Dehydrogenative C-H Phenochalcogenazination

The Photophysics of Naphthalimide-Phenoselenazine Electron Donor-Acceptor Dyads: Revisiting the Heavy-Atom Effect in Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence

We prepared thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitter dyads, NI-PTZ, NI-PTZ-2Br and NI-PSeZ, with naphthalimide (NI) as electron acceptor and 10H-phenothiazine (PTZ) or 10H-phenoselenazine (PSeZ) as electron donor to study the heavy-atom effect on the intersystem crossing (ISC) and reverse ISC (rISC) in the TADF emitters. The delayed fluorescence lifetimes of the dyads containing heavy atoms (τ D F ${{\tau }_{{\rm D}{\rm F}}}$ =5.9 μs for NI-PSeZ andτ D F ${{\tau }_{{\rm D}{\rm F}}}$ =16.5 μs for NI-PTZ-2Br, respectively) are longer than the heavy atom-free counterpart NI-PTZ (τ D F ${{\tau }_{{\rm D}{\rm F}}}$ =2.0 μs). Nanosecond transient absorption (ns-TA) spectral study and the time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) spectra show the presence of both 3LE and 3CS states. These findings represent solid experimental evidences for the spin-vibronic coupling mechanism of TADF. Moreover, the ns-TA spectra show that the heavy atoms don't have a significant effect since the lifetime of the triplet transient species (1.3 μs for NI-PTZ) is not shortened in their presence (4.5 μs for NI-PSeZ and 5.3 μs for NI-PTZ-2Br). These results show that the previously claimed heavy-atom effect on rISC and TADF is not a universal principle. The femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA) spectra of the compounds indicate the occurrence of fast charge separation within 1-2 ps, and the charge recombination is slow (>4 ns).

O2-Mediated Cu-Catalyzed Dehydrogenative Phenothiazination

In contrast to what one can be led to believe upon inspecting some of the recent literature, the dehydrogenative phenothiazination reaction does not require onerous technologies, complicated setups, or advanced catalysts in order to be mild and sustainable. We demonstrate this herein with a most facile, cost-effective, and sustainable Cu(II) catalyzed method, under 1 atm of O2 at room temperature in methanol, providing broad scope and high yields. These new results further set the dehydrogenative phenothiazination reaction among the green and practical coupling concepts of chemistry.

The Development of Visible-Light Organic Photocatalysts for Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization via Conjugation Extension

This work aimed to develop organic photocatalysts (PCs) that could mediate organocatalytic atom transfer radical polymerization (O-ATRP) under visible light. Through the core-modification of known chromophoric structures and ring-locking to reach a conjugation extension, annulated N-aryl benzo[kl]acridines were identified as effective visible light-responsive photocatalysts. The corresponding selenium-doped structure showed excellent performance in the O-ATRP of methacrylates, which could afford polymer products with controlled molecular weights and low dispersities under the irradiation of visible light at a 100 ppm catalyst loading.

Phenotellurazine redox catalysts: elements of design for radical cross-dehydrogenative coupling reactions

Redox active phenotellurazine catalysts have been recently utilized in two different cross-dehydrogenative coupling reactions. In this study, we revisit the design of the phenotellurazine redox catalysts. In particular, we investigate the level of cooperativity between the Te- and N-centers, the effect of secondary versus tertiary N-centers, the effect of heterocyclic versus non-heterocyclic structures, and the effect of substitution patterns on the redox catalytic activity.

Synthesis and mechanistic study of 2-(trifluoromethyl)-10H-phenoselenazine from double cross coupling reaction

Phenoselenazines are nitrogen and selenium-based heterocyclic compounds that have important biological activities. However, their preparation methods are scarce and difficult to handle. The synthesis of a phenoselenazine from a simple and robust CuO nanoparticle catalyzed methodology, using bis-aniline-diselenide and 1,2-dihalobenzenes under microwave irradiation. Also, the double-cross-coupling reaction mechanism for C-Se and C-N bond formation, including the observation of a reaction intermediate by mass spectrometry have been studied.

Access to NHC-Boryl Mono- and Bis-Selenide and Utility as Mild Selenium Transfer Reagent Including to the C-F Bond

Reactions of 5-SIDipp ⋅ BH3 (5-SIDipp=1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-imidazolin-2-ylidene) (1) with diphenyldiselenide provide access to 5-SIDipp-boryl mono- (5-SIDipp ⋅ BH2 SePh) (2) and bis-selenide (5-SIDipp ⋅ BH(SePh)2 ) (3). The facile cleavage of the B-Se bond makes 2 a neutral source of selenium nucleophiles in substitutions reactions with benzyl bromides, and provide access to the corresponding selenoethers. The direct transformations of one of the C(sp2 )-F bonds of C5 F5 N and C6 F5 CF3 to C-Se bonds have also been achieved by the use of 2 without employing transition-metal catalysts. While it was previously established that C6 F6 could undergo complete defluoroselenation under harsh conditions, we successfully achieved partial defluorination of C6 F6 by employing 2 as a mild selenide transfer reagent. During the formation of C-Se bonds through the cleavage of C-F bonds, the potential by-product NHC ⋅ BH2 F undergoes ring expansion of the NHC, leading to the formation of the six-membered diaazafluoroborinane (7).

2-Benzamide Tellurenyl Iodides: Synthesis and Their Catalytic Role in CO2 Mitigation

Benzamide-derived organochalcogens (chalcogen=S, Se, and Te) have shown promising interest in biological and synthetic chemistry. Ebselen molecule derived from benzamide moiety is the most studied organoselenium. However, its heavier congener organotellurium is under-explored. Here, an efficient copper-catalyzed atom economical synthetic method has been developed to synthesize 2-phenyl-benzamide tellurenyl iodides by inserting a tellurium atom into carbon-iodine bond of 2-iodobenzamides in one pot with 78-95 % yields. Further, the Lewis acidic nature of Te center and Lewis basic nature of nitrogen of the synthesized 2-Iodo-N-(quinolin-8-yl)benzamide tellurenyl iodides enabled them as pre-catalyst for the activation of epoxide with CO2 at 1 atm for the preparation of cyclic carbonates with TOF and TON values of 1447 h-1 and 4343, respectively, under solvent-free conditions. In addition, 2-iodo-N-(quinolin-8-yl)benzamide tellurenyl iodides have also been used as pre-catalyst for activating anilines and CO2 to form a variety of 1,3-diaryl ureas up to 95 % yield. The mechanistic investigation for CO2 mitigation is done by 125 Te NMR and HRMS studies. It seems that the reaction proceeds via formation of catalytically active Te-N heterocycle, an ebtellur intermediate which is isolated and structurally characterized.

Effects of the Chalcogenide Identity in N-Aryl Phenochalcogenazine Photoredox Catalysts

Phenochalcogenazines such as phenoxazines and phenothiazines have been widely employed as photoredox catalysts (PCs) in small molecule and polymer synthesis. However, the effect of the chalcogenide in these catalysts has not been fully investigated. In this work, a series of four phenochalcogenazines is synthesized to understand how the chalcogenide impacts catalyst properties and performance. Increasing the size of the chalcogenide is found to distort the PC structure, ultimately impacting the properties of each PC. For example, larger chalcogenides destabilize the PC radical cation, possibly resulting in catalyst degradation. In addition, PCs with larger chalcogenides experience increased reorganization during electron transfer, leading to slower electron transfer. Ultimately, catalyst performance is evaluated in organocatalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization and a photooxidation reaction for C(sp2)-N coupling. Results from these experiments highlight that a balance of PC properties is most beneficial for catalysis, including a long-lived excited state, a stable radical cation, and a low reorganization energy.

O2-Mediated Te(II)-Redox Catalysis for the Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling of Indoles

Very few elements in the periodic system can catalytically activate O₂, such as in the context of cross-dehydrogenative couplings. The development of O₂-activating catalysts is essential to enable new and sustainable reactivity concepts to emerge, because these catalysts also often feature specific activating interactions with the target substrates. In this context, the unprecedented Te(II)/Te(III) catalyzed dehydrogenative C3-C2 dimerization of indoles is described herein. The fact that O₂ can be directly utilized as a terminal oxidant in this reaction, as well as the absence of any background reactivity without the redox-active Te catalyst, constitute very important milestones for the fields of cross-dehydrogenative couplings and tellurium catalysis.

O2-Mediated Dehydrogenative Phenoxazination of Phenols

Phenoxazines, in particular N-arylated phenoxazines, represent an increasingly important scaffold in the material sciences. Moreover, the oxygen-gas-mediated dehydrogenative phenochalcogenazination concept of phenols has been developed and exemplified for X = sulfur and recently for X = selenium and tellurium. The smallest chalcogen, X = oxygen, is herein exemplified with various functional groups under a likewise trivial oxygen atmosphere.

Te(II)-Catalyzed Cross-Dehydrogenative Phenothiazination of Anilines

Oxidative clicklike reactions are useful for the late-stage functionalization of pharmaceuticals and organic materials. Hence, novel methodologies that enable such transformations are in high demand. Herein we describe a tellurium(II)-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative phenothiazination (CDP) of aromatic amines. A key feature of this method is a cooperative effect between the phenotellurazine catalyst and the silver salt, which serves as a chemical oxidant for the reaction. This novel catalysis concept therefore enables a considerably broader scope compared with previous chemical oxidation methods.

Radical selenation of C(sp3)-H bonds to asymmetric selenides and mechanistic study

Selenides are important structural motifs with a broad range of biological activities and versatile transformational abilities. In this study, a novel and mild method was developed for the facile synthesis of asymmetric selenides under metal-free conditions. The key features of this reaction include good functional-group tolerance, the use of readily available reagents and cheap, low-toxicity solvent, and amenability to gram-scale synthesis. The results of preliminary radical-trapping experiments and a kinetic isotope effect study support a radical process.

Excited states and spin–orbit coupling in chalcogen substituted perylene diimides and their radical anions

A novel series of chalcogen bay-substituted perylene diimides show increasing SOC, which was investigated in detail via (time-resolved) optical spectroscopy, (spectro)electrochemistry, EPR spectroscopy and TD-DFT calculations.