Chemistry - A European Journal

Tetrazine-based bioorthogonal chemistry has become a cornerstone of chemical biology due to the exceptional reaction rate and selectivity of the inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder (IEDDA) reaction. These properties have enabled a wide range of applications, from live-cell labeling to in vivo imaging and chemical manipulation of biomolecules. However, accumulating evidence indicates that rapid re…

Zn-I₂ batteries have emerged as a compelling electrochemical energy storage platform, benefiting from their excellent theoretical capacity, inherent safety, and low cost. Nevertheless, their development, especially on the separator, is impeded by the severe shuttle of polyiodides and sluggish reaction kinetics. To address these challenges, this work demonstrates the design of Gadoliniu…

The development of chemically recyclable polymers with high refractive indices is desirable for sustainable optics. Herein, a sulfur-rich spiro-tetrathioorthocarbonate motif was integrated into a fused bicyclic framework, yielding a spiro-and-fused tricyclic monomer, trans-tetrathiaspiro[4.5]decane-fused cyclooctene (M1). Its ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) produced polymer P1, whic…

Hydrosilanes, key compounds in the silicone industry, are mild and selective reducing agents. They have recently proven to be particularly effective in the reductive hydrosilylation of carbon-oxygen bonds of industrial oxygenated wastes (CO₂, biomass, plastics) for their valorization as carbon resources. However, the current production of hydrosilanes is energy intensive. This review t…

ABSTRACT Non‐covalent sulfur–aromatic () interactions play a crucial role in stabilizing the structure of proteins and have been associated with neurodegenerative diseases. We investigated the influence of the interaction on the electronic structure and fragmentation behavior of sequence‐isomer model peptides by means of ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) and near‐edge x‐ray absorption mass spe…

ABSTRACT Ionic liquids (ILs) are known to promote the catalytic hydrogenation of CO 2 to formic acid, in particular by shifting the reaction equilibrium through formic acid stabilization. While a broad range of ILs‐formic acid interactions has been described, proposed, and discussed in pure IL systems, the molecular basis for such stabilizing effects is not yet fully understood. Fundamental insig…

The bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane ring skeletons, with their distinctive three-dimensional structural features, are widely found in natural products, bioactive molecules, and functional materials, demonstrating significant value particularly in drug discovery. However, their structural rigidity and ring strain pose formidable synthetic challenges, including lengthy synthetic routes, poor selectivity, and …

Over the past decades, an increased interest is observed for sustainable building blocks for polymers and the wide range of omnipresent plastic products. Concurrently, polymer-based controlled release systems have gained significant attention from the fragrance, agricultural, and pharma industries for release of bioactive compounds, odors, and pesticides. Here, we report the controlled release of…

The synthesis of aromatic amines, especially anilines, is crucial in organic chemistry because of their significance in pharmaceuticals and high-value chemicals. However, traditional methods for producing aniline involve pre-functionalization and/or several high-energy-demanding steps. Therefore, the development of direct protocols towards aniline has attracted significant interest. We introduce …

In a more than 100-times cited article published in Chem. Eur. J. in 2008 (reference [4]), 2,2´:6´2´´-terpyridine (tpy) has been reported to be a "highly selective colorimetric aqueous sensor for mercury." Verification of this message reveals that the key data and claims reported in the article [4] do not agree with reality. In aqueous DMSO, the reaction of Hg^II compounds with tpy does…

The knowledge of different types of anion-binding modes offered by π-acidic HAT(CN)₆ and resorcinol-like double proton donors was successfully applied to construct unprecedented ternary {[HAT(CN)₆];[PG];[X^-]₂} (HAT(CN)₆ = 1,4,5,8,9,12-hexaazatriphenylene-hexacarbonitrile, PG = phloroglucinol; X = Cl, Br) synthons both in the solid state and i…

Polymerized solid-solid state phase change materials (P-PCMs) have emerged as promising candidates for thermal management applications owing to their outstanding shape stability during phase transitions, high thermal energy storage density, and excellent thermal cycling stability. The design of the polymer crosslinking network plays a critical role in developing high-performance P-PCMs. In this c…

The synthesis and structural characterization of well-defined Au(III)-triflate and -bistriflimide complexes in concert with methylimidazole ligands are reported. These extremely electron-poor gold complexes are found to be susceptible to aryl metalation reactions with unfunctionalized aryls such as benzene and toluene. Subsequent addition of soluble halide sources allows for the synthesis of aryl…

Co₃O₄ and W-Mo₁₅S₁₉ were synthesized respectively by solvothermal method, and then W-Mo₁₅S₁₉/Co₃O₄ composite was prepared by ultrasonic-assisted synthesis method. The morphology, structure, and composition of W-Mo₁₅S₁₉/Co₃O₄ composites were investigated by using vari…

Nanohoops of different sizes can be generated from various aromatic building blocks. By a cross-coupling strategy of an anthracene-based kinked precursor and 9,10-diborylated anthracene, nanohoops based on diphenylanthracene units were synthesized and isolated up to the nonamer with 36 para-connected aromatic rings. Their three-dimensional structures were investigated by X-ray diffraction, and th…

The chemistry of nonalternant hydrocarbons has recently experienced a significant resurgence in interest. While extensive research has been conducted on azulenoids, that is, structural isomers of benzenoid polycyclic hydrocarbons, the exploration of doublet open-shell nonalternant systems, that is, isomers of open-shell graphene nanofragments has not yet been undertaken. To clarify the chemical a…

A solvent-free thermo-mechanochemical synthesis of amides from carboxylic acids and amines, performed in an extruder, in the absence of coupling agents, additives, or catalyst is reported. A Bayesian optimization (BO) approach, incorporating an active and soft constraint, was developed, able to handle holistically various parameters (temperature, reaction time, excess of starting materials) while…

Smart materials that alter their physical properties in response to external stimuli have attracted significant interest for a wide range of applications. Among them, temperature-responsive materials operating near physiological temperatures are particularly promising for biomedical uses. Such materials are generally understood to undergo hydration-dehydration transitions upon temperature changes…

Molecular crystals of apolar π-conjugated hydrocarbons exhibit pronounced solution-to-crystal spectral shifts, yet the interplay between band formation and exciton coupling remains unclear. Adamantylethynyl-pyrene derivatives were designed to adopt unidirectional crystal packing, providing a model system to disentangle these effects. Large redshifts of up to -203 meV are observed, which cannot be…

Herein, we describe a modular, stereodivergent chemoenzymatic strategy for the enantioselective total synthesis of the natural products (+)- and (-)-glabridin. A lipase-catalyzed dynamic kinetic resolution establishes the key benzylic stereocenter, while a carefully engineered protecting-group manifold preserves stereochemical integrity during fragment coupling and cyclization. From inexpensive, …