Crystal Structure and Spectroscopic Characterization of a New Hybrid Compound, (C12H17N2)2[CdBr4], for Energy Storage Applications.

Organic-inorganic hybrid materials have recently found a vast variety of applications in the fields of energy storage and microelectronics due to their outstanding electric and dielectric characteristics, including high dielectric constant, low conductivity, and low dielectric loss. However, despite the promising properties of these materials, there remains a need to explore novel compounds with improved performance for practical applications. In this research paper, the focus is on addressing this scientific challenge by synthesizing and characterizing the new-centrosymmetric (C12H17N2)2[CdBr4] crystal. This compound offers potential advancements in energy storage technologies and microelectronics due to its unique structural and electronic properties. The chemical mentioned above crystallizes in the monoclinic system, and its protonated amine (C12H17N2)+ and isolated anion [CdBr4]2- are bound by C-H···π and N-H···Br hydrogen bonds to form its zero-dimensional structure. Through optical absorption analysis, the semiconductor nature of the material is verified, showcasing a band gap of around 2.9 eV. Furthermore, an in-depth examination of Nyquist plots reveals the material's electrical characteristics' sensitivity to frequency and temperature variations. By applying Jonscher's power law to analyze ac conductivity plots, it is observed that the variation in the exponent "s" accurately characterizes the conduction mechanism, aligning with CBH models. The compound exhibits low dielectric loss values and a high permittivity value (ε ∼ 105), making it a promising candidate for energy storage applications. By managing the scientific challenge of improving material performance for energy storage and microelectronics, this research contributes to advancing the field and opens avenues for further exploration and application of organic-inorganic hybrid materials.

2,3-Epoxyamide-alcohols in Domino Reactions: En Route to Molecular Diversity.

The synthesis of polycyclic γ- and δ-lactams bearing up to four contiguous fully controlled stereocenters is presented. For that purpose, we developed an original approach based on the use of 2,3-epoxyamides in domino reactions by taking advantage of the nucleophilic nitrogen atom and electrophilic epoxide. In reaction with enol ethers bearing gem bis-electrophiles on the double bond as Michael acceptors, four different reaction pathways were observed. They all started with a domino oxa-Michael/aza-Michael/epoxide opening sequence and depending on substrates engaged could be followed either by a lactonization or a hemiketalization/retro-aldol cascade. Thus, four original fully-substituted piperidine- or pyrrolidine-2-one scaffolds were selectively synthesized in good to high yields. Moreover, these polycyclic lactams were obtained in high stereo- and chemo-selectively highlighting the efficiency and molecular diversity offered by this new methodology that should offer various synthetic opportunities in the future.

Rhodium(I)-Catalyzed O-H Insertions on O-Protected α-Diazo-ß-Hydroxyesters.

The X-H insertion reaction constitutes a powerful tool to create diversity through the diazo decomposition of diazocarbonyl compounds. However, until now, X-H insertion on α-diazo-ß-aryl-ß-hydroxyester scaffolds, readily prepared by aldol-type addition, remained a challenge for the organic chemist. We report herein the first O-H insertions on O-protected α-diazo-ß-aryl-ß-hydroxyesters, providing straightforward access to a wide range of α,ß-dioxygenated esters through modulation of the alcohol and of the aryl substituent. The key feature to achieving this transformation is the use of Rh(I) catalysts, which proved to be crucial to favor the targeted O-H insertion product over the competing 1,2-H and 1,2-Ar migration products. Overall, 32 O-H insertion products have been prepared, in moderate to good yields, with a diastereoisomeric ratio up to 7.5:1 in favor of the syn diastereoisomer.

N-Benzyloxyacrylamides as Bisnucleophiles in an Organocatalyzed Domino aza-Michael/Morita-Baylis-Hillman Sequence.

We herein describe a stereoselective organocatalyzed aza-Michael/Morita-Baylis-Hillman domino reaction between readily accessible acrylamides and α,ß-unsaturated carbonyls. This novel, PPh3-promoted atom economic one-pot process features medium to good yields and good stereoselectivity leading to variously substituted piperidin-2-ones bearing an exocyclic olefinic bond, which was shown to be an excellent anchor for further chemical diversification.

Acid-Catalyzed Decomposition of O-Silylated α-Diazo-ß-hydroxy Esters: Access to Mixed Monosilyl Acetals.

Acid-catalyzed decomposition of diazocarbonyl compounds triggers a wide range of transformations leading to synthetically useful building blocks with high diversity. In this field, the chemistry of α-diazo-ß-hydroxy ester substrates is largely dominated by migration processes. We describe herein a new approach to original mixed monosilyl acetals from O-protected α-diazo-ß-hydroxy-ß-aryl esters and alcohols, catalyzed by trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate (TMSOTf). The ratio between these original mixed acetals, the symmetric acetals, and the migration products fluctuates depending on the catalyst, the nature of the alcohols, and the substituent on the aromatic ring. Fifty-six examples are reported herein with yields up to 71% and diastereoselectivity up to 6:1. Such mixed monosilyl acetals constitute a synthetic equivalent of α-substituted ß-oxoesters with high potential for further transformations.

Fluorinated Materials as Positive Electrodes for Li- and Na-Ion Batteries.

Fluorine is known to be a key element for various components of batteries since current electrolytes rely on Li-ion salts having fluorinated ions and electrode binders are mainly based on fluorinated polymers. Metal fluorides or mixed anion metal fluorides (mainly oxyfluorides) have also gained a substantial interest as active materials for the electrode redox reactions. In this review, metal fluorides for cathodes are considered; they are listed according to the dimensionality of the metal fluoride subnetwork. The synthesis conditions and the crystal structures are described; the electrochemical properties are briefly indicated, and the nature of the electron transport agent is noted. We stress the crucial importance of the elaboration processes to induce the presence of cation disorders, of anion substitutions (mainly F-/O2- or F-/OH-) or vacancies. Finally, we show that an accurate structural characterization is a key step to enable enhanced material performances to overcome several lasting roadblocks, namely the large irreversible capacity and poor energy efficiency that are frequently encountered.

δ-Valerolactamic Quaternary Amino Acid Derivatives: Enantiodivergent Synthesis and Evidence for Stereodifferentiated ß-Turn-Inducing Properties.

Enantiopure (R) and (S) cyclic α,α-disubstituted amino acid derivatives displaying a δ-valerolactam side chain were prepared from a common isoxazolidine precursor. The (R)-configured δ-valerolactam 11 was converted into diastereoisomeric pseudopeptides to investigate its ability to induce secondary structures in peptidomimetics. Conformational studies of these pseudopeptides were carried out in the solid state (X-ray diffraction), in solution (NMR analyses), and in silico (computer-aided conformational analysis), which demonstrated that such quaternary amino acids induce ß-turn conformations stable enough to be retained in polar media (DMSO). Incorporation of this new type of α,α-disubstituted amino acid into a representative pseudopeptidic sequence by N- then C-elongation and N-debenzylation is also described herein and could serve for the synthesis of various structured peptidomimetics.

TIPS-Diazoacetone Aldol Addition: Mechanistic Aspects and Contribution to the Synthesis.

Aldol addition of α-triisopropylsilyl-α-diazoacetone (TIPS-diazoacetone), promoted by excess lithium diisopropylamide (LDA), was developed and applied to the synthesis of original C-TIPS diazoaldols, C-TIPS diazoketols, and a related Mannich-type product. An unprecedented mechanistic pathway has been proposed, involving a lithiated triazene intermediate resulting from the nucleophilic addition of LDA on the diazo moiety, supported by experimental results and DFT calculations.

The Effects of Various Parameters of the Microwave-Assisted Solvothermal Synthesis on the Specific Surface Area and Catalytic Performance of MgF2 Nanoparticles.

High-specific-surface-area MgF2 was prepared by microwave-assisted solvothermal synthesis. The influences of the solvent and the magnesium precursors, and the calcination atmospheres, on the nanoparticle sizes and specific surface areas, estimated by X-Ray Powder Diffraction, N2 sorption and TEM analyses, were investigated. Nanocrystallized (~7 nm) magnesium partially hydroxylated fluorides (MgF2-x(OH)x) with significant specific surface areas between 290 and 330 m2∙g-1 were obtained. After activation under gaseous HF, MgF2-x(OH)x catalysts underwent a large decrease of both their surface area and their hydroxide, rates as shown by their 19F and 1H solid-state NMR spectra. Expect for MgF2 prepared from the acetate precursor, an activity of 30-32 mmol/h∙g was obtained which was about 40% higher compared with that of MgF2 prepared using Trifluoroacetate method (21.6 mmol/h∙g).

Stabilization of a mixed iron vanadium based hexagonal tungsten bronze hydroxyfluoride HTB-(Fe0.55V0.45)F2.67(OH)0.33 as a positive electrode for lithium-ion batteries.

In our search for novel insertion compounds for Li-based batteries, we have identified a new mixed iron vanadium based Hexagonal Tungsten Bronze (HTB) type phase. Its synthesis involves two steps which consist first of preparing mixed metal hydrated fluoride Fe1.64V1.36F8(H2O)2 by a microwave assisted thermal process, followed by thermal treatment under air to obtain metastable HTB-(Fe0.55V0.45)F2.67(OH)0.33 hydroxyfluoride. 57Fe Mössbauer spectrometry demonstrates the presence of oxidation states Fe2+ and Fe3+ in Fe1.64V1.36F8(H2O)2 as opposed to only Fe3+ in HTB-(Fe0.55V0.47)F2.67(OH)0.33. Moreover, the Mössbauer spectra recorded at 77 K reveal that none of the compounds shows magnetic ordering owing to the presence of V3+ distributed over the crystallographic sites of Fe3+. Complementary X-ray spectroscopy and Rietveld refinement further confirm the successful synthesis of HTB-(Fe0.55V0.45)F2.67(OH)0.33. Electrochemically, the new HTB-(Fe0.55V0.45)F2.67(OH)0.33 shows a first discharge capacity of 181 mA h g-1 with 67% of this capacity remaining upon cycling. Unlike HTB-FeF2.66(OH)0.34, the structure remains stable after the first discharge confirming the positive effect of vanadium in the HTB network.

Investigation of mixed-metal (oxy)fluorides as a new class of water oxidation electrocatalysts.

The development of electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is one of the principal challenges in the area of renewable energy research. Within this context, mixed-metal oxides have recently emerged as the highest performing OER catalysts. Their structural and compositional modification to further boost their activity is crucial to the wide-spread use of electrolysis technologies. In this work, we investigated a series of mixed-metal F-containing materials as OER catalysts to probe possible benefits of the high electronegativity of fluoride ions. We found that crystalline hydrated fluorides, CoFe2F8(H2O)2 and NiFe2F8(H2O)2, and amorphous oxyfluorides, NiFe2F4.4O1.8 and CoFe2F6.6O0.7, feature excellent activity (overpotential for 10 mA cm-2 as low as 270 mV) and stability (extended performance for >250 hours with ∼40 mV activity loss) for the OER in alkaline electrolyte. Subsequent electroanalytical and spectroscopic characterization hinted that the electronic structure modulation conferred by the fluoride ions aided their reactivity. Finally, the best catalyst of the set, NiFe2F4.4O1.8, was applied as anode in an electrolyzer comprised solely of earth-abundant materials, which carried out overall water splitting at 1.65 V at 10 mA cm-2.

Chemo-, Regio-, and Stereoselective Synthesis of Polysusbtituted Oxazolo[3,2-d][1,4]oxazepin-5(3H)ones via a Domino oxa-Michael/aza-Michael/Williamson Cycloetherification Sequence.

The access to new oxazolo[3,2-d][1,4]oxazepin-5(3H)-ones starting from α-bromoamido alcohols and Michael acceptors under mild conditions is presented. This domino process proved to be chemo-, regio-, and stereoselective and allows the formation of a large diversity of highly functional 7-membered rings in good yields up to 95%. The complete shift of the regioselectivity of the intermediate enolate from a C-C to a C-O bond formation, contrary to the already known alkylations of such ambident nucleophiles, is mostly triggered by steric effects. The last step of the sequence was modeled by DFT giving some important insights for this C-C vs C-O bond shift.

Synthesis of Oxazolidin-4-ones: Domino O-Alkylation/Aza-Michael/Intramolecular Retro-Claisen Condensation.

An original and rapid domino reaction for access to oxazolidin-4-ones is presented. Simply by heating α-bromoamido alcohol in the presence of KNaCO3 and water with readily prepared Michael acceptors, an unprecedented molecular rearrangement is generated. This new methodology enables the hitherto unreported synthesis of functionalized oxazolidin-4-ones. The process was proved to be compatible with a wide variety of substrates, and high regioselectivities were achieved.

New iron tetrazolate frameworks: synthesis, temperature effect, thermal behaviour, Mössbauer and magnetic studies.

The exploration of the FeF3/FeF2-Hamtetraz-HF system in dimethylformamide by solvothermal synthesis evidences two isostructural 3D hybrid fluoroferrates. They are prepared from the same starting mixture at two different synthesis temperatures: 120 °C for [Hdma]·(Fe4(II)Fe(III)F8(H2O)2(amtetraz)4) () and 140 °C for [Hdma]1.5·(Fe4.5(II)Fe0.5(III)F7(H2O)(HCOO)(amtetraz)4) (). Both compounds are characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, X-ray thermodiffraction, TGA analysis, Mössbauer spectrometry and SQUID magnetometry. They crystallize in the monoclinic system and are built from two distinct chains connected by aminotetrazolate anions. The first chain ∞(Fe(II)FN4) is common to and and can be found in numerous fluorides. In the second chain ∞(Fe3X12) (X = F, N, O), iron cations adopt both valence states Fe(ii)/Fe(iii). The hydrolysis of DMF implies the formation of a [Hdma](+) cation and a (HCOO)(-) anion. The presence of Fe(3+) in both phases is evidenced by (57)Fe Mössbauer spectrometry. The magnetic properties are studied and two transitions from a paramagnetic regime to a long range ordered state below 30 K and 5 K are identified.

(H3O)2NaAl3F12, isostructural with A2NaAl3F12 (A = K(+), Rb(+), Cs(+)) fluorides having HTB-type sheets.

The title compound, (H3O)2NaAl3F12 [dihydronium sodium trialuminum(III) dodecafluoride], was obtained by solvothermal synthesis from the reaction of aluminium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, 1,2,4-triazole and aqueous HF in ethanol at 463 K for 48 h. The structure consists of AlF6 octahedra organized in [AlF4(-)]n HTB-type sheets (HTB is hexagonal tungsten bronze) separated by H3O(+) and Na(+) cations.

Enantioselective ruthenium-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions between C-carboalkoxy ketonitrones and methacrolein: solvent effect on reaction selectivity and its rational.

A catalytic 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between carboalkoxy ketonitrones and methacrolein under the effect of chiral ruthenium Lewis acid (R,R-1) was developed with high regio-, diastereo-, and enantiocontrol. The diastereochemical outcome of the cycloaddition reaction is marked by a significant solvent effect, and a divergent endo or exo control can be tuned by an appropriate choice of both the solvent and the N- and O-substituents of the ketonitrone. A rationale of the solvent effect, based on the computational study of the interactions between the methacrolein-Ru complex and its counteranion (SbF6(-)), is proposed to explain the selectivities obtained.

New series of hybrid fluoroferrates synthesized with triazoles: various dimensionalities and Mössbauer studies.

The solvothermal reactions of an equimolar mixture of FeF2 and FeF3 with Htaz (1,2,4-triazole), aqueous HF and DMF (dimethylformamide) at 120 °C yielded a series of new hybrid fluoroferrates (1-5). Their structures were characterized by either single crystal or powder X-ray diffraction data analysis. Both classes of hybrid networks were observed according to the Fe(n+)/Htaz/HF starting ratio: class I for 1 and 2 and class II for 3, 4 and 5. Four compounds, [Hdma]·(Fe2(H2O)4F6) (1), [Hdma]·(Fe2(H2O)4F6)·0.5H2O (2), Fe2F5(Htaz) (3) and [Hdma]·(Fe2F5(H2O)(Htaz)(taz)) (4), exhibit both Fe(II) and Fe(III) oxidation states while [Hdma]·(Fe2F5(taz)2) (5) contains only Fe(III) cations. [Hdma]·(Fe2(H2O)4F6) (1) and [Hdma]·(Fe2(H2O)4F6)·0.5H2O (2) contain anionic inorganic chains of alternating corner-sharing Fe(II) and Fe(III) octahedra; they are weakly hydrogen bonded to dimethylammonium cations [Hdma](+) which are formed by the in situ hydrolysis of DMF. The structure of Fe2F5(Htaz) (3) exhibits a three dimensional inorganic network resulting from the association of HTB planes of corner sharing Fe(II)F4N2 and Fe(III)F6 octahedra. [Hdma]·(Fe2F5(H2O)(Htaz)(taz)) (4) and [Hdma]·(Fe2F5(taz)2) (5) reveal two original two-dimensional sheets. In 4, the deprotonated and neutral amines connect trinuclear Fe3F10N6 units of corner-sharing octahedra and mononuclear FeN4(H2O)2 octahedra. Infinite Fe2F5(taz)2 layers in 5 are built up from dinuclear species connected by deprotonated amines along two perpendicular directions. The thermal behavior and Mössbauer spectrometry results are detailed for the first tridimensional mixed valence hybrid fluoroferrate (3).

Chain-like and dinuclear coordination polymers in lanthanide (Nd, Eu) oxochloride complexes with 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine: synthesis, XRD structure and magnetic properties.

The solvothermal reactions (at 180 °C for 48 h) of a mixture of lanthanide chlorides (Nd, Eu) with the tridendate heterocyclic nitrogen ligand, 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine (terpy), in ethanol medium give rise to the formation of crystalline mixed chloro-hydroxo-aquo complex Ln(2)Cl(5)(OH)(H(2)O)(terpy). Its crystal structure consists of the connection of eight- and nine-fold coordinated lanthanide centers linked to each other via µ(2,3)-chloro and µ(3)-hydroxo species to form a tetranuclear unit, which are then further connected through chloro edges to generate infinite ribbons. Only one lanthanide cation in every two is chelated by terpy. Similar molar composition of the starting reactants led to the crystallization at room temperature of a second type of complex LnCl(3)(H(2)O)(terpy) (Ln = Nd, Eu). It is built up from the molecular assembly of dinuclear species containing two eight-fold coordinated lanthanide centers chelated by terpy and linked through a µ(2)-Cl edge. Luminescence spectra have been collected for the europium-based compound and indicates a strong red signal with the expected bands from the F-D transitions. The magnetic properties of the four compounds were investigated. Their behaviors correspond to that of the rare-earth ions present in the structure. The magnetic susceptibility of the neodymium-based compounds agrees with that of the Nd(III) ion with an (4)I(9/2) ground state split by crystal field. Concerning the Eu(III) derivatives, the term (7)F is split by spin-orbit coupling, the first excited states being thermally populated. Accordingly, the thermal dependence of the magnetic susceptibility was nicely reproduced by using appropriate analytical relations. The refined values of the spin-orbit coupling are consistent with the energies of the electronic levels deduced from the photoluminescence spectra. Unexpectedly, the magnetic susceptibility exhibits a hysteretic behavior in the range 45-75 K.