Promoting photocatalytic multiple-electron reduction in aerobic solutions using Au-tipped CdSe nanorod clusters

2014 ◽  
Vol 50 (12) ◽  
pp. 1411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Li ◽  
Yongxing Hu ◽  
Yugang Sun
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas A. Freeman ◽  
Akachukwu D. Obi ◽  
Haleigh R. Machost ◽  
Andrew Molino ◽  
Asa W. Nichols ◽  
...  

The reduction of the relatively inert carbon–oxygen bonds of CO<sub>2</sub> to access useful CO<sub>2</sub>-derived organic products is one of the most important fundamental challenges in synthetic chemistry. Facilitating this bond-cleavage using earth-abundant, non-toxic main group elements (MGEs) is especially arduous because of the difficulty in achieving strong inner-sphere interactions between CO<sub>2</sub> and the MGE. Herein we report the first successful chemical reduction of CO<sub>2</sub> at room temperature by alkali metals, promoted by a cyclic(alkyl)(amino) carbene (CAAC). One-electron reduction of CAAC-CO<sub>2</sub> adduct (<b>1</b>) with lithium, sodium or potassium metal yields stable monoanionic radicals clusters [M(CAAC–CO<sub>2</sub>)]<sub>n</sub>(M = Li, Na, K, <b> 2</b>-<b>4</b>) and two-electron alkali metal reduction affords open-shell, dianionic clusters of the general formula [M<sub>2</sub>(CAAC–CO<sub>2</sub>)]<sub>n </sub>(<b>5</b>-<b>8</b>). It is notable that these crystalline clusters of reduced CO<sub>2</sub> may also be isolated via the “one-pot” reaction of free CO<sub>2</sub> with free CAAC followed by the addition of alkali metals – a reductive process which does not occur in the absence of carbene. Each of the products <b>2</b>-<b>8</b> were investigated using a combination of experimental and theoretical methods.<br>


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanming Cai ◽  
Jiaju Fu ◽  
Yang Zhou ◽  
Yu-Chung Chang ◽  
Qianhao Min ◽  
...  

AbstractSingle-atom catalysts (SACs) are promising candidates to catalyze electrochemical CO2 reduction (ECR) due to maximized atomic utilization. However, products are usually limited to CO instead of hydrocarbons or oxygenates due to unfavorable high energy barrier for further electron transfer on synthesized single atom catalytic sites. Here we report a novel partial-carbonization strategy to modify the electronic structures of center atoms on SACs for lowering the overall endothermic energy of key intermediates. A carbon-dots-based SAC margined with unique CuN2O2 sites was synthesized for the first time. The introduction of oxygen ligands brings remarkably high Faradaic efficiency (78%) and selectivity (99% of ECR products) for electrochemical converting CO2 to CH4 with current density of 40 mA·cm-2 in aqueous electrolytes, surpassing most reported SACs which stop at two-electron reduction. Theoretical calculations further revealed that the high selectivity and activity on CuN2O2 active sites are due to the proper elevated CH4 and H2 energy barrier and fine-tuned electronic structure of Cu active sites.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangqing Jia ◽  
Jörn Nitsch ◽  
Zhu Wu ◽  
Alexandra Friedrich ◽  
Johannes Krebs ◽  
...  

One-electron chemical reduction of 10-(dimesitylboryl)-N,N-di-p-tolylbenzo[c]phenanthrene-4-amine (3-B(Mes)2-[4]helix-9-N(p-Tol)2) 1 and 13-(dimesitylboryl)-N,N-di-p-tolyldibenzo[c,g]phenanthrene-8-amine (3-B(Mes)2-[5]helix-12-N(p-Tol)2) 2 gives rise to monoanions with extensive delocalization over the annulated helicene rings and the boron pz orbital. Two-electron chemical...


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cong Wang ◽  
Hui Zhang ◽  
Lucille A. Wells ◽  
Tian Liu ◽  
Tingting Meng ◽  
...  

AbstractN-Arylation of NH-sulfoximines represents an appealing approach to access N-aryl sulfoximines, but has not been successfully applied to NH-diaryl sulfoximines. Herein, a copper-catalyzed photoredox dehydrogenative Chan-Lam coupling of free diaryl sulfoximines and arylboronic acids is described. This neutral and ligand-free coupling is initiated by ambient light-induced copper-catalyzed single-electron reduction of NH-sulfoximines. This electron transfer route circumvents the sacrificial oxidant employed in traditional Chan-Lam coupling reactions, increasing the environmental friendliness of this process. Instead, dihydrogen gas forms as a byproduct of this reaction. Mechanistic investigations also reveal a unique autocatalysis process. The C–N coupling products, N-arylated sulfoximines, serve as ligands along with NH-sulfoximine to bind to the copper species, generating the photocatalyst. DFT calculations reveal that both the NH-sulfoximine substrate and the N-aryl product can ligate the copper accounting for the observed autocatalysis. Two energetically viable stepwise pathways were located wherein the copper facilitates hydrogen atom abstraction from the NH-sulfoximine and the ethanol solvent to produce dihydrogen. The protocol described herein represents an appealing alternative strategy to the classic oxidative Chan-Lam reaction, allowing greater substrate generality as well as the elimination of byproduct formation from oxidants.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (10) ◽  
pp. 2911
Author(s):  
Miriam Navarrete-Miguel ◽  
Antonio Francés-Monerris ◽  
Miguel A. Miranda ◽  
Virginie Lhiaubet-Vallet ◽  
Daniel Roca-Sanjuán

Photocycloreversion plays a central role in the study of the repair of DNA lesions, reverting them into the original pyrimidine nucleobases. Particularly, among the proposed mechanisms for the repair of DNA (6-4) photoproducts by photolyases, it has been suggested that it takes place through an intermediate characterized by a four-membered heterocyclic oxetane or azetidine ring, whose opening requires the reduction of the fused nucleobases. The specific role of this electron transfer step and its impact on the ring opening energetics remain to be understood. These processes are studied herein by means of quantum-chemical calculations on the two azetidine stereoisomers obtained from photocycloaddition between 6-azauracil and cyclohexene. First, we analyze the efficiency of the electron-transfer processes by computing the redox properties of the azetidine isomers as well as those of a series of aromatic photosensitizers acting as photoreductants and photo-oxidants. We find certain stereodifferentiation favoring oxidation of the cis-isomer, in agreement with previous experimental data. Second, we determine the reaction profiles of the ring-opening mechanism of the cationic, neutral, and anionic systems and assess their feasibility based on their energy barrier heights and the stability of the reactants and products. Results show that oxidation largely decreases the ring-opening energy barrier for both stereoisomers, even though the process is forecast as too slow to be competitive. Conversely, one-electron reduction dramatically facilitates the ring opening of the azetidine heterocycle. Considering the overall quantum-chemistry findings, N,N-dimethylaniline is proposed as an efficient photosensitizer to trigger the photoinduced cycloreversion of the DNA lesion model.


Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1085
Author(s):  
Paula Mihaljević-Jurič ◽  
Sérgio F. Sousa

Statins are important drugs in the regulation of cholesterol levels in the human body that have as a primary target the enzyme β-hydroxy-β-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR). This enzyme plays a crucial role in the mevalonate pathway, catalyzing the four-electron reduction of HMG-CoA to mevalonate. A second reduction step of this reaction mechanism has been the subject of much speculation in the literature, with different conflicting theories persisting to the present day. In this study, the different mechanistic hypotheses were evaluated with atomic-level detail through a combination of molecular dynamics simulations (MD) and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations. The obtained Gibbs free activation and Gibbs free reaction energy (15 kcal mol−1 and −40 kcal mol−1) show that this hydride step takes place with the involvement of a cationic His405 and Lys639, and a neutral Glu98, while Asp715 remains in an anionic state. The results provide an atomic-level portrait of this step, clearly demonstrating the nature and protonation state of the amino acid residues involved, the energetics associated, and the structure and charge of the key participating atoms in the several intermediate states, finally elucidating this missing step.


2004 ◽  
Vol 381 (1) ◽  
pp. 175-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin D. REES ◽  
Clare L. HAWKINS ◽  
Michael J. DAVIES

Activated phagocytes release the haem enzyme MPO (myeloperoxidase) and also generate superoxide radicals (O2•−), and hence H2O2, via an oxidative burst. Reaction of MPO with H2O2 in the presence of chloride ions generates HOCl (the physiological mixture of hypochlorous acid and its anion present at pH 7.4). Exposure of glycosaminoglycans to a MPO–H2O2–Cl− system or reagent HOCl generates long-lived chloramides [R-NCl-C(O)-R′] derived from the glycosamine N-acetyl functions. Decomposition of these species by transition metal ions gives polymer-derived amidyl (nitrogen-centred) radicals [R-N•-C(O)-R′], polymer-derived carbon-centred radicals and site-specific strand scission. In the present study, we have shown that exposure of glycosaminoglycan chloramides to O2•− also promotes chloramide decomposition and glycosaminoglycan fragmentation. These processes are inhibited by superoxide dismutase, metal ion chelators and the metal ion-binding protein BSA, consistent with chloramide decomposition and polymer fragmentation occurring via O2•−-dependent one-electron reduction, possibly catalysed by trace metal ions. Polymer fragmentation induced by O2•− [generated by the superoxide thermal source 1, di-(4-carboxybenzyl)hyponitrite] was demonstrated to be entirely chloramide dependent as no fragmentation occurred with the native polymers or when the chloramides were quenched by prior treatment with methionine. EPR spin-trapping experiments using 5,5-dimethyl1-pyrroline-N-oxide and 2-methyl-2-nitrosopropane have provided evidence for both O2•− and polymer-derived carbon-centred radicals as intermediates. The results obtained are consistent with a mechanism involving one-electron reduction of the chloramides to yield polymer-derived amidyl radicals, which subsequently undergo intramolecular hydrogen atom abstraction reactions to give carbon-centred radicals. The latter undergo fragmentation reactions in a site-specific manner. This synergistic damage to glycosaminoglycans induced by HOCl and O2•− may be of significance at sites of inflammation where both oxidants are generated concurrently.


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