Metal-Free B-B Dehydrocoupling Reaction of a Simple Borane Adduct: Convenient Access to a Nucleophilic Diborane(4).

The selective formation of homonuclear bonds is of key importance in synthetic chemistry. Especially, dehydrocoupling reactions are attractive as ecologically and economically friendly alternatives to established reductive bond forming reactions, since they do not require the use of stoichiometric amounts of a reducing reagent and produce only valuable dihydrogen as by-product. Here, we report on a metal-free B-B dehydrocoupling reaction that starts directly from a simple, easily accessible BH adduct, providing convenient access to a new nucleophilic dihydridodiborane in excellent yield.

Directed Synthesis and Chemistry of Unsymmetric Dicationic Diboranes and Their Use in Frustrated Lewis Pair-like Chemistry.

The chemistry of dicationic diboranes with two B atoms that are engaged in direct B-B bonding is by enlarge unexplored, although these molecules have intriguing properties due to their combined Lewis acidic and electron-donor properties. Unsymmetric dicationic diboranes are extremely rare, but especially attractive due to their polarized B-B bond. In this work we report the directed synthesis of several stable unsymmetric dicationic diboranes by reaction between the electron-rich ditriflato-diborane B (hpp) (OTf) (hpp=1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-2H-pyrimido[1,2-α]pyrimidinate) and phosphino-pyridines, establishing B-N and B-P bonds with the diborane concomitant with triflate elimination.

Brightening of Long, Polymer-Wrapped Carbon Nanotubes by sp Functionalization in Organic Solvents.

The functionalization of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with sp defects that act as luminescent exciton traps is a powerful means to enhance their photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and to add optical properties. However, the synthetic methods employed to introduce these defects are currently limited to aqueous dispersions of surfactant-coated SWNTs, often with short tube lengths, residual metallic nanotubes, and poor film-formation properties. In contrast to that, dispersions of polymer-wrapped SWNTs in organic solvents feature unrivaled purity, higher PLQY, and are easily processed into thin films for device applications.