Small with control : For miniaturization of protein aggregation experiments the interfacial chemistry must be controlled to avoid protein aggregation caused by interfacial adsorption. Plug‐based microfluidics with defined surface chemistry (see schematic picture) can then be used to perform hundreds of aggregation experiments with volume‐limited samples, such as cerebrospinal fluid from mice.
Once difficult to obtain , the title compounds can be prepared in virtually enantiomerically pure form with a bis(triorganostannyl) zinc reagent (see scheme). Subsequent diastereoselective thermal (left) and Lewis acid promoted reactions (right) illustrate the synthetic potential of these compounds.
Two series of BODIPY dyes with substituents either in the α positions or in the β positions and different conjugation lengths were synthesized by means of iridium‐catalyzed borylation and rhodium‐catalyzed Heck‐type addition (see scheme). The α‐ and β‐substituted series show completely different photophysical properties. BODIPY=boron dipyrrin.
β‐Amino acid analogues : The nucleophilic addition of ethyl (diethoxyethyl)methylphosphinate to a variety of (S)‐(tert‐butanesulfinyl)imines leads to the isolation of two enantioenriched β‐aminophosphinates (>95 % ee; see scheme). Subsequent removal of the protecting groups through pivotal metal‐catalyzed thiophenolysis leads to optically pure ethyl β‐amino‐H‐phosphinates.
Osmabenzenes can be easily synthesized from two η2‐coordinated olefin osmacycles in the presence of benzonitrile by means of facile hydrogen‐transfer conversions (see graphic). Mechanisms for the formation of osmabenzenes are proposed based on DFT calculations.
Round and round : Covalently bound spokes induce an efficient template‐directed cyclization towards a rigid molecular wheel (see figure) and afford dramatically increased shape‐persistence properties compared with non‐strutted macrocycles.
