The rhodium-catalyzed mono-ortho C–H activation/carbenoid insertion/aldol-type cyclization of 3-aldehyde-2-phenyl-1H-indoles with diazo compounds has been developed. This method provides a novel approach to 5H-benzo[a]carbazol-6-ols and benzo[6,7]cyclohepta[1,2-b]indol-6-ols with a broad range of substrate scope in an air atmosphere. In addition, the synthetic potentialities of the developed approach are demonstrated by gram scale and versatile late-stage transformations.

A facile, rapid and green method based on potentiostatic electrodeposition is developed to synthesize a novel H₃PMo₁₂O₄₀-Pt/reduced graphene oxide (denoted as PMo₁₂-Pt/rGO) composite. The as-prepared PMo₁₂-Pt/rGO is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results reveal that graphene oxide (GO) is reduced to the rGO by electrochemical method and POMs clusters are successfully located on the rGO as the modifier. Furthermore, the PMo₁₂-Pt/rGO composite shows higher electrocatalytic activity, better tolerance towards CO and better stability than the conventional pure Pt catalyst.

Opening up electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is essential for practical application in fuel cells and metal-air batteries; however, how to make the catalysts with both good performance and low cost is difficult. Recently, research on the ORR of molybdenum disulfide-based catalysts in alkaline electrolytes has been on the rise. However, the development of MoS₂ catalyst for acidic ORR is still in its infancy. Herein, without using reductant and morphology control reagent, we firstly obtained flowerball-like MoS₂/Vulcan XC-72R (VC) nanocomposites via hydrothermal method. The designed composite exhibits a nearly 4e⁻ ORR process with 0.78 and 0.92 V onset potentials in 0.1 M KOH and HClO₄, respectively. Furthermore, the flowerball-like composite shows utmost electrochemical stability judging by 87 and 80% current retention for about 5.5 h either in alkaline or acid media, long term durability for continuous 10,000 cycles, and stronger resistance to methanol than the commercial Pt/C catalyst. The abundant Mo edges as catalytic active centers of flowerball-like structure, high electron conductivity, and enhanced mass transport in either alkaline or acidic electrolyte are favorable for catalytic performance. The prepared catalyst provides great potential for the substitution of noble metal based catalysts in fuel cells and metal-air batteries.

An efficient synthesis of 2-amino-3-methylenephthalimide through palladium-catalyzed intramolecular aminocarbonylation has been developed. The reaction carried out under atmospheric pressure of CO and provided diversified 2-amino-3-methylenephthalimides in reasonable to good yields from o-iodoacetophenone phenylhydrazone, which are readily derived from phenylhydrazines and 2-iodoacetophenones.