The phosphonium borane [p-Mes(2)B(C(6)H(4))PMePh(2)](+) complexes fluoride in water containing 10% methanol with a binding constant of 1.0(+/-0.1) x 10(3) M(-1) to afford the zwitterion p-Mes(2)FB(C(6)H(4))PMePh(2).

[structure: see text] Ladder-type fused azaborines were synthesized. X-ray crystallographic analysis of a pentacene-type molecule shown here revealed the planarity of a fused azaborine. It was revealed by UV-vis and fluorescence spectra that such fused molecular structures are efficient for the extension of pi-conjugated systems containing main group elements.

An intramolecular sila-Friedel-Crafts reaction was developed and applied to the synthesis of dibenzosilole derivatives. This reaction proceeds under mild conditions to afford the target in relatively high yield, indicating its availability as a versatile synthetic method. The synthesis of trisilasumanene, a silicon analogue of sumanene, was achieved using the present reaction.

A fluorescent chlorostannylene bearing a dipyrromethene ligand was synthesized. Its fluorescence quantum yield was low, Phi(f) = 0.04, probably because of the existence of the lone-pair orbital energetically close to the pi orbital. However, its fluorescence emission was increased to Phi(f) = 0.42 by dechlorination using silver triflate. The resulting cationic species reverted again to the chlorostannylene upon reaction with tetrabutylammonium chloride, with a corresponding weakening of the fluorescence.

A generous giver: Rh and Pd complexes of an ylide‐substituted carbene were synthesized. The carbonyl stretching vibration of the Rh complex (see picture; Rh purple, C turquoise, N blue, O red, P orange, Cl green) was observed at the lowest wavenumber of all cis‐[RhCl(CO)2(carbene)] complexes known to date, which indicates that this is the strongest known electron‐donating carbene.