Oxocarbon salts (M2 (CO)n ) prepared through one-pot proton exchange reactions with different metal ions (M=Li, Na, K) and frameworks (n=4, 5, 6) have been rationally designed and used as electrodes in rechargeable Li, Na, and K-ion batteries. The results show that M2 (CO)5 /M2 (CO)6 salts can insert two or four metal ions reversibly, while M2 (CO)4 shows less electrochemical activity. Especially, we discover that the K2 C6 O6 electrode enables ultrafast potassium-ion insertion/extraction with 212 mA h g(-1) at 0.2 C and 164 mA h g(-1) at 10 C. This behavior can be ascribed to the natural semiconductor property of K2 C6 O6 with a narrow band gap close to 0.9 eV, the high ionic conductivity of the K-ion electrolyte, and the facilitated K-ion diffusion process. Moreover, a first example of a K-ion battery with a rocking-chair reaction mechanism of K2 C6 O6 as cathode and K4 C6 O6 as anode is introduced, displaying an operation voltage of 1.1 V and an energy density of 35 Wh kg(-1) . This work provides an interesting strategy for constructing rapid K-ion batteries with renewable and abundant potassium materials.

A unified approach toward the taiwaniaquinoids that has yielded four natural products is described. A new variant of the Nazarov reaction with concomitant formation of an enol triflate serves as one of the key steps, considerably shortening the synthetic scheme and providing a general entry into this class of bioactive natural products.

Fully hydrated dispersions of simple linear saturated diacylphosphatidylcholines with even-numbered acyl chains of lengths from 18 to 24 carbons can exist in a low-temperature, highly ordered, orthorhombic phase (G(o)) that differs from the L beta phase (Gd) normally found for shorter chains. The temperature behavior of these dispersions has been studied by infrared spectroscopy. Chain packing in the G(o) phase was found to be nearly identical to that of the orthorhombic phase of crystalline n-alkanes. With increasing temperature, the G(o) phase undergoes a transition to Gd at approximately 45 degrees C below Tm. This transition occurs at a higher temperature and becomes sharper with increasing chain length. Chain packing in the Gd phase was found to be disordered in a way that can be expressed in terms of a distribution of subcell setting angles. The Gd phase converts to a phase (Gh) with hexagonal-like chain packing at temperatures below Tm. The results support and extend those of a recent x-ray diffraction study of the 24-carbon diacyclphosphatidylcholine gel.

The development of catalytic asymmetric Nazarov reactions that require only 10 mol % of chiral Lewis acid and proceed with ee's between 72% and 97% is described.

Expeditious and high-yielding Nazarov cyclizations of 2-alkoxy-1,4-pentadien-3-ones are described. An example of a catalytic asymmetric Nazarov cyclization is presented. [reaction: see text]