Reactivity of a Sterically Unencumbered α-Borylated Phosphorus Ylide towards Small Molecules

The influence of substituents on α‐borylated phosphorus ylides (α‐BCPs) has been investigated in a combined experimental and quantum chemical approach. The synthesis and characterization of Me$_{3}$PC(H)B(iBu)$_{2}$ (1), consisting of small Me substituents on phosphorous and iBu residues on boron, is reported. Compound 1 is accessible through a novel synthetic approach, which has been further elucidated through DFT studies. The reactivity of 1 towards various small molecules was probed and compared with that of a previously published derivative, Ph$_{3}$PC(Me)BEt$_{2}$ (2). Both α‐BCPs react with NH$_{3}$ to undergo heterolytic N−H bond cleavage. Different di‐ and trimeric ring structures were observed in the reaction products of 1 with CO and CO$_{2}$. With PhNCO and PHNCS, the expected insertion products [Me$_{3}$PC(H)(PhNCO)B(iBu)$_{2}$] and [Me$_{3}$PC(H)(PhNCS)B(iBu)$_{2}$], respectively, were isolated

A neutral, acyclic, borataalkene-like ligand for group 11 metals: L- and Z-type ligands side by side

The overall neutral α-borylated phosphorus ylide Ph$_{3}$PC(Me)BEt$_{2}$ behaves like a polar borataalkene and can act as acyclic, ambiphilic π-type ligand with L- and Z-type functionalities side by side. In the complexes [MX{η$^{2}$-Ph$_{3}$PC(Me)BEt$_{2}$}] (M = Cu, (Ag), Au; X = Cl, NTf$_{2}$), the bonding is dominated by the highly nucleophilic ylidic carbon atom (L-type ligand). The Lewis acidic boron atom furnishes nonetheless a small but significant bonding contribution (Z-type ligand)

Genome-wide association study identifies 30 obsessive-compulsive disorder associated loci

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects ~1% of the population and exhibits a high SNP-heritability, yet previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have provided limited information on the genetic etiology and underlying biological mechanisms of the disorder. We conducted a GWAS meta-analysis combining 53,660 OCD cases and 2,044,417 controls from 28 European-ancestry cohorts revealing 30 independent genome-wide significant SNPs and a SNP-based heritability of 6.7%. Separate GWAS for clinical, biobank, comorbid, and self-report sub-groups found no evidence of sample ascertainment impacting our results. Functional and positional QTL gene-based approaches identified 249 significant candidate risk genes for OCD, of which 25 were identified as putatively causal, highlighting WDR6, DALRD3, CTNND1 and genes in the MHC region. Tissue and single-cell enrichment analyses highlighted hippocampal and cortical excitatory neurons, along with D1- and D2-type dopamine receptor-containing medium spiny neurons, as playing a role in OCD risk. OCD displayed significant genetic correlations with 65 out of 112 examined phenotypes. Notably, it showed positive genetic correlations with all included psychiatric phenotypes, in particular anxiety, depression, anorexia nervosa, and Tourette syndrome, and negative correlations with a subset of the included autoimmune disorders, educational attainment, and body mass index. This study marks a significant step toward unraveling its genetic landscape and advances understanding of OCD genetics, providing a foundation for future interventions to address this debilitating disorder