Themed collection New Talent: Europe

Welcome to this themed issue of Dalton Transactions entitled “New Talent: Europe.”

We discuss the developments in the synthesis and characterization of magnetic nanohybrids made of molecular magnets and nanostructured materials.

This review provides an overview of the recent results concerning anticancer organometallic gold compounds and related mechanistic insights.

New transition metal-containing zeolites presenting Lewis acid character show unique catalytic applications in fine chemistry processes and novel biomass-transformation.

We conjecture that the combination of a platinoid complex and an IDP (intrinsically disordered peptides) recognition unit can be one solution for targeting efficiently (monomeric) IDP and inhibiting their aggregation into deleterious amyloids.

Both PCET and HAT mechanisms can be feasible for the oxidation of phenols by heterodinuclear Cu^III(μ-O)2N^III complexes.

A novel cyclobutadiene iron complex with four 2-pyridyl-substitutents acts as a bis(bidentate) chelate ligand toward Zn²⁺ cations.

The reaction of high-valent fac-{^99mTcO₃}⁺ complexes with alkenes ((3 + 2)-cycloaddition) has been used to develop a novel stereoselective labelling procedure for silica based particles.

The three-coordinate iron(II) NHC complexes [(IPr)Fe(N′′)₂] (1) and [(I^tBu)Fe(N′′)₂] (3) (N′′ = N(SiMe₃)₂) react with PhSeH or LiSePh to give the iron(II) selenolates [(IPr)Fe(N′′)(SePh)] (6) and [I^tBu(H)][(aI^tBu)Fe(SePh)₃], [I^tBu(H)][7], with complex 7 containing an abnormal NHC ligand.

Ag nanoparticles were successfully stabilized on alumina. The catalyst showed high selectivity in the reduction of imines. It was easily recovered and reused without any loss in its activity. Furthermore, it could also catalyze the tandem synthesis of secondary amines from primary amines.

A new class of complexes based on titanium(IV) bearing a bisanionic mer-tridentate N-heterocyclic carbene ligand were investigated for the copolymerization of cyclohexene oxide with CO₂. Upon addition of [PPN]X′ salts, all complexes were found to be active and highly selective toward the formation of PCHC.

The first enantiomerically pure 2,2′-bipyridine-based cryptand and the corresponding luminescent ytterbium cryptate are reported.

The loss of the acetato ligand is shown to be key to the activity of this manganese catalyst at pH 11 in bleaching of chrysin.

The self-assembly of heterogeneous or homogeneous cages from a mixture of ligands is a function of the ligand length and reaction kinetics.

The ruthenium naphthalene complex [Ru(η⁵-C₅H₅)(η⁶-C₁₀H₈)]⁺ is a catalyst precursor for the direct C–H alkenylation of pyridine and related nitrogen heterocycles by terminal alkynes.

6 Fe complexes of the type [Fe(X-bdt)(P^R₂N^Ph₂)(CO)] were prepared and the possibility to tune their electronic properties by ligand modification was demonstrated. IR spectroscopic and computational studies suggest that the compounds exist as a mixture of isomers in solution.

DFT calculations show that the RCEYM reaction catalyzed by Mo-based catalysts proceeds preferentially through an yne-then-ene mechanism and that the endo-/exo- selectivity mainly depends on sterics.

Polymerization of lactide takes place in the presence of cobalt and zinc chloro complexes to yield polymers under solvent free conditions.

Convenient synthesis of water-tolerant Lewis acidic beta zeolites opens new horizons for sustainable catalytic applications.

AlEt₃ reacts with chiral phenoxyimine sulfonamides to afford mono-ethyl complexes that catalyze asymmetric addition of SiMe₃CN to aldehydes with high yield and good to excellent enantioselectivity.

The iridium(II) complex [IrCl{N(CHCHPtBu₂)₂}] is reduced by KC₈ to give the anionic iridium(I) pincer complex [IrCl{N(CHCHPtBu₂)₂}]⁻ which was isolated and fully characterized upon stabilization of the counter cation with crown ether as [K(15-cr-5)₂][IrCl{N(CHCHPtBu₂)₂}].

Homocoupling of terminal alkynes into trienediyl complexes by samarocenes is controlled by the right combination of sterics of the ancillary ligands.

A series of structural models of the Ni centre in [NiFeSe] hydrogenases display reactivity relevant to the enzyme.

A rhodamine dye was covalently attached to a ruthenium complex to enhance the rate of ligand photosubstitution under yellow light irradiation.

9-(Imidazolium-3-yl)fluorenide, an N-ylide mesomeric betaine, isomerises only upon complexation to afford the corresponding monoligated N-heterocyclic carbene complexes, via a fluorenyl-coordinated intermediate.

Depending on the donor functionality, triazolylidene ruthenium complexes are catalytically highly active in either alcohol oxidation or ketone transfer hydrogenation.

We report on the synthesis, characterization and reactivity of a novel aluminium dihydride complex utilizing a bulky imidazolin-2-iminato ligand.

Structural, spectroelectrochemical and theoretical results on complexes [Ru(bpy)₂L]ⁿ⁺ are presented.

EXAFS and high-resolution XANES spectroscopy has been used to explore the local coordination and electronic environment of three uranyl minerals relevant to storage of spent nuclear fuel.

The synthesis and characterization of three propynyloxycoumarins are reported in this work together with the formation of three different series of gold(I) organometallic complexes.

The coordination chemistry of the nitrite anion has been investigated with rare earth elements, and the resulting complexes were structurally characterized. Among them, the first homoleptic examples of nitrite complexes of samarium, ytterbium and yttrium are described. The coordination behavior of the nitrite ion is directly controlled by the ionic radius of the metal cation.

Three novel cationic oxime-based hexametallic manganese(III) single-molecule magnets have been magnetostructurally studied. Our results suggest that these cationic [Mn₆]²⁺ species could be used as suitable building blocks for preparing new materials with different functionalities.

An unprecedented inversion of the Pd₉ core from octahedral to trigonal prismatic has been discovered upon deprotonation of bimetallic Co–Pd tri-carbide poly-hydride carbonyl clusters.

Optimised preparation parameters for calcium-birnessite water-oxidation catalysts could be identified by systematic variations of a versatile synthesis protocol.

Deprotonation of a diamine with alkali metal alkyls affords diamide dianion or radical anion derivatives depending on the alkali metal.

The synthesis, full characterization and selected reactions of bis(triphenyl-λ⁵-phosphanylidene)-ammonium fluoride ((Ph₃PNPPh₃)F, abbreviated as (PNP)F), are described.

The ability of sodium magnesiate 1 to promote direct Mg–H exchange processes has been demonstrated by studying its reactivity towards N-methyl-benzimidazole and pyrrole.

The preparation and structure of the first metallacyclic alkyl-amido carbene complex is reported, including NMR spectroscopic, computational and cyclic voltammetry studies of the bimetallic Ru^II–Ir^III complex (see figure).

Platinum nanotubes are electrodeposited in ordered arrays and further utilized as a structured electrode surface of accurately tunable geometry.

The reactions of pyridine, Me-pyridine, 4-tert-butyl-pyridine, isoquinoline or quinoline, (L), with bulky samarocene do not lead to any electron transfer but to Sm(II) – neutral ligand coordination adducts in which the ligand L readily exchanges in solution.

The synthesis of the N-heterocyclic carbene complexes [Fe(IPr)(mes)₂] (1) and [Fe(6-Xyl)(mes)₂] (2) is reported. Chemical reduction of 1 using KC₈ affords an anionic trigonal planar complex containing two ditopic carbanionic carbene ligands [{:C[N(2,6-ⁱPr₂C₆H₃)]₂(CH)C}₂Fe(mes)]⁻ (3).

Electronic stabilization allows the isolation and characterization of a room temperature stable Li/Cl carbenoid and considerably influences its ambiphilic character.

The systematic study of Ce_0.9Pr_0.1O_2−δ + Co 2 mol% sintering conditions allowed the microstructure and mixed ionic–electronic transport to be tailored.

A series of cobalt salen complexes, where salen represents an N₂O₂ bis-Schiff-base bis-phenolate framework, are prepared, characterised and investigated for reversible-termination organometallic mediated radical polymerisation (RT-OMRP).

The use of Re(I) organometallic complexes and bioconjugates thereof as photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy purposes is presented.

Intramolecular hydroamination reactions as well as ethylene–1-octene high-temperature copolymerizations are efficiently promoted by unsymmetrical cationic {N,C,N′} Group-IV pincer complexes.

Germylenes, stannylenes and plumbylenes bearing amino(ether)-phenolate ligands, including some heterobimetallic complexes, catalyse the ROP of lactide.