Hydroalkylation of unactivated olefins with C(sp)─H compounds enabled by NiH-catalyzed radical relay.

The hydroalkylation reaction of olefins with alkanes is a highly desirable synthetic transformation toward the construction of C(sp)─C(sp) bonds. However, such transformation has proven to be challenging for unactivated olefins, particularly when the substrates lack directing groups or acidic C(sp)─H bonds. Here, we address this challenge by merging NiH-catalyzed radical relay strategy with a HAT (hydrogen atom transfer) process.

Observation of unusual outer-sphere mechanism using simple alkenes as nucleophiles in allylation chemistry.

Transition-metal catalyzed allylic substitution reactions of alkenes are among the most efficient methods for synthesizing diene compounds, driven by the inherent preference for an inner-sphere mechanism. Here, we present a demonstration of an outer-sphere mechanism in Rh-catalyzed allylic substitution reaction of simple alkenes using gem-difluorinated cyclopropanes as allyl surrogates. This unconventional mechanism offers an opportunity for the fluorine recycling of gem-difluorinated cyclopropanes via C - F bond cleavage/reformation, ultimately delivering allylic carbofluorination products.

Cellular nucleus image-based smarter microscope system for single cell analysis.

Cell imaging technology is undoubtedly a powerful tool for studying single-cell heterogeneity due to its non-invasive and visual advantages. It covers microscope hardware, software, and image analysis techniques, which are hindered by low throughput owing to abundant hands-on time and expertise. Herein, a cellular nucleus image-based smarter microscope system for single-cell analysis is reported to achieve high-throughput analysis and high-content detection of cells.