Ag+ -free complexation of alkyne-bipyridines at ruthenium(II) polypyridine centers proceeds with surprisingly low yields. The alkyne-bipyridine-substituted ruthenium(II) polypyridine complexes in this work were characterized by NMR spectroscopy, ESI spectrometry, and single-crystal X-ray structural analysis. A detailed analysis of the side products revealed an unexpected carbon-carbon alkyne bond splitting

Combined computational and experimental studies elucidate the mechanism and suggest rational design and optimization strategies of a bis(phosphine)-supported iridiumcatalyst for methane monoborylation. The activation of the C−H bond in methane via oxidative addition using tris(boryl) iridium(III) complexes bearing bis-chelating supporting ligands is modeled computationally. This model shows that the use of the soft Lewis base ligand such as 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphino)ethane (dmpe) lowers the activation barrier of the rate-determining step as it facilitates polarization of the metal-center, lowering the barrier of the oxidative addition to afford a seven-coordinate iridium(V) intermediate. The experimental optimization of this reaction using high-throughput methods shows that up to 170 turnovers can be achieved at 150 °C (500 psi) within 16 h using bis(pinacolato)diboron, a well-defined homogeneous and monomeric catalyst (dmpe)Ir(COD)Cl that is readily available from commercial precursors, with selectivity for the monoborylation product. High-boiling cyclic aliphatic solvents decalin and cyclooctane also prove suitable for this reaction, while being inert toward borylation. In accordance with the lower calculated activation barrier, catalytic turnover is also observed at 120 °C with up to 50 turnovers over the course of 4 days in cyclohexane solvent. It was found that the borylation of methane is only achieved via one catalytic cycle, and buildup of pinacolborane, a side-product from methane borylation with bis(pinacolato)diboron, inhibits catalytic activity.

Bromo-functionalized precursor molecules are essential for generating desired target compounds through crosscoupling reactions. Herein we show an improved synthetic route, feasible at low temperatures and affording high yields, to the ligands 5-bromo-1,10-phenanthroline (1) and 5,6-dibromo-1,10-phenanthroline (2). The corresponding ruthenium complexes, containing various equivalents of ligand 2, are easily accessible in high yields, including the analogue of tris-homoleptic [Ru(bpy) 3 ] 2+ (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine), [Ru (2) 3 ] 2+ . X-ray dif- [a]

A series of ruthenium polypyridyl complexes [Ru(tbbpy) (3) were synthesized. The new complexes 2 and 3 were fully characterized, and their X-ray crystal structures, absorption and emission spectra, quantum yields of emission, and cyclic voltammograms

The effects of the planar aromatic organic molecules anthracene and pyrene on the catalytic performance of the intramolecular hydrogen evolving photocatalyst [Ru(tbbpy)