Clues from an ionic cocrystal structure: from catalysis to mechanochemistry.

A crystal structure is no longer conceived as a static entity; rather, it often mirrors crystallization pathways, linking crystal structures with a solution scenario. In this study, taking a clue from a previously reported ionic cocrystal structure, an acetic acid-based catalytic protocol is developed for the -acylation of amines using ester sources. In addition to better catalytic efficiency, this approach was extended further to a mechanochemistry protocol in the context of a multicomponent reaction.

Exploiting benzilic acid as a modular template: controlling photoreactivity and solid to liquid transition during photodimerization.

A well-known molecule, benzilic acid, is used as a [2+2] photodimerization template by using third-generation crystal engineering principles. This template utilizes orthogonality and non-covalent interactions in an optimized way and is shown to be effective in tuning the photoreactivity of styryl pyridine derivatives. The photo-induced crystal-to-liquid transformation was observed during photodimerization.