A theoretical study of the cooperativity in linear chains of (H3SiCN)n and (H3SiNC)n complexes connected by tetrel bonds has been carried out by means of MP2 and CCSD(T) computational methods. In all cases, a favorable cooperativity is observed, especially in some of the largest linear chains of (H3SiNC)n, where the effect is so large that the SiH3 group is almost equidistant to the two surrounding CN groups and it becomes planar. In addition, the combination of tetrel bonds with other weak interactions (halogen, chalcogen, pnicogen, triel, beryllium, lithium, and hydrogen bond) has been explored using ternary complexes, (H3SiCN)2:XY and (H3SiNC)2:XY. In all cases, positive cooperativity is obtained, especially in the (H3SiNC)2:ClF and (H3SiNC)2:SHF ternary complexes, where, respectively, halogen and chalcogen shared complexes are formed.

Selected recent developments in the chemistry of ketenimines are presented, demonstrating that heterocumulenes of this class are versatile reactive intermediates in the synthesis of nitrogenated heterocycles. This microreview includes examples of intramolecular nucleophilic and radical additions, biradical cyclizations, 4π‐ and 6π‐electrocyclic ring closures, [2+2], [3+2] and [4+2] cycloadditions, ketenimine‐to‐nitrile rearrangements and 1,3‐X, 1,5‐X and 1,5‐H shifts.

Relative rates for the reaction of secondary alcohols carrying large aromatic moieties with silyl chlorides carrying equally large substituents have been determined in organic solvents.

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Relative rates for the Lewis base-mediated acylation of secondary and primary alcohols carrying large aromatic side chains with anhydrides differing in size and electronic structure have been measured. While primary alcohols react faster than secondary ones in transformations with monosubstituted benzoic anhydride derivatives, relative reactivities are inverted in reactions with sterically biased 1-naphthyl anhydrides. Further analysis of reaction rates shows that increasing substrate size leads to an actual acceleration of the acylation process, the effect being larger for secondary as compared to primary alcohols. Computational results indicate that acylation rates are guided by noncovalent interactions (NCIs) between the catalyst ring system and the DED substituents in the alcohol and anhydride reactants. Thereby stronger NCIs are formed for secondary alcohols than for primary alcohols.

Gold is currently one of the most used metals in organometallic catalysis. The ability of gold to activate unsaturated groups in different modes, together with its tolerance to a wide range of functional groups and reaction conditions, turns gold-based complexes into efficient and highly sought after catalysts. Natural products and relevant compounds with biological and pharmaceutical activity are often characterized by complex molecular structures. (Cyclo)isomerization reactions are often a useful strategy for the generation of this molecular complexity from synthetically accessible reactants. In this review, we collect the most recent contributions in which gold(I)- and/or gold(III)-catalysts mediate intramolecular (cyclo)isomerization transformations of unsaturated species, which commonly feature allene or alkyne motifs, and organize them depending on the substrate and the reaction type.

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A new C À C bond forming reaction leading to adjacent quaternary carbons is reported. It is a one-pot hydride shift/cyclization process facilitated by the hydricity of the acetalic C À H bonds, with benzylidenemalonate fragments as electrophilic hydride acceptors, and the catalysis of scandiumA C H T U N G T R E N N U N G (III) triflate. The reaction products are 1,2-dihydroindane derivatives. Alkoxy and alkanethiolate groups can be also intramolecularly transferred from the acetalic carbon to the electrophilic benzylidenemalonate C=C bond.