Taking shortcuts : A remarkably short and high‐yielding asymmetric total synthesis of (?)‐oseltamivir takes advantage of organocatalysis and single‐pot domino operations. The target, known as the drug Tamiflu, is prepared efficiently in a short time, and also its derivatives can be synthesized effectively.
Eines der Haupttoxine bei Fischvergiftungen, das Ciguatoxin (siehe Struktur), war Ziel einer Totalsynthese. Der Syntheseweg beruht auf der Kupplung dreier Segmente, und die Schlüsselumwandlungen umfassen eine Komplexbildung zwischen Acetylen und Dicobalthexacarbonyl.
Preferred protonation : Does electrospray ionization mass spectrometry produce gas‐phase or liquid‐phase structures? The preferred protonation site in p‐aminobenzoic acid depends upon the medium, and the structure of its conjugate acid varies with the solvent used during spraying.
Don′t be square! A rare S42? rectangle bridging two M2Cp2(μ2‐CH2)2 (M=Rh, Ir) fragments is found to contain two “half‐bonds” with S? S distances of 2.70 or 2.90 Å. Computational studies explore the connection between these “half‐bonds” and a Jahn–Teller distortion, as well as possible intermediates that form M4S42+ clusters having the S42? rectangle rotated by 90°.
Ringing the changes : The total synthesis of the title compound centers around a novel strategy that employs a nickel(0)–phosphine complex and triethyl borane in an efficient closure of a 14‐membered ring through C? C bond formation (see scheme; cod=cyclooctadiene). The synthesis was accomplished in 10 steps and in approximately 9 % overall yield.
The negative charge originating from deprotonation of the methyl group is distributed over the 2‐picolyl ring. Bonding properties derived from the electron density distribution support the enamide character of picolyllithium (PicLi; the picture shows the deformation density of [2‐PicLi?PicH]2), but electrophilic attack occurs at the deprotonated C atom. This reactivity is rationalized by the electrostatic potential, which guides electrophiles towards the nucleophilic C atom.
To “B” or not to “B” : The unusual bonding of boron in organoboranes or oligoboron clusters is not only apparent in diamagnetic molecules but also in paramagnetic systems, including mixed‐valent species and oligoborane/carborane cluster radicals. The picture shows the singly occupied molecular orbital of the radical ion [C4B8R4H8].?, determined by DFT calculations.
Chiral 1,2‐diols have been prepared from α‐aminoxylated aldehydes or cyclohexanone and Grignard reagents with L ‐proline or its tetrazole derivative as the catalyst. The presence of the ate complex of CeCl3?2 LiCl is essential for the high overall yields and good selectivities (see scheme; DMSO=dimethyl sulfoxide, THF=tetrahydrofuran, Tol=tolyl).
High energy density materials with ethylene‐ and propylene bis(5‐nitroiminotetrazolate) as the anions are reported; all salts were fully characterized by IR, and 1H, 13C, and 15N NMR spectroscopy as well as elemental analyses. In addition, the heats of formation (ΔHf) and the detonation pressures (P) and velocities (D) were calculated.
Fleetingly formyl : A new rhodium‐catalyzed hydroformylation reaction of N‐allyl oxazolidines, carried out under a CO/H2 atmosphere, followed by a diastereoselective deformylative cyclization affords hexahydropyrrolo[2,1‐b]oxazoles in good yields. The reaction proceeds by a unique hydroformylation–deformylation sequence in which the formyl group virtually substitutes for the {CH2? O} fragment of the oxazolidine heterocycle.
A window of opportunity : A general copper‐catalyzed C? H bond‐activation path allows arylation of heterocycles with a wide range of aryl bromides (see scheme). The reaction shows excellent regioselectivity and exhibits good functional group tolerance. The 8‐aryl xanthines exhibit fluorescence in a variety of solvents and show promise as reagents for biological imaging.
Pass the salt, please! State‐of‐the‐art computations indicate that the stacking complex of a guanine quartet and an adenine quartet (G4A4) can function as a potent ditopic receptor for NaCl in aqueous solution (see picture; Na+, Cl? yellow, O red, N blue, C black, H white).
Custom built : A promising new approach towards more efficient self‐assembled cage receptors through computer‐aided design is demonstrated. The resulting M4L6 tetrahedral cage, internally functionalized with accurately positioned urea hydrogen‐bonding groups (see structure; yellow: predicted, blue: experimental, space‐filling: SO42?), proved to be a remarkably strong sulfate receptor in water.
Weaving an intricate web : A stereoselective synthesis of (?)‐agelastatin A has been developed, which requires 11 steps from commercially available starting material. The application of a Rh‐catalyzed intramolecular olefin aziridination reaction and the subsequent manipulation of the resulting tricyclic intermediate (see scheme) punctuate this study.
