A practical and efficient construction of C–O bonds via oxidative cross-coupling reaction of aldehydes and ethers has been realized under open air. When 2 mol% copper was used as the catalyst, various α-acyloxy ethers were obtained with up to 93% isolated yield.

Four new coordination polymers, {[Zn(bismip)]·2H₂O}_n (1), {[Zn₂(bismip)₂(4,4′-bipy)]·2H₂O}_n (2), {Zn₂(bismip)₂(phen)}_n (3) and {[Zn(bismip)(bimb)]₂·2H₂O·DMF}_n (4) (H₂bismip = 5-(1H-benzoimidazol-2-ylsulfanylmethyl)-isophthalic acid, 4,4′-bipy = 4,4′-bipyridine, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, bimb = 4,4-bis(1-imidazolyl)bibenzene) were synthesized under solvothermal conditions. All these compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, powder X-ray diffraction and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 features a two-dimensional (2D) binodal (3,6)-connected kgd network with (4³)₂(4⁶·6⁶·8³) topology. 2 exhibits two-fold interpenetrating 3D architecture with a (4·8²)(4²·8⁴) Schläfli symbol in which 2D layers are interlinked by 4,4-bipy ligands. In 3, the [Zn₄(bismip)₄] and [ZnO₄N₂] units are interconnected, affording a binodal 3D (3,4)-connected network with the Schläfli symbol (8³)(8⁶). 4 is a 2D (3,4)-connected coordination network with (4²·6)(4²·6³·8) topology. The photoluminescence properties and photocatalytic properties of these compounds were also investigated.

A heteropolyanion-based ionic liquid catalyzed oxidative amidation of aldehydes with amines via a dual-catalysis pathway has been reported.