Fluorescent pyridine phosphonium salts via transmutation of metallabenzenes

Abstract Metallabenzenes are recognized as a unique class of aromatic compounds, not only of structural and theoretical interest but also as platforms to design powerful transformations. Here, we report the successful transmutation of a metallabenzene for pyridine synthesis. This ‘metal-to-nitrogen...

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Main Authors: Yaowei Zhang, Feifei Han, Zhihong Yin, Yapeng Cai, Xiaoyan Zhang, Hong Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58855-7
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author Yaowei Zhang
Feifei Han
Zhihong Yin
Yapeng Cai
Xiaoyan Zhang
Hong Zhang
author_facet Yaowei Zhang
Feifei Han
Zhihong Yin
Yapeng Cai
Xiaoyan Zhang
Hong Zhang
author_sort Yaowei Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Metallabenzenes are recognized as a unique class of aromatic compounds, not only of structural and theoretical interest but also as platforms to design powerful transformations. Here, we report the successful transmutation of a metallabenzene for pyridine synthesis. This ‘metal-to-nitrogen swapping’ process utilizes readily available ruthenabenzene phosphonium salts and commercially available 2-aminopyridines under mild conditions. The isolation of ruthena-azepines, containing a planar seven-membered aza-metallacycle, along with DFT calculations, supports the nitrogen insertion/metal deletion cascade driven by aromatization. Additionally, we investigate the tunable photophysical properties of the resulting pyridine phosphonium salts.
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issn 2041-1723
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publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-b25981ad8b5e443d9ddb5c9ad0c2ac8c2025-08-20T02:28:09ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-04-011611910.1038/s41467-025-58855-7Fluorescent pyridine phosphonium salts via transmutation of metallabenzenesYaowei Zhang0Feifei Han1Zhihong Yin2Yapeng Cai3Xiaoyan Zhang4Hong Zhang5College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen UniversitySchool of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of TechnologyCollege of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen UniversityCollege of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen UniversityCollege of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen UniversityCollege of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen UniversityAbstract Metallabenzenes are recognized as a unique class of aromatic compounds, not only of structural and theoretical interest but also as platforms to design powerful transformations. Here, we report the successful transmutation of a metallabenzene for pyridine synthesis. This ‘metal-to-nitrogen swapping’ process utilizes readily available ruthenabenzene phosphonium salts and commercially available 2-aminopyridines under mild conditions. The isolation of ruthena-azepines, containing a planar seven-membered aza-metallacycle, along with DFT calculations, supports the nitrogen insertion/metal deletion cascade driven by aromatization. Additionally, we investigate the tunable photophysical properties of the resulting pyridine phosphonium salts.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58855-7
spellingShingle Yaowei Zhang
Feifei Han
Zhihong Yin
Yapeng Cai
Xiaoyan Zhang
Hong Zhang
Fluorescent pyridine phosphonium salts via transmutation of metallabenzenes
Nature Communications
title Fluorescent pyridine phosphonium salts via transmutation of metallabenzenes
title_full Fluorescent pyridine phosphonium salts via transmutation of metallabenzenes
title_fullStr Fluorescent pyridine phosphonium salts via transmutation of metallabenzenes
title_full_unstemmed Fluorescent pyridine phosphonium salts via transmutation of metallabenzenes
title_short Fluorescent pyridine phosphonium salts via transmutation of metallabenzenes
title_sort fluorescent pyridine phosphonium salts via transmutation of metallabenzenes
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58855-7
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