Inorganic chemistry articles from across Nature Portfolio

Electrophilic borylation of sterically hindered arenes is a challenging transformation. Here, authors report a metal-free electrophilic C–H borylation of hindered arenes using a boron cluster reagent producing valuable aryl boronic esters.

Porous sorbents capable of high ammonia (NH₃) uptake capacities are of great interest for ammonia storage for industry, as well as for the environmental remediation of this toxic and corrosive gas. Here, NH₃ adsorption is investigated in four robust aluminium-based metal–organic frameworks, and in situ neutron powder diffraction, synchrotron IR micro-spectroscopy and ²⁷Al solid-state NMR studies show that the pore geometries, framework rigidity, and nature of the host–guest binding sites together dictate the high NH₃ capture and storage capacity.

In contrast to phosphine and arsine oxides, stibine oxides have been challenging to isolate in monomeric forms as they tend to polymerize. Now, such a SbO moiety has been kinetically stabilized using sterically bulky protecting groups, and its reactivity found to be substantially different to that of its lighter pnictogen counterparts.

Lithium metal penetration into solid-state electrolytes is a major drawback for developing all-solid-state batteries. Here, authors, via operando force microscopy, demonstrate that the trapping of electrons in garnet-type solid-state electrolyte grain boundaries is the origin of cell failure.

Aromatic polynitrogen units can display both high stability and high energy content. A hexazine anion has now been identified in a complex compound, K₉N₅₆, which is formed at high pressures and temperatures under laser-heating in a diamond anvil cell. The [N₆]⁴⁻ ring is planar and proposed to be aromatic.