Firmly attached: The short‐circuit photocurrent density and conversion yields of solar cells based on pyridine‐containing donor–acceptor π‐conjugated (D‐π‐A) dyes (see scheme) are greater than those for conventional D‐π‐A dye sensitizers that bear a carboxy group as the electron‐withdrawing anchoring group. The dyes are attached to the surface by coordinate bonding with the Lewis acid sites of TiO2.

A series of bithiophene derivatives bearing an intramolecular monosilanylene or disilanylene bridge between the β,β‘-positions were synthesized, and their properties were investigated. UV spectral and cyclic voltammetric analyses of the silicon-bridged bithiophenes indicated that they have lower lying LUMOs, relative to those for bithiophene and methylene bridged bithiophenes, probably due to σ*−π* interaction between the silicon atom(s) and bithiophene π-orbitals, in good agreement with the results of theoretical calculations using simplified model compounds based on RHF/6-31G. The silicon-bridged bithiophenes exhibit high electron-transporting properties, and triple-layer-type electroluminescent (EL) devices, using the silicon-bridged bithiophenes, tris(8-quinolinolato)aluminum(III) complex (Alq), and N,N‘-diphenyl-N,N‘-di-m-tolylbiphenyl-4,4‘-diamine (TPD) as the electron-transporting, emitting, and hole-transporting layers, respectively, emitted strong EL.

One, two, three, four: A copper(I)–phosphine complex catalyzes the diborylation of alkynes and arynes, and the tri‐ or tetraborylation of propargyl ethers (see scheme; pin=pinacolato). In the latter cases, the CO bond(s) as well as the CC bond are borylated in one pot. Furthermore, a diborylation product serves as an intermediate in the efficient synthesis of ortho‐terphenyls with pharmacological activity.

A zwitterion, generated from an aryne and an imine, has been demonstrated to serve as an excellent molecular scaffold for capturing CO2, which results in the straightforward formation of diverse benzoxazinones.