Synthesis of nickel/gallium nanoalloys using a dual-source approach in 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazole ionic liquids

Renaissance in Alkyne Semihydrogenation: Mechanism, Selectivity, Functional Group Tolerance, and Applications in Organic Synthesis

Alkenes constitute a significant class of chemical compounds with applications in the bulk, pharmaceutical, or perfume industry. Among the known methods of olefin production, semihydrogenation of the C-C triple bond seems to be the most straightforward one. Nonetheless, the success of this reaction requires full control over diastereoselectivity, eradication of a parasitic process of over-reduction or migration of the C-C double bond formed, and achieving satisfactory functional-group compatibility. The review demonstrates developments in the field of alkyne semihydrogenation over the period 2010-2022, with selected papers published in 2023 and 2024, emphasizing solutions to the above-mentioned limitations. We discuss mechanistic aspects of this transformation, including those related to unconventional systems. The review includes examples of applications of alkyne semihydrogenation in organic synthesis, confirming the considerable utility of this process. Finally, strategies to enhance catalyst selectivity are summarized. For the reader's convenience, we provided a graphical guidebook to catalytic systems, illustrating the efficiency of the particular method.

Enabling LIFDI-MS measurements of highly air sensitive organometallic compounds: a combined MS/glovebox technique

A new setup combining a ThermoFisher Exactive Plus Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer with a liquid injection field desorption ionization (LIFDI) source directly connected to an inert atmosphere glovebox is presented. The described setup allows for the analysis of very air- and moisture sensitive samples. Furthermore, the soft nature of LIFDI ionization gives access to the molecular ions of fragile molecules. This new setup is therefore especially useful for sensitive organometallic complexes. The functionality of the new setup is tested against [(Cp)2TiCl]˙, which is known for its notorious sensitivity to air and moisture. Its drastic colour change from green to orange upon exposure to air further supports the easy detection of traces of oxygen during the experiment. In addition, we applied this setup to the mass spectrometric analysis of the qualitative composition of a Cu/Al cluster mixture, which is not accessible by other analytical methods.