of fluorine.

The Activation and Carbonylation of the C-Cl Bond Catalyzed by Transition-Metal Complexes

Diethyl malonate was synthesized by transition-metal catalyzed alkoxycarbonylation of ethyl chloroacetate. The results show that the conversion of ethyl chloroacetate is greater than 92%, and the selectivity to diethyl malonate is 67.5%.

Recent advances of transition-metal metaphosphates for efficient electrocatalytic water splitting

Sustainable production of H2 through electrochemical water splitting is of great importance in the foreseeable future.Transition-metal metaphosphates(TMMPs)have a three-dimensional(3D)open-framework structure and a high content of P(which exists as PO3-),and therefore have been recognized as highly efficient catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and the bottleneck of electrochemical water splitting.Furthermore,TMMPs can also contribute to hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)in alkaline and neutral media by facilitating water dissociation,and thus,overall water splitting can be achieved using this kind of material.In this timely review,we summarize the recent advances in the synthesis of TMMPs and their applications in OER and HER.We present a brief introduction of the structure and synthetic strategies of TMMPs in the first two parts.Then,we review the latest progress made in research on TMMPs as OER,HER,and overall water-splitting electrocatalysts.In this part,the intrinsic activity of TMMPs as well as the current strategy for improving the catalytic activity will be discussed systematically.Finally,we present the future opportunities and the remaining challenges for the application of TMMPs in the electrocatalysis field.

Degradation of amyloid β-peptides catalyzed by nattokinase in vivo and in vitro

Amyloid-β 1-42(Aβ42)plays a pivotal role in Alzheimer disease(AD)pathogenesis. Peripheral clearance of Aβ42 largely affects its level in the brain and affects AD progression. Although nattokinase(NK)degrades Aβ40, the details of NK's capture of various Aβ species and reduction of plasma Aβ42/Aβ40 are uncharacterized. In this study, the Aβ42/Aβ40-degrading ability of NK was investigated using five Aβs and AD model mice. The C-terminal region of Aβ42/Aβ40(Gly29 to Val40)was primarily required for NK capture, and the integrated conformation in Aβ42/Aβ40 aggregates was a more efficient target for NK catalysis. Further, suspended Aβ42/Aβ40 oligomers were more easily captured by NK than suspended Aβ42/Aβ40 fibrils, while deposited Aβ42/Aβ40 fibrils recruited more NK than deposited Aβ42/Aβ40 oligomers. Although most NK was likely lost during NK uptake and/or entry into the blood, a small fraction of NK showed good plasma Aβ42/Aβ40-degrading efficacy after entering the blood due to NK's stability in the plasma of AD mice for at least 9 days. It was concluded that oral administration of NK is a feasible approach for peripheral Aβ42/Aβ40 clearance. This implies that NK might serve as an anti-Aβ42 agent for the treatment of Aβ42/Aβ40-related diseases such as AD.

Transition-metal-catalyzed remote meta-C-H alkylation and alkynylation of aryl sulfonic acids enabled by an indolyl template

Transition-metal-catalyzed remote sp^(2)C-H functionalization of aryl sulfonic acids was hardly ever real-ized owing to competitive ortho-C-H functionalization of aryl sulfonates and electron-deficient nature of phenyl ring.Herein,with the assistance of a practical biaryl indolyl directing template,palladium-catalyzed remote sp^(2)C-H alkylation of aryl sulfonic acids have been achieved in moderate to good yields with exclusive meta selectivity.Moreover,remote meta-selective C-H alkynylation of aryl sulfonic acids was also accomplished with a rhodium catalyst.These meta-C-H functionalized products proved to be the superior synthetic precursors,which are difficult to access using the conventional strategy.

Copper-Catalyzed C-C(O)C Bond Cleavage of Monoalkylated β-Diketone: Synthesis of α,β-Unsaturated Ketones

A new and simple route for the synthesis of α,β-unsaturated ketones via cleavage of the C-C(O)C single bond of monoalkylated β-diketone has been described. The reaction was catalyzed by copper, a cheap transition metal in a weakly basic medium (K3PO4) at room temperature. To carry out this study, we first had to synthesize the monoalkylated β-diketones 1. Afterwards, α,β-unsaturated ketones 2 were obtained with high yields around 80%. Finally, all the products were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS spectra. .

Dechlorination of carbon tetrachloride by the catalyzed Fe-Cu process

The dectrochemical reduction characteristics of carbon tetrachlofide （CT） were investigated using cyclic voltammetry in this study. In addition, the difference in reduction mechanisms of CT between Master Builders＇ iron and the catalyzed Fe-Cu process was discussed. The results showed that CT was reduced directly on the surface of copper rather than by atomic hydrogen produced at the cathode in the catalyzed Fe-Cu process. The reduction was realized largely by atomic hydrogen in Master Builders＇ iron. The entire CT in 350 ml aqueous solution with 320 mg/L was reduced to trichloromethane and dichloromethane in 2.25 h when 100 g of scrap iron with Fe/Cu ratio of 10：1 （w/w） were used. Moreover, the reduction rate slowed with time. CT could be reduced at acidic, neutral and alkaline pH from solution by Fe-Cu bimetallic media, but the mechanisms were different. The degradation rate was not significantly influenced by pH in the catalyzed Fe-Cu process; in Master Builders＇ iron it clearly increased with decreasing pH. The kinetics of the reductions followed pseudo-first order in both cases. Furthermore, the reductions under acidic conditions proceeded faster than that under the neutral and alkaline conditions. The catalyzed Fe-Cu process was superior to Master Builders＇ iron in treating CT-containing water and this advantage was particularly noticeable under alkaline conditions. The reduction was investigated in the cathode （Cu） and anode （Fe） compartments respectively, the results showed that the direct reduction pathway played an important role in the reduction by the catalyzed Fe-Cu process. The catalyzed Fe-Cu process is of practical value.

Electrochemical reduction characteristics and mechanism of nitrobenzene compounds in the catalyzed Fe-Cu process

The reduction of the nitrobenzene compounds （NBCs） by the catalyzed Fe-Cu process and the relationship between the electrochemical reduction characteristics of NBCs at copper electrode and reduction rate were studied in alkaline medium（pH=11）. The catalyzed Fe-Cu process was found more effective on degradation of NBCs compared to Master Builder＇s iron. The reduction rate by the catalyzed Fe-Cu process decreased in the following order： nitrobenzene 〉4-chloro-nitrobenzene ≥m-dinitrobenzene ：〉 4-nitrophenol ≥2,4-dinitrotoluene 〉2-nitrophenol. The reduction rate by Master Builder＇s iron decreased in the following order： m-dinitrobenzene ≥4-chloro-nitrobenzene 〉4-nitrophenol 〉2,4-dinitrotoluene ≈nitrobenzene 〉2-nitrophenol. NBCs were reduced directly on the surface of copper rather than by the hydrogen produced at cathode in the catalyzed Fe-Cu process. The reduction was realized by the hydrogen produced at cathode and Fe（OH）2 in Master Builder＇s iron, It is an essential difference in reaction mechanisms between these two technologies. For this reason, the reduction by the catalyzed Fe-Cu depended greatly on NBC＇s electron withdrawing ability.

Thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate catalyzed with CuO nanoparticles

Ammonium perchlorate(APC)is the most common oxidizer in use for solid rocket propulsion systems.However its initial thermal decomposition is an endothermic process that requires 102.5 J·g^-1.This manner involves high activation energy and could render high burning rate regime.This study reports on the sustainable fabrication of CuO nanoparticles as a novel catalyzing agent for APC oxidizer.Colloidal CuO nanoparticles with consistent product quality were fabricated by using hydrothermal processing.TEM micrographs demonstrated mono-dispersed particles of 15 nm particle size.XRD diffractogram demonstrated highly crystalline material.The synthesized colloidal CuO particles were effectively coated with APC particles via co-precipitation by using fast-crash solvent-antisolvent technique.The impact of copper oxide particles on APC thermal behavior has been investigated using DSC and TGA techniques.APC demonstrated an initial endothermic decomposition stage at 242℃ with subsequent two exothermic decomposition stages at 297,8℃ and 452.8℃ respectively.At 1 wt%,copper oxide offered decrease in initial endothermic decomposition stage by 30%.The main outcome of this study is that the two main exothermic decomposition peaks were merged into one single peak with an increase in total heat release by 53%.These novel features can inherit copper oxide particles unique catalyzing ability for advanced highly energetic systems.

A new approach to the synthesis of diacetals(diketals) pentaerythritol catalyzed by SO_3H-functionalized ionic liquids

In this article,an efficient,simple and environmentally friendly approach to the synthesis of diacetals(diketals) pentaerythritol using SOH-functionalized ionic liquids(ILs) as catalysts was reported.The ILs show high catalytic activity and reusability with good to excellent yields of the desired products.Hammett method has been used to determine the acidity order of these ionic liquids and the results are consistent with the catalytic activities observed in acetalization reaction.Maximum product yield of 93%was observed on using[PSPy][OTf]as catalyst and it can be reused at least 8 times without obvious activity loss.

Dioxygen Affinities and Catalytic Epoxidation Performanceof Transition-Metal Hydroxamates

The dioxygen affinities and catalytic epoxidation performance of transition-metal hydroxamates were investigated for the first time. The effects of substituents on these properties were also discussed in the paper.

Layered transition-metal hydroxides for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction

Hydrogen is a promising sustainable energy to replace fossil fuels owning to its high specific energy and environmental friendliness.Alkaline water electrolysis has been considered as one of the most prospective technologies for large scale hydrogen production.To boost the sluggish kinetics of hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)in alkaline media,abundant materials have been designed and fabricated.Herein,we summarize the key achievements in the development of layered transition-metal hydroxides[TM(OH)x]for efficient alkaline HER.Based on the structure of TM(OH)x,the mechanism of synergistic effect between TM(OH)x and HER active materials is illuminated firstly.Then,recent progress of TM(OH)x-based HER catalysts to optimize the synergistic effect are categorized as TM(OH)x and active materials,including species,structure,morphology and interaction relationship.Furthermore,TM(OH)x-based overall water splitting electrocatalysts and electrodes are summarized in the design principles for high activity and stability.Finally,some of key challenges for further developments and applications of hydrogen production are proposed.

A Novel Palladium-Catalyzed Reaction and Its Application in Preparation of Derivatives of Stilbazols

A novel palladium-catalyzed coupling reaction for the preparation of derivatives of stilbazoles was presented. A series of stilbazoles were synthesized firstly by this highly efficient method. From this reaction it was found that reaction solvent is one of important factors in this catalytic system.

Exploring single atom catalysts of transition-metal doped phosphorus carbide monolayer for HER:A first-principles study

Hydrogen has been identified as one of the most promising sustainable and clean energy. Developing hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) catalyst with high activity is essential for satisfying the future requirements. Considering novel advantages of two-dimensional materials and high catalytic activity of atomic transition metal, in this study, using density functional theory calculation, the HER on single transitionmetal(23 different TM atoms) doped phosphorus carbide monolayer(α-PC) has been investigated. The Volmer–Tafel and Volmer–Heyrovsky reaction mechanisms, and the stability of the most promising HER catalyst are also included. The results show that Ir-αPC with high physical and thermal stability has the most optimal value of Gibbs free adsorption energy for H atom. The relationship of d band center and the HER activity shows a volcano-like curve. The calculation of reaction energy barrier indicates that the Volmer-Heyrovsky step is more favorable than the Volmer-Tafel step.

Environmental Analysis with 2D Transition-Metal Dichalcogenide-Based Field-Effect Transistors

Field-effect transistors(FETs)present highly sensitive,rapid,and in situ detection capability in chemical and biological analysis.Recently,two-dimensional(2D)transition-metal dichalcogenides(TMDCs)attract significant attention as FET channel due to their unique structures and outstanding properties.With the booming of studies on TMDC FETs,we aim to give a timely review on TMDCbased FET sensors for environmental analysis in different media.First,theoretical basics on TMDC and FET sensor are introduced.Then,recent advances of TMDC FET sensor for pollutant detection in gaseous and aqueous media are,respectively,discussed.At last,future perspectives and challenges in practical application and commercialization are given for TMDC FET sensors.This article provides an overview on TMDC sensors for a wide variety of analytes with an emphasize on the increasing demand of advanced sensing technologies in environmental analysis.

Salen-Cu(II) Complex Catalyzed <i>N</i>-Arylation of Imidazoles under Mild Conditions

Three inexpensive and air-/moisture-stable Salen-Cu complexes 1-3 were evaluated to be a novel class of catalysts for the N-arylation of imidazoles with aryl halides. A variety of aryl iodides, bromides underwent the coupling with imida-zoles, promoted by the complex 3, in moderate to excellent yields without the protection by an inert gas.