A rapidly-reversible absorptive and emissive vapochromic Pt(II) pincer-based chemical sensor

Selective, robust and cost-effective chemical sensors for detecting small volatile-organic compounds (VOCs) have widespread applications in industry, healthcare and environmental monitoring. Here we design a Pt(II) pincer-type material with selective absorptive and emissive responses to methanol and water. The yellow anhydrous form converts reversibly on a subsecond timescale to a red hydrate in the presence of parts-per-thousand levels of atmospheric water vapour. Exposure to methanol induces a similarly-rapid and reversible colour change to a blue methanol solvate. Stable smart coatings on glass demonstrate robust switching over 104 cycles, and flexible microporous polymer membranes incorporating microcrystals of the complex show identical vapochromic behaviour. The rapid vapochromic response can be rationalised from the crystal structure, and in combination with quantum-chemical modelling, we provide a complete microscopic picture of the switching mechanism. We discuss how this multiscale design approach can be used to obtain new compounds with tailored VOC selectivity and spectral responses

Functionalized main group organometallics for organic synthesis

Highly functionalized Grignard-reagents can be easily obtained by an iodine–magnesium exchange reaction and further reacted with various electrophiles. Via a B–Zn exchange reaction, a formal Michael addition with umpolung of the reactivity can be achieved. Chiral phosphine ligands can be easily synthesized by a 2.3 sigmatropic rearrangement and used successfully in asymmetric synthesis

Siloxanol-functionalized copper iodide cluster as a thermochromic luminescent building block.

A copper iodide cluster bearing reactive silanol groups exhibits thermochromic luminescence properties sensitive to its chemical environment and is thus a suitable building block for the synthesis of optically active materials