A metastable brominated nanodiamond surface enables room temperature and catalysis-free amine chemistry

Bromination of high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) nanodiamond (ND) surfaces has not been explored and can open new avenues for increased chemical reactivity and diamond lattice covalent bond formation. The large bond dissociation energy of the diamond lattice-oxygen bond is a challenge that prevents new bonds from forming and most researchers simply use oxygen-terminated ND (alcohols and acids) as a reactive species. In this work, we transformed a tertiary alcohol-rich ND surface to an amine surface with 50% surface coverage and was limited by the initial rate of bromination. We observed that alkyl-bromide moieties are highly labile on NDs and are metastable as previously found using density functional theory. The instability of the bromine terminated ND is explained by steric hindrance and poor surface energy stabilization. The strong leaving group properties of the alkyl-bromide intermediate were found to form diamond-nitrogen bonds at room temperature and without catalysts. The chemical lability of the brominated ND surface led to efficient amination with NH3•THF at 298 K, and a catalyst-free Sonogashira-type reaction with an alkyne-amine produced an 11-fold increase in amination rate. Overlapping spectroscopies under inert, temperature-dependent and open-air conditions provided unambiguous chemical assignments. Amine-terminated NDs and folic acid were conjugated using sulfo-NHS/EDC coupling reagents to form amide bonds, confirming that standard amine chemistry remains viable. This work supports that a robust pathway exists to activate a chemically inert diamond surface at room temperature, which broadens the pathways of bond formation when a reactive alkyl-bromide surface is prepared. The unique surface properties of brominated and aminated nanodiamond reported here are impactful to researchers who wish to chemically tune diamond for quantum sensing applications or as an electron source for chemical transformations.

Assemblies of Polyacrylonitrile-Derived Photoactive Polymers as Blue and Green Light Photo-Cocatalysts for Cu-Catalyzed ATRP in Water and Organic Solvents

Photoluminescent nanosized quasi-spherical polymeric assemblies prepared by the hydrothermal reaction of polyacrylonitrile (PAN), ht-PLPPAN, were demonstrated to have the ability to photo-induce atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) catalyzed by low, parts per million concentrations of CuII complex with tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (TPMA). Such photo induced ATRP reactions of acrylate and methacrylate monomers were performed in water or organic solvents, using ht-PLPPAN as the photo-cocatalyst under blue or green light irradiation. Mechanistic studies indicate that ht-PLPPAN helps to sustain the polymerization by facilitating the activation of alkyl bromide species by two modes: 1) green or blue light-driven photoreduction of the CuII catalyst to the activating CuI form, and 2) direct activation of dormant alkyl bromide species which occurs only under blue light. The photoreduction of the CuII complex by ht-PLPPAN was confirmed by linear sweep voltammetry performed under illumination. Analysis of the polymerization kinetics in aqueous media indicated even though CuI complexes comprised only 1–1.4% of all Cu species at equilibrium, they exhibited high activation rate constant and activated the alkyl bromide initiators five to six orders of magnitude faster than ht-PLPPAN.

Nickel-Catalyzed Reductive Coupling of Unactivated Alkyl Bromides and Aliphatic Aldehydes

We report the development of a mild, convenient coupling of aliphatic aldehydes and unactivated alkyl bromides. The catalytic system features the use of a common Ni(II) precatalyst and a readily available bisoxazoline ligand and affords silyl-protected secondary alcohols. The reaction is operationally simple, utilizing Mn as a stoichiometric reductant, and tolerates a wide range of functional groups. Initial mechanistic experiments support a mechanism featuring an alpha-silyloxy Ni species which undergoes formal oxidative addition of the alkyl bromide species via a reductive cross-coupling pathway.

Nickel-Catalyzed Reductive Coupling of Unactivated Alkyl Bromides and Aliphatic Aldehydes

We report the development of a mild, convenient coupling of aliphatic aldehydes and unactivated alkyl bromides. The catalytic system features the use of a common Ni(II) precatalyst and a readily available bisoxazoline ligand and affords silyl-protected secondary alcohols. The reaction is operationally simple, utilizing Mn as a stoichiometric reductant, and tolerates a wide range of functional groups. Initial mechanistic experiments support a mechanism featuring an alpha-silyloxy Ni species which undergoes formal oxidative addition of the alkyl bromide species via a reductive cross-coupling pathway.

Spontaneous Regression of Palmar Warts after Suffering from Diffuse Contact Dermatitis against Alkyl Bromide

Contact immunotherapy with several sensitizing chemicals such as diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) or squaric acid dibutyl ester (SADBE) have been used for the treatment of recalcitrant or multiple warts. Here, we report a case of multiple verrucae vulgaris (VV) on the palm which spontaneously resolved after the development of systemic contact dermatitis against alkyl bromide. We considered that our case accidentally mimics contact immunotherapy against multiple VV. VV sometimes regress spontaneously, which may be triggered by accidental contact dermatitis, as shown in our case.

Chemoselective synthesis of long-chain alkyl-H-phosphinic acids via one-pot alkylation/oxidation of red phosphorus with alkyl-PEGs as recyclable micellar catalysts

Alkyl-PEG recyclable micellar catalysts are used for the chemoselective and effective synthesis of long-chain n-alkyl-H-phosphinic acids via the one-pot alkylation/oxidation of red phosphorus in the multi-phase alkyl bromide/KOH/H2O/toluene system.

Selective Construction of Fused Heterocycles by Iridium-catalyzed Reductive Three-Component Annulation Reaction

Catalytic conversion of ubiquitously distributed but less reactive N-heteroarenes into functional products remains to date a challenge. Here, through an initial pretreatment of N-heteroarenes with alkyl bromide, we describe a...

Nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling of homoenolates and their higher homologues with unactivated alkyl bromides

The catalytic generation of homoenolates and their higher homologues has been a long-standing challenge. Like the generation of transition metal enolates, which have been used to great affect in synthesis and medicinal chemistries, homoenolates and their higher homologues have much potential, albeit largely unrealized. Herein, a nickel-catalyzed generation of homoenolates, and their higher homologues, via decarbonylation of readily available cyclic anhydrides has been developed. The utility of nickel-bound homoenolates and their higher homologues is demonstrated by cross-coupling with unactivated alkyl bromides, generating a diverse array of aliphatic acids. A broad range of functional groups is tolerated. Preliminary mechanistic studies demonstrate that: (1) oxidative addition of anhydrides by the catalyst is faster than oxidative addition of alkyl bromides; (2) nickel bound metallocycles are involved in this transformation and (3) the catalyst undergoes a single electron transfer (SET) process with the alkyl bromide.