A series of nine Ce(iv)-based metal organic frameworks with the UiO-66 structure containing linker molecules of different sizes and functionalities were obtained under mild synthesis conditions and short reaction times. Thermal and chemical stabilities were determined and a Ce-UiO-66-BDC/TEMPO system was successfully employed for the aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol.

We report the synthesis, structure, and properties of novel bulk rhenium nitrides, hexagonal Re2N, and Re3N. Both phases have very high bulk moduli of >400 GPa, similar to the most incompressible binary transition-metal (TM) carbides and nitrides found to date. However, in contrast to other incompressible TM carbides and nitrides, Re3N is better placed for potential technological applications, as it can be formed at relatively moderate pressures (13-16 GPa) and temperatures (1600-2400 K).

We show that by judicious choice of substituents at the 2- and 7-positions of pyrene, the frontier orbital order of pyrene can be modified, giving enhanced control over the nature and properties of the photoexcited states and the redox potentials. Specifically, we introduced a julolidine-like moiety and Bmes (mes=2,4,6-Me C H ) as very strong donor (D) and acceptor (A), respectively, giving 2,7-D-π-D- and unsymmetric 2,7-D-π-A-pyrene derivatives, in which the donor destabilizes the HOMO-1 and the acceptor stabilizes the LUMO+1 of the pyrene core. Consequently, for 2,7-substituted pyrene derivatives, unusual properties are obtained. For example, very large bathochromic shifts were observed for all of our compounds, and unprecedented green light emission occurs for the D/D system. In addition, very high radiative rate constants in solution and in the solid state were recorded for the D-π-D- and D-π-A-substituted compounds. All compounds show reversible one-electron oxidations, and Jul Pyr exhibits a second oxidation, with the largest potential splitting (ΔE=440 mV) thus far reported for 2,7-substituted pyrenes. Spectroelectrochemical measurements confirm an unexpectedly strong coupling between the 2,7-substituents in our pyrene derivatives.

The [Ni(IMes)2]-catalyzed transformation of fluoroarenes into arylboronic acid pinacol esters via C-F bond activation and transmetalation with bis(pinacolato)diboron (B2pin2) is reported. Various partially fluorinated arenes with different degrees of fluorination were converted into their corresponding boronate esters.