The 3-ethynylcyclopentenyl radical (3ecpr) has been identified as the carrier of an electronic spectrum with origin at 21792 cm–1 using resonant ionization and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopies. The radical was first detected in a toluene discharge and is most efficiently produced from 1,6-heptadiyne. Overwhelming spectroscopic and chemical evidence support our diagnosis: (1) the observed (6.93 eV) and calculated (CCSD­(T)/pVQZ) adiabatic ionization energies are the same; (2) the origin band rotational contour can be well simulated with calculated rotational constants; (3) convincing vibrational assignments can be made using computed frequencies; and (4) the same spectrum was observed in a discharge of 1-ethynylcyclopentanol, which contains the 3ecpr carbon framework. The π-chromophore is essentially that of trans-1-vinylpropargyl, a highly resonance-stabilized C5H5 radical that persists in conditions relevant to both combustion and circumstellar atmospheres. We suggest that 3ecpr may be a similarly important radical warranting inclusion in models of C7H7 chemistry. It is the second C7H7 isomer with a five-membered ring yet to be detected, the other being vinylcyclopentadienyl, a species crucially involved in a recently proposed mechanism of soot formation (Science, 2018, 361, 6406, 997–1000). We argue that 3ecpr should be a significant product of H addition to ethynylcyclopentadiene (C7H6), a known product of benzyl decomposition. Further, it is plausible that 3ecpr is the unidentified C7H7 product of sequential addition of acetylene to propargyl (J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 2015, 6, 20, 4153–4158) in which 1-vinylpropargyl is an intermediate. As such, the nC2H2 + C3H3 cascade could represent a facile synthesis of a substituted five-membered ring in flames and stellar outflows.

We report the synthesis of two fluoride bridged cobalt(ii) dimers - [Co(μ-F)(pnN4-PhCl)2(OH2)(MeCN)](BF4)3 (1) and [Co(μ-F)2(pnN4-PhCl)2](BF4)2 (2) - and related complexes derived from propyl-bridged N4 Schiff base plus pyridine ligands. Notably, the bridging fluoride ion(s) emanate from B-F abstraction processes on the BF4 anions in the starting salt, [Co(H2O)6](BF4)2. Two types of bridging motifs are generated - mono-bridged (μ-F) or di-bridged (μ-F)2- synthetically differentiated by the absence or presence of pyridine, respectively, during metalation. The synergistic roles of pyridine and the (ClPh)N4 ligand in promoting B-F abstraction were clarified by the isolation and crystallization of the simple tetrakis-pyridine monomeric complex [Co(py)4(MeCN)2](BF4)2 (4) [no B-F abstraction]; subsequent addition of the (ClPh)N4 ligand to 4 resulted in formation of the dimeric, di-bridged complex 2. Omission of pyridine during metalation resulted in formation of the mono-bridged dimer 1. The bulky chlorophenyl substituents were obligate for B-F abstraction, as metalation of the unsubstituted N4 ligand resulted in the non-fluoride-bridged dimer, [Co(pnN4)3](BF4)4 (3). In magnetic studies, complexes 1 (μeff = 6.24μB, 298 K) and 2 (μeff = 7.70μB, 298 K) both exhibit antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling, but to different extents. Temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements (SQUID, 2 → 300 K) reveal that the linearity of the mono-fluoride bridge in 1 [∠Co-F-Co = 159.47(11)°] results in very strong AFM coupling (J = -14.9 cm(-1)). In contrast, the more acute Co2F2 diamond core [∠Co-F-Co = 98.8(2)°, 99.1(2)°] results in a smaller extent of AFM coupling (J = -2.97 cm(-1)). Overall, the results indicate the 'non-innocence' of the BF4 counterion in cobalt(ii) chemistry, and dimers 1 and 2 affirm the effect of the geometry of the bridging fluoride ion(s) in determining the extent of AFM coupling.

Though coal was once a leading source of energy and economic growth, negative health impacts, detrimental environmental effects, and market forces have led to a rapid decline in production. Without nationwide legislation aiding them, coal-dependent communities in the US are suffering from financial downfall during this shift. Here, we propose three policy options to uplift these communities by providing subsidies to renewable energy companies that expand operations in former coal communities, reclaim the land, and provide job retraining. These options, alongside suggested federal funding for direct community aid, work cohesively to provide a lasting source of economic stability, improve environmental and public health in former coal-dependent communities, and mitigate the climate crisis. We call upon the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization (Interagency Working Group) to ensure the diversion of subsidies away from the coal industry and towards these efforts to promote a just transition for the affected communities.

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