Doping a functional ligand into a known crystalline system built from ligands of similar shape and length provides a powerful strategy to construct functional metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with desired functionality and structural topology. This mix-and-match approach mimics the widely applied metal ion doping (or solid solution formation) in traditional inorganic materials, such as metal oxides, wherein maintaining charge balance of the doped lattice and ensuring size match between doped metal ions and the parent lattice are key to successful doping. In this work, we prepared three sterically demanding dicarboxylate ligands based on Ir/Ru-phosphors with similar structures and variable charges (-2 to 0), [Ir(ppy)3]-dicarboxylate (L1, ppy is 2-phenylpyridine), [Ir(bpy)(ppy)2](+)-dicarboxylate (L2, bpy is 2,2'-bipyridine), and Ru(bpy)3](2+)-dicarboxylate (L3), and successfully doped them into the known IRMOF-9/-10 structures by taking advantage of matching length between 4,4'-biphenyl dicarboxylate (BPDC) and L1-L3. We systematically investigated the effects of size and charge of the doping ligand on the MOF structures and the ligand doping levels in these MOFs. L1 carries a -2 charge to satisfy the charge requirement of the parent Zn4O(BPDC)3 framework and can be mixed into the IRMOF-9/-10 structure in the whole range of H2L1/H2BPDC ratios from 0 to 1. The steric bulk of L1 induces a phase transition from the interpenetrated IRMOF-9 structure to the non-interpenetrated IRMOF-10 counterpart. L2 and L3 do not match the dinegative charge of BPDC in order to maintain the charge balance for a neutral IRMOF-9/-10 framework and can only be doped into the IRMOF-9 structure to a certain degree. L2 and L3 form a charge-balanced new phase with a neutral framework structure at higher doping levels (>8% For L2 and >6% For L3). This systematic investigation reveals the influences of steric demand and charge balance on ligand doping in MOFs, a phenomenon that has been well-established in metal ion doping in traditional inorganic materials.

2-Electron-withdrawing-group-substituted 2-bromoanilides can be converted to the corresponding 3,3-disubstituted oxindoles with high efficiency under visible light irradiation by using fac-Ir(ppy)(3) as the photoredox catalyst. This protocol is suitable for the synthesis of oxindoles with chloro and bromo atoms attached to the phenyl ring.

More attention was paid to the anti-tumor activity of Rhizoma Paridis (RP) recently, of which the wild resource was decreased significantly. This study was aimed to elucidate the chemical characteristics of Paris fargesii var. brevipetala (PFB) that may be administrated as alternate resource of legal RP. A HPLC-ELSD method was established to characterize the steroid saponins in rhizomes of PFB and two legal Paris species [Paris polyphylla var. chinensis (PPC) and P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis (PPY)] in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (CP). Ten saponins (paris saponins I, II, V, VI, VII, H, gracillin and other three paris saponins) were involved as standards. The results indicated that PFB contained pennogenyl saponins as the main components with small amounts of diosgenin saponins. The total contents of the detected saponins in PFB ranged from 9.12mg/g to 85.33mg/g. Nine of the twelve PFB samples own a total content of paris saponins I, II, VI, and VII more than 6.0mg/g (meeting the standard of CP 2010 edition). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares-Discriminate Analysis (PLS-DA) both confirmed the fact that saponin profiles of PFB, PPC and PPY were different from each other. In addition, paris saponin H (Ps H), the predominant saponin of PFB (>50%), was tested in vitro to evaluate its cytotoxic activities on HepG2, A549, RPE and L929 cells with a positive control of Cisplatin. Ps H showed a remarkable cytotoxic activity on A549 cells with an IC(50) value of 1.53±0.08μg/mL.

In this work, a novel photocatalyst, polypyrrole (PPy)-decorated Ag-TiO2 nanofibers (PPy-Ag-TiO2) with core-shell structure, was successfully synthesized using an electrospinning technique, followed by a surfactant-directed in situ chemical polymerization method. The results show that a PPy layer was formed on the surface of Ag-TiO2 nanofiber, which is beneficial for protecting Ag nanoparticles from being oxidized. Meanwhile, the PPy-Ag-TiO2 system exhibits remarkable light absorption in the visible region and high photocurrent. Among them, the 1%-PPy-Ag-TiO2 sample shows the highest photoactivity, which is far exceeds that of the single- and two-component systems. This result may be due to the synergistic effect of Ag, PPy, and TiO2 nanostructures in the ternary system.

As a result of inherent rigidity of the conjugated macromolecular chains resulted from the delocalized π-electron system along the polymer backbone, it has been a huge challenge to make conducting polymer hydrogels elastic by far. Herein elastic and conductive polypyrrole hydrogels with only conducting polymer as the continuous phase have been simply synthesized in the indispensable conditions of 1) mixed solvent, 2) deficient oxidant, and 3) monthly secondary growth. The elastic mechanism and oxidative polymerization mechanism on the resulting PPy hydrogels have been discussed. The resulting hydrogels show some novel properties, e.g., shape memory elasticity, fast functionalization with various guest objects, and fast removal of organic infectants from aqueous solutions, all of which cannot be observed from traditional non-elastic conducting polymer counterparts. What's more, light-weight, elastic, and conductive organic sponges with excellent stress-sensing behavior have been successfully achieved via using the resulting polypyrrole hydrogels as precursors.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of cosmid clones of human V kappa gene regions to human and primate chromosomes contributed to the dating of chromosome reorganizations in evolution. A clone from the kappa locus at 2p11-p12 (cos 106) hybridized to the assumed homologous chromosome bands in the chimpanzees Pan troglodytes (PTR) and P. paniscus (PPA), the Gorilla gorilla (GGO), and the orangutan Pongo pygmaeus (PPY). Human and both chimpanzees differed from gorilla and orangutan by the mapping of cos 170, a clone derived from chromosome 2cen-q11.2; the transposition of this orphon to the other side of the centromere can, therefore, be dated after the human/chimpanzee and gorilla divergence. Hybridization to homologous bands was also found with a cosmid clone containing a V kappa I orphon located on chromosome 1 (cos 115, main signal at 1q31-q32), although the probe is not fully unique. Also, a clone derived from the orphon V kappa region on chromosome 22q11 (cos 121) hybridized to the homologous bands in the great apes. This indicates that the orphons on human chromosomes 1 and 22 had been translocated early in primate evolution.

Novel porous-conductive chitosan scaffolds were fabricated by incorporating conductive polypyrrole (PPy) particles into a chitosan matrix and employing a phase separation technique to build pores inside the scaffolds. Conductive polypyrrole particles were prepared with a microemulsion method using FeCl3 as a dopant. The preparation conditions were optimized to obtain scaffolds with controlled pore size and porosity. The conductivity of the scaffolds was investigated using a standard four-point probe technique. It was found that several kinds of scaffolds showed a conductivity close to 10(-3) S.cm(-1) with a low polypyrrole loading of around 2 wt.-%. The main mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, breaking elongation and Young's modulus of the scaffolds, were examined both in the dry and in the hydrated states. The results indicated that a few different kinds of scaffolds exhibited the desired mechanical strength for some tissue engineering applications. The miscibility of polypyrrole and chitosan was also evaluated using a dynamic mechanical method. The presence of significant phase separation was detected in non-porous PPy/chitosan scaffolds but enhanced miscibility in porous PPy/chitosan scaffolds was observed.

Direct arylation of unactivated arenes or heteroarenes with aryl halides could be carried out in the presence of potassium tert-butoxide and dimethyl sulfoxide under visible-light irradiation. Ir(ppy)3 was found to be an effective photoredox catalyst for this reaction. The reactions of aryl iodides occurred at room temperature. Elevated temperature was required for aryl bromides. Homolytic aromatic substitution was proposed to be the operative reaction pathway.

In this paper, the films of overoxidized polypyrrole (PPyox) directed single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been electrochemically coated onto glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Electroactive monomer pyrrole was added into the solution containing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and SWNTs. Then, electropolymerization was proceeded at the surface of GCE, and a novel kind of conducting polymer/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) composite film with the orientation of CNTs were obtained correspondingly. Finally, this obtained polypyrrole (PPy)/SWNTs film modified GCE was oxidized at a potential of +1.8 V. It can be found that this proposed PPyox/SWNTs composite film modified GCE exhibited excellent electrocatalytic properties for some species such as nitrite, ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA), and could be used as a new sensor for practical applications. Compared with previous CNTs modified electrodes, SWNTs were oriented towards the outside of modified layer by PPyox and SDS, which made the film easily conductive. Moreover, this proposed film modified electrode was more stable, selective and applicable.

A novel construction of solution free (pseudo)reference electrodes, compatible with all-solid-state potentiometric indicator electrodes, has been proposed. These electrodes use conducting polymers (CP): polypyrrole (PPy) or poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT). Two different arrangements have been tested: solely based on CP and those where the CP phase is covered with a poly(vinyl chloride) based outer membrane of tailored composition. The former arrangement was designed to suppress or compensate cation- and anion-exchange, using mobile perchlorate ions and poly(4-styrenesulfonate) or dodecylbenzenesulfonate anions as immobilized dopants. The following systems were used: (i) polypyrrole layers doped simultaneously by two kinds of anions, both mobile and immobilized in the polymer layer; (ii) bilayers of polypyrrole with anion exchanging inner layer and cation-exchanging outer layer; (iii) polypyrrole doped by surfactant dodecylbenzenesulfonate ions, which inhibit ion exchange on the polymer/solution interface. For the above systems, recorded potentials have been found to be practically independent of electrolyte concentration. The best results, profound stability of potentials, have been obtained for poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) or polypyrrole doped by poly(4-styrenesulfonate) anions covered by a poly(vinyl chloride) based membrane, containing both anion- and cation-exchangers as well as solid potassium chloride and silver chloride with metallic silver. Differently to the cases (i)-(iii) these electrodes are much less sensitive to the influence of redox and pH interferences. This arrangement has been also characterized using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and chronopotentiometry.

A two-channel sensor capable of almost instantaneous simultaneous detection of superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide in the concentration range 10(-)(7)-10(-)(4) M is very important for understanding of a number of rapid kinetics processes. A glassy carbon working microelectrode covered by an electrodeposited polypyrrole/horseradish peroxidase (PPy/HRP) membrane was employed as a H(2)O(2) sensor. Another glassy carbon microelectrode covered by a composite membrane of an inside layer of PPy/HRP and an outside layer of superoxide dismutase was employed as a working electrode for superoxide detection. These two working electrodes with Pt counter and tungsten oxide (WO(3)) reference electrodes were contained in one 6 mm diameter Teflon cylinder. Simultaneous measurements were performed at a potential of -60 mV (vs WO(3) reference, pH 5.1). Additional sensor characterization was performed for pH 5.1-9.0. Superoxide sensor behavior as a function of membrane deposition conditions and coating time is reported. Sensors' mutual influence, selectivity, response times, linearity, stability, and sensitivity for hydrogen peroxide and superoxide are presented and discussed. A mathematical model of sensors' responses is proposed, with model calculation corresponding to experiment within 10%.

We have developed a novel and simple protocol for the direct incorporation of a difluoromethyl (CF2 H) group into alkenes by visible-light-driven photoredox catalysis. The use of fac-[Ir(ppy)3] (ppy=2-pyridylphenyl) photocatalyst and shelf-stable Hu's reagent, N-tosyl-S-difluoromethyl-S-phenylsulfoximine, as a CF2 H source is the key to success. The well-designed photoredox system achieves synthesis of not only β-CF2 H-substituted alcohols but also ethers and an ester from alkenes through solvolytic processes. The present method allows a single-step and regioselective formation of C(sp(3))-CF2 H and C(sp(3))-O bonds from C=C moiety in alkenes, such as hydroxydifluoromethylation, regardless of terminal or internal alkenes. Moreover, this methodology tolerates a variety of functional groups.

Within the framework of our effort to discover new antibiotics from pseudomonads, pseudopyronines A and B were isolated from the plant-derived Pseudomonas putida BW11M1. Pseudopyronines are 3,6-dialkyl-4-hydroxy-2-pyrones and displayed high in vitro activities against several human pathogens, and in our hands also towards the plant pathogen Pseudomonas savastanoi. Here, the biosynthesis of pseudopyronine B was studied by a combination of feeding experiments with isotopically labeled precursors, genomic sequence analysis, and gene deletion experiments. The studies resulted in the deduction of all acetate units and revealed that the biosynthesis of these α-pyrones occurs with a single PpyS-homologous ketosynthase. It fuses, with some substrate flexibility, a 3-oxo-fatty acid and a further unbranched saturated fatty acid, both of medium chain-length and provided by primary metabolism.

Photothermal nanoplatforms with small size, low cost, multifunctionality, good biocompatibility and in particular biodegradability are greatly desired in the exploration of novel diagnostic and therapeutic methodologies. Despite Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) have been approved as safe clinical agents, the low molar extinction coefficient and subsequent poor photothermal performance shed the doubt as effective photothermal materials. In this paper, we demonstrate the fabrication of polypyrrole (PPy)-enveloped Fe3O4 NP superstructures with a spherical morphology, which leads to a 300-fold increase in the molar extinction coefficient. The basic idea is the optimization of Fe3O4 electronic structures. By controlling the self-assembly of Fe3O4 NPs, the diameters of the superstructures are tuned from 32 to 64 nm. This significantly enhances the indirect transition and magnetic coupling of Fe ions, thus increasing the molar extinction coefficient of Fe3O4 NPs from 3.65 × 10(6) to 1.31 × 10(8) M(-1) cm(-1) at 808 nm. The envelopment of Fe3O4 superstructures with conductive PPy shell introduces additional electrons in the Fe3O4 oscillation system, and therewith further enhances the molar extinction coefficient to 1.12 × 10(9) M(-1) cm(-1). As a result, the photothermal performance is greatly improved. Primary cell experiments indicate that PPy-enveloped Fe3O4 NP superstructures are low toxic, and capable to kill Hela cells under near-infrared laser irradiation. Owing to the low cost, good biocompatibility and biodegradability, the PPy-enveloped Fe3O4 NP superstructures are promising photothermal platform for establishing novel diagnostic and therapeutic methods.

Investigations of blue phosphorescent organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on [Ir(2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)pyridine)(2)(picolinate)] (FIrPic) have pointed to the cleavage of the picolinate as a possible reason for device instability. We reproduced the loss of picolinate and acetylacetonate ancillary ligands in solution by the addition of Brønsted or Lewis acids. When hydrochloric acid is added to a solution of a [Ir(C^N)(2)(X^O)] complex (C^N = 2-phenylpyridine (ppy) or 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)pyridine (diFppy) and X^O = picolinate (pic) or acetylacetonate (acac)), the cleavage of the ancillary ligand results in the direct formation of the chloro-bridged iridium(III) dimer [{Ir(C^N)(2)(μ-Cl)}(2)]. When triflic acid or boron trifluoride are used, a source of chloride (here tetrabutylammonium chloride) is added to obtain the same chloro-bridged iridium(III) dimer. Then, we advantageously used this degradation reaction for the efficient synthesis of tris-heteroleptic cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes [Ir(C^N(1))(C^N(2))(L)], a family of cyclometalated complexes otherwise challenging to prepare. We used an iridium(I) complex, [{Ir(COD)(μ-Cl)}(2)], and a stoichiometric amount of two different C^N ligands (C^N(1) = ppy; C^N(2) = diFppy) as starting materials for the swift preparation of the chloro-bridged iridium(III) dimers. After reacting the mixture with acetylacetonate and subsequent purification, the tris-heteroleptic complex [Ir(ppy)(diFppy)(acac)] could be isolated with good yield from the crude containing as well the bis-heteroleptic complexes [Ir(ppy)(2)(acac)] and [Ir(diFppy)(2)(acac)]. Reaction of the tris-heteroleptic acac complex with hydrochloric acid gives pure heteroleptic chloro-bridged iridium dimer [{Ir(ppy)(diFppy)(μ-Cl)}(2)], which can be used as starting material for the preparation of a new tris-heteroleptic iridium(III) complex based on these two C^N ligands. Finally, we use DFT/LR-TDDFT to rationalize the impact of the two different C^N ligands on the observed photophysical and electrochemical properties.

Microstructured Ni/PPy (PPy: polypyrrole) core/shell composites were prepared from an in situ chemical oxidative polymerization of pyrrole (Py) monomer in the presence of Ni powder, with ammonium persulfate (APS) as oxidant and citric acid (C6H8O7) as dopant. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared analyses indicate that there is no chemical interaction between Ni powder and protonated PPy. The mass percentages of PPy, calculated from the remanent weight percentages of Ni/PPy composites after thermogravimetric analysis, are in consistent with those as designed. The prepared Ni/PPy composites are soft and ferromagnetic materials, where a linear increase of saturation magnetization (MS) and remanent magnetization (MR) as a function of Ni powder content is proposed. The permeability of Ni/PPy composites presents a natural magnetic resonance at 6.0 GHz, and Cole-Cole semicircle was applied to explain the permittivity. Electromagnetic absorption less than -10 dB is found for Ni/Py=4:1 (11-15.4 GHz) and Ni/Py=2:1 (12-17.5 GHz). The ternary Debye relaxations for enhanced dielectric loss induced by PPy coatings and proper electromagnetic impedance matching due to the synergetic consequence of the Ni cores and PPy shells contribute to the improvement of the electromagnetic absorption of the Ni/PPy core/shell composites. It is important to notice that dielectric loss and electrical conductivity should be considered simultaneously in designing dielectric-type electromagnetic absorbing materials.

A gene designated BRCA1, implicated in the susceptibility to early-onset familial breast cancer, has recently been localized to chromosome 17q12-q21. To date, the order of DNA markers mapped within this region has been based on genetic linkage analysis. We report the use of multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization to establish a physically based map of five polymorphic DNA markers and 10 cloned genes spanning this region. Three cosmid clones and Alu-PCR-generated products derived from 12 yeast artificial chromosome clones representing each of these markers were used in two-color mapping experiments to determine an initial proximity of markers relative to each other on metaphase chromosomes. Interphase mapping was then employed to determine the order and orientation of closely spaced loci by direct visualization of fluorescent signals following hybridization of three probes, each detected in a different color. Statistical analysis of the combined data suggests that the order of markers in the BRCA1 region is cen-THRA1-TOP2-GAS-OF2-17HSD-248yg9-RNU 2-OF3-PPY/p131-EPB3-Mfd188- WNT3-HOX2-GP3A-tel. This map is consistent with that determined by radiation-reduced hybrid mapping and will facilitate positional cloning strategies in efforts to isolate and characterize the BRCA1 gene.

The unique electrochemical properties of conductive polymers can be utilized to form stand-alone polymeric tubes and arrays of tubes that are suitable for guides to promote peripheral nerve regeneration. Noncomposite, polypyrrole (PPy) tubes ranging in inner diameter from 25 microm to 1.6 mm as well as multichannel tubes were fabricated by electrodeposition. While oxidation of the pyrrole monomer causes growth of the film, brief subsequent reduction allowed mechanical dissociation from the electrode mold, creating a stand-alone, conductive PPy tube. Conductive polymer nerve guides made in this manner were placed in transected rat sciatic nerves and shown to support nerve regeneration over an 8-week time period.

We report the synthesis and photophysical study of a series of solution-processible phosphorescent iridium complexes. These comprise bis-cyclometalated iridium units [Ir(ppy)(2)(acac)] or [Ir(btp)(2)(acac)] where ppy is 2-phenylpyridinato, btp is 2-(2'-benzo[b]thienyl)pyridinato, and acac is acetylacetonate. The iridium units are covalently attached to and in conjugation with oligo(9,9-dioctylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) [(FO)(n)] to form complexes [Ir(ppy-(FO)(n))(2)(acac)] or [Ir(btp-(FO)(n))(2)(acac)], where the number of fluorene units, n, is 1, 2, 3, approximately 10, approximately 20, approximately 30, or approximately 40. All the complexes exhibit emission from a mixed triplet state in both photoluminescence and electroluminescence, with efficient quenching of the fluorene singlet emission. Short-chain complexes, 11-13, [Ir(ppy-(FO)(n)-FH)(2)(acac)] where n = 0, 1, or 2, show green light emission, red-shifted through the FO attachment by about 70 meV, but for longer chains there is quenching because of the lower energy triplet state associated with polyfluorene. In contrast, polymer complexes 18-21 [Ir(btp-(FO)(n))(2)(acac)] where n is 5-40 have better triplet energy level matching and can be used to provide efficient red phosphorescent polymer light-emitting diodes, with a red shift due to the fluorene attachment of about 50 meV. We contrast this small (50-70 meV) and short-range modification of the triplet energies through extended conjugation, with the much more substantial evolution of the pi-pi* singlet transitions, which saturate at about n = 10. These covalently bound materials show improvements in efficiency over simple blends and will form the basis of future investigations into energy-transfer processes occurring in light-emitting diodes.

Numerous regenerating tissues respond favorably to electrical stimulation, creating a need for a bioactive conducting platform for tissue engineering applications. The drive for biosensors and electrode coatings further requires control of the surface properties of promising conductive materials such as polypyrrole. Here we present carboxy-endcapped polypyrrole (PPy-alpha-COOH), a unique bioactive conducting polymer with a carboxylic acid layer, composed of a polypyrrole (PPy) surface modified with pyrrole-alpha-carboxylic acid (Py-alpha-COOH). This unique structure is simple to produce, provides a stable bioactive surface via covalent bonds, and preserves bulk properties such as electrical conductivity and mechanical integrity. The chemical structure of this polymer composite was characterized by angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which demonstrated the presence of carboxylic acid functionality on the top surface of conductive PPy. A four-point probe test was used to verify the similar conductivity of PPy-alpha-COOH compared to that of standard PPy. To demonstrate the potential to influence cellular activity, the carboxylic acid monolayer surface was grafted with the cell-adhesive Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) cultured on RGD-modified PPy-alpha-COOH demonstrated significantly higher adhesion and spreading than on the negative controls PPy-alpha-COOH and unmodified PPy.

A pectinolytic and psychrophilic yeast was isolated from soil from Abashiri, Hokkaido, Japan. The phenotype and sequencing of the 28S rDNA of the isolated strain (PPY-1) indicated a taxonomic affiliation to the basidiomycetous yeast Cystofilobasidium capitatum. C. capitatum strain PPY-1 was able to grow on two pectic compounds, polygalacturonate and pectin, at below 5 degrees C. Moreover, the extracellular fraction of the strain exhibited pectin methylesterase, pectin lyase and polygalacturonase activities at 5 degrees C. Thus strain PPY-1 may produce novel enzymes that are able to degrade pectin at low temperature, although the strain has isozymes of these enzymes.

A process for tunable and chemo-, regio-, and stereoselective photocatalytic trifluoromethylation of styrenes was developed. Thermodynamically stable E-trifluoromethylated alkenes were prepared using Togni's reagent in the presence of Ru(bpy)3Cl2·6H2O under visible light irradiation, whereas less thermodynamically stable Z-trifluoromethylated alkenes were obtained by employing Umemoto's reagent and photocatalyst Ir(ppy)3.

Magnetic Fe3 O4 crystals are produced in situ on preformed polypyrrole (PPY) nanoparticles by rationally converting the residual Fe species in the synthetic system. The obtained PPY@Fe(3)O(4)composite nanoparticles exhibit good photostability and biocompatibility, and they can be used as multifunctional probes for MRI, thermal imaging, and photothermal ablation of cancer cells.

The catalytic asymmetric synthesis of alkyl fluorides, particularly α-fluorocarbonyl compounds, has been the focus of substantial effort in recent years. While significant progress has been described in the formation of enantioenriched secondary alkyl fluorides, advances in the generation of tertiary alkyl fluorides have been more limited. Here, we describe a method for the catalytic asymmetric coupling of aryl alkyl ketenes with commercially available N-fluorodibenzenesulfonimide (NFSI) and C6F5ONa to furnish tertiary α-fluoroesters. Mechanistic studies are consistent with the hypothesis that the addition of an external nucleophile (C6F5ONa) is critical for turnover, releasing the catalyst (PPY*) from an N-acylated intermediate. The available data can be explained by a reaction pathway wherein the enantioselectivity is determined in the turnover-limiting transfer of fluorine from NFSI to a chiral enolate derived from the addition of PPY* to the ketene. The structure and the reactivity of the product of this proposed elementary step, an α-fluoro-N-acylpyridinium salt, have been examined.