Nitroolefins are usually synthesized using the Henry reaction. Here we report an alternative metal-free decarboxylative nitration protocol for the preparation of the nitroolefins from α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids using t-butylnitrite (t-BuONO) and TEMPO. α,β-Unsaturated carboxylic acids bearing β-aromatic and β-heteroaromatic substituents gave (E)-nitroolefins exclusively under mild conditions. A radical based pathway has been proposed for this decarboxylative nitration reaction.

The addition of a CO -adsorption component (substituted imidazolate-based SIM-1 crystals) to a gas-diffusion layer-type catalytic electrode enhances the activity and especially the selectivity towards >C1 carbon chain products (ethanol, acetone, and isopropanol) of a Pt-based electrocatalyst that is not able to form products of CO reduction involving C-C bond formation under conventional (liquid-phase) conditions. This indicates that the increase of the effective CO concentration at the electrode active surface is the factor controlling the formation of >C1 products rather than only the intrinsic properties of the electrocatalyst.

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