A mild protocol for Ni-catalyzed trifluoromethylthiolation of aryl chlorides and bromides is described herein. The method utilizes AgSCF as an easily accessible nucleophilic trifluoromethylthiolating reagent and does not require any ligands or additives. Ortho-selectivity is achieved using a variety of directing groups such as imines, pyridines, and oxazolines for 24 examples in up to 95% yield.

A fluorescent, strongly Lewis-acidic borenium cation (Gutmann–Beckett acceptor number >100) was created using a tridentate formazanate ligand. This cation shows a potential utility as a colourimetric reactivity probe.

Three new Ru complexes with N‐P(OH)‐N donor ligands were synthesized and characterized. A ruthenium complex with a ligand with quinolinyl side arms exhibited monodentate coordination through the phosphorus atom with an intramolecular POH⋅⋅⋅N(quinolinyl) hydrogen bond but with no interaction between nitrogen donors and the ruthenium center. Two pentamethylcyclopentadienyl ruthenium complexes with a ligand with pyridyl side arms exhibited fac‐κ3‐NPN’ tridentate coordination to the metal center, one with an interionic POH⋅⋅⋅FPF5 hydrogen bond in the crystal. A paramagnetic nickel [Ni3(N‐P(O)‐N)4] cluster was also characterized; the crystal structure shows three nickel centers in two different environments. The central nickel is coordinated to four deprotonated ligands, two are bidentate κ2‐NO, two are monodentate κ‐O and is connected to the other two nickel centers by two sets of bridging μ2‐O,P moieties. Non‐central nickel centers are each coordinated to one bidentate ligand κ2‐PN and one monodentate ligand κ‐P.

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