Cyclic (amino)(aryl)carbenes (CAArCs) result from the replacement of the alkyl substituent of cyclic (alkyl)(amino) carbenes (CAACs) by an aryl group. This structural modification leads to enhanced electrophilicity of the carbene center with retention of the high nucleophilicity of CAACs, and therefore CAArCs feature a small singlet-triplet gap. The isoindolium precursors are readily prepared in good yields, and deprotonation at low temperature, in the presence of [RhCl(cod)]2 and [(Me2S)AuCl] lead to air-stable rhodium and gold CAArC-supported complexes, respectively. The rhodium complexes promote the [3+2] cycloaddition of diphenylcyclopropenone with ethyl phenylpropiolate, and induce the addition of 2-vinylpyridine to alkenes by CH activation. The gold complexes allow for the catalytic three-component preparation of 1,2-dihydroquinolines from aniline and phenyl acetylene. These preliminary results illustrate the potential of CAArC ligands in transition-metal catalysis.

Acting as an environmentally benign synthetic tool, the cross-coupling reactions with aryl ethers via C-O bond activation have attracted broad interest. However, the functionalizations of C-O bonds are mainly limited to nickel catalysis, and selectivity has long been a prominent challenge when several C-O bonds are present in the one molecule. We report here the first chromium-catalyzed selective cross-coupling reactions of aryl ethers with Grignard reagents by the cleavage of C-O(alkyl) bonds. Diverse transformations were achieved using simple, inexpensive chromium(II) precatalyst combining imino auxiliary at room temperature. It offers a new avenue for buildup functionalized aromatic aldehydes with high efficiency and selectivity.

An example of using readily available, less reactive aryl bromides as arylating reagents in the Pd(II)-catalyzed intermolecular arylation of unactivated C(sp(3))-H bonds is described. This reaction was promoted by a crucial 8-aminoquinolinyl directing group and a K2CO3 base, enabling regiospecific installation of an aryl scaffold at the β-position of carboxamides. A mechanistic study by DFT calculations reveals a C(sp(3))-H activation-led pathway featuring the oxidative addition as the highest energy transition state.

Azole anions are key components in CO₂ capture materials that include ionic liquids and porous solids. Herein, we use density functional theory (DFT) and a Langmuir-type adsorption model to study azole anion-CO₂ interactions. Linear CO₂ has to be bent by approximately 45° to form an N-C bond within the azole ring. The energy cost of bending renders CO₂ absorption much more difficult compared to SO₂ absorption. For different azole anions, the number of nitrogen atoms in the ring and the natural bond orbital energy of the reacting nitrogen lone pair, both linearly correlate with the calculated reaction enthalpy and are useful handles for new sorbent designs. Unlike for SO₂, the azole parent architecture (unsubstituted) does not allow successive CO₂ absorption under mild conditions (<0.12 MPa and at room temperature). Experimental CO₂ and SO₂ absorption isotherms are reproduced by using the Langmuir model parameterized with the calibrated DFT reaction enthalpies. This study provides insight for designing azole-based CO₂-capture materials.

We report here that mono-N-protected amino acids (MPAAs), an important environmentally compatible structural motif, enable acceleration of Pd(II)-catalyzed dehydrogenative Heck reactions between pyridines and electron-deficient arenes with simple alkenes, leading to diversely functionalized C3-or meta-selective alkenylated pyridines and benzenes via non-chelate-assisted C−H activation. A comprehensive theoretical study by DFT calculations discloses that the amino scaffold of the MPAA ligand facilely converts to an X-type ligand by an initial N−H activation, resulting in a relatively low activation barrier for the C−H cleavage of pyridine. Then a property reversal of the amino group from X-type to L-type ligand allows the alkene substitution to take place smoothly, while the carboxyl group enables the formation of an intramolecular hydrogen bond, significantly decreasing the activation barrier for the carbopalladation. The results of calculations and the kinetic isotopic effect measurement support a rate-limiting C−H activation by a mechanism involving a concerted metalation/deprotonation pathway, with an endothermicity of 31.0 kcal/mol in the process.