Selective C-N σ Bond Cleavage in Azetidinyl Amides under Transition Metal-Free Conditions

Functionalization of amide bond via the cleavage of a non-carbonyl, C-N σ bond remains under-investigated. In this work, a transition-metal-free single-electron transfer reaction has been developed for the C-N σ bond cleavage of N-acylazetidines using the electride derived from sodium dispersions and 15-crown-5. Of note, less strained cyclic amides and acyclic amides are stable under the reaction conditions, which features the excellent chemoselectivity of the reaction. This method is amenable to a range of unhindered and sterically encumbered azetidinyl amides.

LED-Assisted Degradation of Aromatic Organics Using Cu2O Photocatalysts

ABSTRACTIn this work, we successfully synthesized rhombic dodecahedral Cu2O nanocrystals with a size of 300 – 400 nm using a facile hydrothermal method. The as-prepared photocatalyst with narrow bandgap is activated using low power visible LED light sources and shows high efficiency in degrading aromatic organic compounds including toluene and chlorobenzene. The OH substitution leads to oxidation/ionization potential drops while the nature of the p-type Cu2O contributes to an effective single electron transfer reaction.