A meta-terphenyl unit was substituted with an isocyanide group on each of its two terminal aryls to afford a bidentate chelating ligand (CNArNC) that is able to stabilize chromium in its zerovalent oxidation state. The homoleptic Cr(CNArNC) complex luminesces in solution at room temperature, and its excited-state lifetime (2.2 ns in deaerated THF at 20 °C) is nearly 2 orders of magnitude longer than the current record lifetime for isoelectronic Fe(II) complexes, which are of significant interest as earth-abundant sensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells. Due to its chelating ligands, Cr(CNArNC) is more robust than Cr(0) complexes with carbonyl or monodentate isocyanides, manifesting in comparatively slow photodegradation. In the presence of excess anthracene in solution, efficient energy transfer and subsequent triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion is observed. With an excited-state oxidation potential of -2.43 V vs Fc/Fc, the Cr(0) complex is a very strong photoreductant. The findings presented herein are relevant for replacement of precious metals in dye-sensitized solar cells and in luminescent devices by earth-abundant elements.

We report the first homoleptic Mo(0) complex with bidentate isocyanide ligands, which exhibits metal-to-ligand charge transfer ((3) MLCT) luminescence with quantum yields and lifetimes similar to Ru(bpy)3 (2+) (bpy=2,2'-bipyridine). This Mo(0) complex is a very strong photoreductant, which manifests in its capability to reduce acetophenone with essentially diffusion-limited kinetics as shown by time-resolved laser spectroscopy. The application potential of this complex for photoredox catalysis was demonstrated by the rearrangement of an acyl cyclopropane to a 2,3-dihydrofuran, which is a reaction that requires a reduction potential so negative that even the well-known and strongly reducing Ir(2-phenylpyridine)3 photosensitizer cannot catalyze it. Our study thus provides the proof-of-concept for the use of chelating isocyanides to obtain Mo(0) complexes with long-lived (3) MLCT excited states that are applicable to unusually challenging photoredox chemistry.

The hydrated electron is experiencing a renaissance as a superreductant in lab-scale reductions driven by light, both for the degradation of recalcitrant pollutants and for challenging chemical reactions. However, examples for its sustainable generation under mild conditions are scarce. By combining a water-soluble Ir catalyst with unique photochemical properties and an inexpensive diode laser as light source, we produce hydrated electrons through a two-photon mechanism previously thought to be unimportant for laboratory applications. Adding cheap sacrificial donors turns our new hydrated electron source into a catalytic cycle operating in pure water over a wide pH range. Not only is that catalytic system capable of detoxifying a chlorinated model compound with turnover numbers of up to 200, but it can also be employed for two novel hydrated electron reactions, namely, the decomposition of quaternary ammonium compounds and the conversion of trifluoromethyl to difluoromethyl groups.

The combination of photoredox and enzymatic catalysis in a cyclic reaction network enables enantioselectivity control in photochemical processes.

The combination of FeCl(3) x 6 H(2)O and di-tert-butyl peroxide offers a novel and efficient method for the construction of polysubstituted benzofurans 3 from the reaction of simple phenols 1 and beta-keto esters 2, which are expected to give coumarins in the well-known Pechmann condensation. A variety of phenols reacted with beta-keto esters to provide a range of benzofuran products in moderate to excellent yields. The regio-specific annulation was proven by the X-ray molecular structure of the product 3k. Hydrate of FeCl(3) is essential for an achievement of the present transformation. The kinetic isotopic effect (KIE) experiments were carried out by competition experiments and displayed a k(H)/k(D) = 1.0 +/- 0.1. The kinetic isotopic effect indicated that aromatic C-H bond cleavage is not involved in the rate-determining steps of the present transformation. Moreover, the results clearly demonstrate that the dichotomous catalytic behavior of the iron catalyst, which is transition-metal catalyst in the oxidative coupling step and Lewis acid in the condensation step. The possible intermediate 5 was synthesized and converted into the desired benzofuran 3a under the reaction conditions. A tentative mechanism of the formation of benzofurans 3 was proposed.