The new 6π-electron four-membered ring compound 3-fluoro-1λ2,2,4,3λ3-thiadiazaphosphetidine, FP(μ-N)2S, has been generated in the gas phase through high-vacuum flash pyrolysis (HVFP) of thiophosphoryl diazide, FP(S)(N3)2, at 1000 K. Subsequent isolation of FP(μ-N)2S in cryogenic matrices (Ar, Ne, and N2) allows its characterization with matrix-isolation IR and UV-vis spectroscopy by combination with 15N-isotope labeling and computations at the CCSD(T)-F12a/VTZ-F12 level of theory.

The oxidative addition of C-C bonds in aromatic hydrocarbons by low valent main group species has attracted considerable attention from both theoretical and experimental chemists due to the big challenge in breaking their aromaticity. Here, we demonstrate a general strategy to break the C-C bonds in benzene by cyclic (alkyl)(amino)aluminyl anion via density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Members of a new class of complexes, 2(CF3), 2(H), 2(Br), 2(I), and 2(OCH3), have been synthesized by a one-pot method involving the treatment of osmanaphthalynes bearing corresponding substituents (1(CF3), 1(H), 1(Br), 1(I), and 1(OCH3) with trimethylphosphine (PMe3) and water (H2O).

The isolated‐pentagon rule (IPR) is a determining structural feature accounting for hollow fullerene stabilization and properties related to Cn (n ≥ 60) cages. The recent characterization of an unprecedented non‐IPR hydrofullerene, C2v‐C66H4, bearing two heptagons with adjacent fused‐pentagons motif, largely dismiss this feature. Herein, employing DFT calculations, we explore the 13C‐NMR pattern and aromatic behavior of C2v‐C66H4.

Species with adaptive aromaticity are aromatic in the ground and lowest‐lying triplet excited states and they have normally intermediate singlet‐triplet gaps. Few examples of compounds with adaptive aromaticity are known to date, including 16‐valence‐electron (16e) metallapentalenes. A sweeping search could be conducted to discover new members of this group, but efficient designs with an explicit strategy would facilitate the quest for new members of this elusive family.

Aromaticity is one of the most basic concepts in organic chemistry. The planar Möbius aromatic metallapentalynes and metallapentalenes have been attracted considerable attention in the past few years. However, the aromaticity of metallapentalenes containing heteroatoms (such as B, N, and O), termed as hetero‐metallapentalenes, is rarely studied. Here, we theoretically investigated the stability and aromaticity of a series of hetero‐metallapentalenes.

Frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) represent a new paradigm of main‐group chemistry. The Lewis acidic centers in FLP chemistry are typically B and Al atoms in the studies reported over the past decade, and most of them are tri‐coordinated with strong electron‐withdrawing groups. Herein, we report a Ga/P system containing an unprecedented four‐coordinated Lewis acidic Ga center. This Ga/P species performs classical addition reactions toward heterocumulenes, alkyne, diazomethane, and transition metal complex. Regioselective formation of the products can be rationalized by DFT calculations.

Isolation of the simplest 4π three‐membered heterocycles (1H‐azirine, oxirene, thiirene, and selenirene) remains a big challenge due to their π‐antiaromaticity and significant ring strain. Here we demonstrate that the incorporation of a transition‐metal fragment could stabilize the antiaromatic selenirene and pentalene frameworks simultaneously by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Experimental verification leads to the Se‐containing metallapolycycles, osmapentaloselenirenes, with remarkable thermal stability.

Metalla-aromatics are attractive species because they exhibit the properties of both organometallics and aromatics. Reported metal-bridged polycyclic aromatic complexes, as well as Möbius aromatic species, are still rare. Herein, we present the construction of two new metal-bridged polycyclic aromatic frameworks, α-metallapentalenofurans and lactone-fused metallapentalynes, by the reactions of osmapentalyne with terminal aryl alkynes in the presence of H2O or HBF4/H2O, respectively.

Aromaticity, an old but still fantastic topic, has long attracted considerable interest of chemists. Generally, π aromaticity is described by π-electron delocalization in closed circuits of unsaturated compounds whereas σ-electron delocalization in saturated rings leads to σ aromaticity. Interestingly, our recent study shows that σ aromaticity can be dominating in an unsaturated three-membered ring (3MR) of cyclopropaosmapentalene. An interesting question is raised: Can the σ aromaticity, which is dominant in the unsaturated 3MR, be extended to other cyclopropametallapentalenes?