A straightforward synthesis of 1-azido-2-bromo-1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane on a multigram scale from 1,2-dibromotetrafluoroethane and sodium azide in a novel process initiated by organomagnesium compounds (i-PrMgCl•LiCl, turbo Grignard) is reported. Synthetic utility of the title azide in the preparation of Ntetrafluoroethylated and N-difluoromethylated five-membered nitrogen heterocycles was demonstrated with azide-alkyne cycloaddition to N-bromotetrafluoroethyl 1,2,3-triazoles, subsequent reduction to N-tetrafluoroethyl triazoles, rhodium-catalyzed transannulation with nitriles to N-tetrafluoroethylated imidazoles and rhodium-catalyzed ring-opening, and cyclization to N-difluoromethylated oxazoles and thiazoles.

We employed density functional theory-based ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to examine the hydration structure of several common alkali and alkali earth metal cations. We found that the commonly used atom pairwise dispersion correction scheme D3, which assigns dispersion coefficients based on the neutral form of the atom rather than its actual oxidation state, leads to inaccuracies in the hydration structures of these cations. We evaluated this effect for lithium, sodium, potassium, and calcium and found that the inaccuracies are particularly pronounced for sodium and potassium compared to the experiment. To remedy this issue, we propose disabling the D3 correction specifically for all cation-including pairs, which leads to a much better agreement with experimental data.

The benzene radical anion is a molecular ion pertinent to several organic reactions, including the Birch reduction of benzene in liquid ammonia. The species exhibits a dynamic Jahn–Teller effect due to its open-shell nature and undergoes pseudorotation of its geometry. Here, we characterize the complex electronic structure of this condensed-phase system based on ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and GW calculations of the benzene radical anion solvated in liquid ammonia. Using detailed analysis of the molecular and electronic structure, we find that the spatial character of the excess electron of the solvated radical anion follows the underlying Jahn–Teller distortions of the molecular geometry. We decompose the electronic density of states to isolate the contribution of the solute and to examine the response of the solvent to its presence. Our findings show the correspondence between instantaneous molecular structure and spin density; provide important insights into the electronic stability of the species, revealing that it is, indeed, a bound state in the condensed phase; and offer electronic densities of states that aid in the interpretation of experimental photoelectron spectra.

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Synthesis of 2-fluoroalkyl imidazoles, oxazoles and thiazoles from N-fluoroalkyl-1,2,3-triazoles was developed.