Gold(I)-catalyzed homologation of aryl aldehydes with trimethylsilyldiazomethane.

A methodology is described herein for the synthesis of 2-aryl acetaldehydes from aryl aldehydes using TMSCHN under Au(I) catalysis. A diazoorgano Au(I) complex was shown to be an intermediate that reacts with ArCHO to give ArCHCHO products. This homologation protocol was used to synthesize a wide range of 2-aryl acetaldehydes with high functional group compatibility.

Alkaline earth metal-assisted dinitrogen activation at nickel.

Rare examples of trinuclear [Ni-N-M-N-Ni] core (M = Ca, Mg) with linear bridged dinitrogen ligands are reported in this work. The reduction of [PrNN]Ni(μ-Br)Li(thf) (1) (PrNN = 2,4-bis-(2,6-diisopropylphenylimido)pentyl) with elemental Mg or Ca in THF under an atmosphere of dinitrogen yields the complex {PrNNNi(μ-N)}M (thf) (M = Mg, complex 2 and M = Ca, complex 3). The bridging end-on (μ-N)M(thf) moiety connects the two [PrNNNi] nickelate fragments.

Chain Dynamics, Relaxation Times, and Conductivities of Bithiophene--Acene Copolymers Measured Using High Frequency Saturation Transfer EPR.

We present a study to probe the formation of localized aromatic sextets and their effects on the charge transport properties in polymers with acene cores. Bithiophene-acene copolymers containing benzene, naphthalene, or anthracene as acene cores were synthesized using Yamamoto polymerization. Drop-casted polymer films were chemically doped and analyzed using high frequency saturation transfer EPR (HF ST-EPR), a method which has proven useful in the study of conducting polymers.