Metal-organic frameworks that flex to undergo structural phase changes upon gas adsorption are promising materials for gas storage and separations, and achieving synthetic control over the pressure at which these changes occur is crucial to the design of such materials for specific applications. To this end, a new family of materials based on the flexible metal-organic framework Co(bdp) (bdp = 1,4-benzenedipyrazolate) has been prepared via the introduction of fluorine, deuterium, and methyl functional groups on the bdp ligand, namely, Co(F-bdp), Co(p-F-bdp), Co(o-F-bdp), Co(D-bdp), and Co(p-Me-bdp). These frameworks are isoreticular to the parent framework and exhibit similar structural flexibility, transitioning from a low-porosity, collapsed phase to high-porosity, expanded phases with increasing gas pressure. Powder X-ray diffraction studies reveal that fluorination of the aryl ring disrupts edge-to-face π-π interactions, which work to stabilize the collapsed phase at low gas pressures, while deuteration preserves these interactions and methylation strengthens them. In agreement with these observations, high-pressure CH adsorption isotherms show that the pressure of the CH-induced framework expansion can be systematically controlled by ligand functionalization, as materials without edge-to-face interactions in the collapsed phase expand at lower CH pressures, while frameworks with strengthened edge-to-face interactions expand at higher pressures. Importantly, this work puts forth a general design strategy relevant to many other families of flexible metal-organic frameworks, which will be a powerful tool in optimizing these phase-change materials for industrial applications.

A family of 9-amino(9-deoxy) epicinchonine derivatives, possessing a range of mono- and bidentate hydrogen bond donor groups at the 9-position, were synthesised and evaluated for asymmetric organocatalytic activity in the dimethyl malonate Michael addition to beta-nitrostyrene; thiourea derivative was identified as the most effective bifunctional organic catalyst and found to induce high enantioselectivity in the malonate ester Michael addition reaction to a range of nitro olefins.

A highly enantioselective Mannich reaction between malonate esters and N-Boc and N-Cbz aldimines, catalysed by a bifunctional cinchonine derivative, has been developed; extension of this methodology to encompass the use of 2-substituted-1,3-dicarbonyl nucleophiles allows the formation of adjacent stereocentres, one of which is quaternary, in high relative and absolute stereocontrol.

A metal‐free convergent paired electrolysis strategy to synthesize benzylic amines through direct arylation of tertiary amines and benzonitrile derivatives at room temperature has been developed. This TEMPO‐mediated electrocatalytic reaction makes full use of both anodic oxidation and cathodic reduction without metals or stoichiometric oxidants, thus showing great potential and advantages for practical synthesis. This convergent paired electrolysis method provides a straightforward and powerful means to activate C−H bonds and realize cross‐coupling with cathodically generated species.

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By merging electricity with sulfate, the Ritter-type amination of C(sp3)-H bonds is developed in an undivided cell under room temperature. This method features broad substrate generality (71 examples, up to 93% yields), high functional-group compatibility, facile scalability, excellent site-selectivity and mild conditions. Common alkanes and electron-deficient alkylbenzenes are viable substrates. It also provides a straightforward protocol for incorporating C-deuterated acetylamino group into C(sp3)-H sites. Application in the synthesis or modification of pharmaceuticals or their derivatives and gram-scale synthesis demonstrate the practicability of this method. Mechanistic experiments show that sulfate radical anion, formed by electrolysis of sulfate, served as hydrogen atom transfer agent to provide alkyl radical intermediate. This method paves a convenient and flexible pathway for realizing various synthetically useful transformations of C(sp3)-H bonds mediated by sulfate radical anion generated via electrochemistry.

We report herein an efficient, general and green method for decarboxylative fluorination of aliphatic carboxylic acids. By using a transition-metal-free, organocatalytic photoredox system, the reaction of various aliphatic carboxylic acids with the Selectfluor reagent afforded the corresponding alkyl fluorides in satisfactory yields under visible light irradiation at room temperature.

A novel method for convenient access to CF3-containing azirines has been developed, and involves a copper-catalyzed trifluoromethylazidation of alkynes and a photocatalyzed rearrangement. Both terminal and internal alkynes are compatible with the mild reaction conditions, thus delivering the CF3-containing azirines in moderate to good yields. The azirines can be converted into various CF3-substituted aziridines.