A series of new, dicationic platinum(II) CNC pincer complexes were prepared and characterized by NMR and X-ray diffraction analysis. Oxidative addition of methyl iodide and iodine yielded the mostly unstable platinum(IV) complexes, which readily underwent reductive elimination to yield the platinum(II) precursors. Nonetheless, a platinum(IV) iodide adduct was isolated and was characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis. Additionally, a platinum(II) ethylene complex was isolated and found to be a moderately active yet highly selective catalyst in the co-dimerization of 2-methyl-2-butene with ethylene.

A set of heterogenized olefin-metathesis catalysts, which consisted of Ru complexes with the H(2)ITap ligand (1,3-bis(2',6'-dimethyl-4'dimethyl aminophenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene) that had been adsorbed onto a silica support, has been prepared. These complexes showed strong binding to the solid support without the need for tethering groups on the complex or functionalized silica. The catalysts were tested in the ring-opening-ring-closing-metathesis (RO-RCM) of cyclooctene (COE) and the self-metathesis of methyl oleate under continuous-flow conditions. The best complexes showed a TON>4000, which surpasses the previously reported materials that were either based on the Grubbs-Hoveyda II complex on silica or on the classical heterogeneous Re(2)O(7)/B(2)O(3) catalyst.

The development of the first trans‐selective catalytic asymmetric [2+2] cyclocondensation of acyl halides with aliphatic aldehydes furnishing 3,4‐disubstituted β‐lactones is described. This work made use of a new strategy within the context of asymmetric dual activation catalysis: it combines the concepts of Lewis acid and organic aprotic ion pair catalysis in a single catalyst system. The methodology could also be applied to aromatic aldehydes and offers broad applicability (29 examples). The utility was further demonstrated by nucleophilic ring‐opening reactions that provide highly enantiomerically enriched anti‐aldol products.

Somewhat unexpectedly, the computed highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energies of some 4-alkenylthiazoles afforded values close to those calculated for the Danishefsky-Kitahara and Rawal dienes. In fact, 4-alkenylthiazoles behave as all-carbon dienes in Diels-Alder reactions with the participation of the formal C-C double bond of the thiazole ring and the side-chain double bond. The reactions with N-substituted maleimides, maleic anhydride, and naphthoquinone take place with high levels of stereocontrol to give the corresponding endo-cycloadducts in good to excellent yields. Depending on the dienophile, the cycloadduct further transforms under the reaction conditions through either a 1,3-hydrogen shift, dehydrogenation, or an ene reaction or Michael addition with another molecule of dienophile. These unprecedented results open new synthetic perspectives for the functionalization of the thiazole ring.