The electronically unsaturated three-coordinated hydridoborenium cations [LBH]+[HB­(C6F5)3]− (1) and [LBH]+[B­(C6F5)4]− (2), supported by a bis­(phosphinimino)­amide ligand, were found to be excellent catalysts for hydrosilylation of a range of aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes and ketones under mild reaction conditions (L = [{(2,4,6-Me3C6H2N)­P­(Ph2)}2N]). The key steps of the catalytic cycle for hydrosilylation of PhCHO were monitored via in situ multinuclear NMR measurements for catalysts 1 and 2. The combined effect of carbonyl activation via the Lewis acidic hydridoborenium cation and the hydridic nature of the borate counteranion in 1 makes it a more efficient catalyst in comparison to that of carbonyl activation via the predominant Lewis acid activation pathway operating with catalyst 2. The catalytic cycle of 1 showed hydride transfer from the borate moiety [HB­(C6F5)3]− to PhCHO in the first step, forming [PhCH2–O–B­(C6F5)3]−, which subsequently underwent σ-bond metathesis with Et3SiH to form the product, PhCH2–O–SiEt3. Quantum chemical calculations also support the borate anion mediated mechanism with 1. In contrast, the reaction catalyzed by 2 proceeds predominantly via the Lewis acid activation of the carbonyl group involving [LB­(H)←OC­(H)­Ph]+[B­(C6F5)4]− as the transition state and [LBOCH2Ph]+[B­(C6F5)4]− as the intermediate.

A BICAAC interacts differently with different boranes: Lewis adducts were formed with simple hydroboranes and insertion of the carbene carbon into the B–H bond was observed with more hydridic boranes.

Two‐coordinate Cu(I) and Au(I) complexes supported by bicyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene, [BICAAC‐CuCl] (1), [BICAAC‐CuI] (2), [(BICAAC)2Cu]+[PF6]– (3) and [(BICAAC)2Au]+[AuCl2]– (6) have been synthesized. The reaction of cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene, CAACcy with CuCl afforded [CAACcy‐CuCl] (4) and its further reaction with KPF6 gave [(CAACcy)2Cu]+[PF6]– (5). Complexes 1–6 have been characterized by multinuclear NMR, IR and UV‐Vis., spectroscopic method and high‐resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Single crystal X‐ray structure of heteroleptic complexes 1 and 4 and homoleptic complexes [(BICAAC)2Cu]+[CuI2]– (2’), 3 and 6 have also been determined. The crystal structure of these complexes confirmed linear two‐coordinate geometry around the metal centers. In the solid‐ state, complexes 1, 2’, 4 and 6 displayed C−H⋯M (M=Cu, Au) and weak non‐covalent C−H⋯X (X=Cl, I) and C−H⋯H−C interactions. Computational calculations correlate well to the experimentally observed geometry and help elucidate the absorption characteristics type of transitions and the frontier orbitals involved in them.

Bowl shaped organoaluminum bridged neutral and cationic pyridinophanes and aluminum containing neutral bicyclic pyridinophane compounds have been reported.

The presence of carboxyl groups in a molecule delivers an affinity to metal cations and a sensitivity to the chemical environment, especially for an environment that can give rise to intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Carboxylate groups can also induce intramolecular interactions, such as the formation of hydrogen bonds with donor groups, leading to an impact on the conformational space of biomolecules. In the latter case, the protonation state of the amino groups plays an important role. In order to provide an accurate description of the modifications induced in a carboxylated molecule by the formation of hydrogen bonds, one needs a compromise between a quantum chemical description of the system and the necessity to take into account explicit solvent molecules. In this work, we propose a bottom‐up approach to study the conformational space and the carboxylate stretching band of (bio)organic anions. Starting from the anions in a continuum solvent, we then move to calculations using a microsolvation approach including one explicit water molecule per polar group, immersed in a continuum. Finally, we run QM/MM molecular dynamics simulations to analyze the solvation properties and to explore the anions conformational space. The results thus obtained are in good agreement with the description given by the microsolvation approach and they bring a more detailed description of the solvation shell and of the intermolecular hydrogen bonds.