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  1. Abstract

    N,N,N′,N′‐Tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) has been one of the most prevalent and successful additives used in iron catalysis, finding application in reactions as diverse as cross‐coupling, C−H activation, and borylation. However, the role that TMEDA plays in these reactions remains largely undefined. Herein, studying the iron‐catalyzed hydromagnesiation of styrene derivatives using TMEDA has provided molecular‐level insight into the role of TMEDA in achieving effective catalysis. The key is the initial formation of TMEDA–iron(II)–alkyl species which undergo a controlled reduction to selectively form catalytically active styrene‐stabilized iron(0)–alkyl complexes. While TMEDA is not bound to the catalytically active species, these active iron(0) complexes cannot be accessed in the absence of TMEDA. This mode of action, allowing for controlled reduction and access to iron(0) species, represents a new paradigm for the role of this important reaction additive in iron catalysis.

     
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  2. Abstract

    Homoleptic σ‐bonded uranium–alkyl complexes have been a synthetic target since the Manhattan Project. The current study describes the synthesis and characterization of several unprecedented uranium–methyl complexes. Amongst these complexes, the first example of a homoleptic uranium–alkyl dimer, [Li(THF)4]2[U2(CH3)10], as well as a seven‐coordinate uranium–methyl monomer, {Li(OEt2)Li(OEt2)2UMe7Li}nwere both crystallographically identified. The diversity of complexes reported herein provides critical insight into the structural diversity, electronic structure and bonding in uranium–alkyl chemistry.

     
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  3. Abstract

    A chemobiocatalytic strategy for the highly stereoselective synthesis of nitrile‐substituted cyclopropanes is reported. The present approach relies on an asymmetric olefin cyclopropanation reaction catalyzed by an engineered myoglobin in the presence of ex situ generated diazoacetonitrile within a compartmentalized reaction system. This method enabled the efficient transformation of a broad range of olefin substrates at a preparative scale with up to 99.9 % de and ee and up to 5600 turnovers. The enzymatic product could be further elaborated to afford a variety of functionalized chiral cyclopropanes. This work expands the range of synthetically valuable, abiotic transformations accessible through biocatalysis and paves the way to the practical and safe exploitation of diazoacetonitrile in biocatalytic carbene transfer reactions.

     
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  4. Abstract

    The synthesis and characterization of sterically unencumbered homoleptic organouranium aryl complexes containing U−C σ‐bonds has been of interest to the chemical community for over 70 years. Reported herein are the first structurally characterized, sterically unencumbered homoleptic uranium (IV) aryl‐ate species of the form [U(Ar)6]2−(Ar=Ph,p‐tolyl,p‐Cl‐Ph). Magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy and computational studies provide insight into electronic structure and bonding interactions in the U−C σ‐bond across this series of complexes. Overall, these studies solve a decades‐long challenge in synthetic uranium chemistry, enabling new insight into electronic structure and bonding in organouranium complexes.

     
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  5. Abstract

    The effects of β‐hydrogen‐containing alkyl Grignard reagents in simple ferric salt cross‐couplings have been elucidated. The reaction of FeCl3with EtMgBr in THF leads to the formation of the cluster species [Fe8Et12]2−, a rare example of a structurally characterized metal complex with bridging ethyl ligands. Analogous reactions in the presence of NMP, a key additive for effective cross‐coupling with simple ferric salts and β‐hydrogen‐containing alkyl nucleophiles, result in the formation of [FeEt3]. Reactivity studies demonstrate the effectiveness of [FeEt3]in rapidly and selectively forming the cross‐coupled product upon reaction with electrophiles. The identification of iron‐ate species with EtMgBr analogous to those previously observed with MeMgBr is a critical insight, indicating that analogous iron species can be operative in catalysis for these two classes of alkyl nucleophiles.

     
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  6. Structural characterization of the ionic title complex, [MgBr(THF) 5 ][Co(dpbz) 2 ]·2THF [THF is tetrahydrofuran, C 4 H 8 O; dpbz is 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)benzene, C 30 H 24 P 2 ], revealed a well-separated cation and anion co-crystallized with two THF solvent molecules that interact with the cation via weak C—H...O contacts. The geometry about the cobalt center is pseudotetrahedral, as is expected for a d 10 metal center, only deviating from an ideal tetrahedral geometry because of the restrictive bite angles of the bidentate phosphane ligands. Three THF ligands of the cation and one co-crystallized THF solvent molecule are each disordered over two orientations. In the extended structure, the cations and THF solvent molecules are arranged in (100) sheets that alternate with layers of anions, the latter of which show various π-interactions, which may explain the particular packing arrangement. 
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  7. A single-step method for aniline formation was examined. Using a vanadate catalyst with an iron oxide co-catalyst and hydroxylamine hydrochloride as the amine source, an up to 90% yield of aniline was obtained with high selectivity. Further study showed that the overall reaction was pseudo-second order in terms of hydroxylamine concentration. Regioselective H-D exchange experiments suggest that the C-N bond formation step occurs via an irreversible electrophilic pathway. Based on all of the key observations, a mechanism is proposed. 
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