A fully extended tetrapeptide consisting of natural amino acids

FGFG is the first example of a non-protected peptide consisting of natural amino acids that adopt a fully extended conformation in the crystalline state.     

Stereospecific functionalisations of iron carbonyl complexes of 5,6,7,8-tetrakis(methylene)bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene. Crystal and molecular structure of (C12H12)Fe2(CO)6

When the reaction between an excess of Fe₂(CO)₉ and the pentaene 5,6,7,8-tetrakis(methylene)bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene(I) is carried out in hexane/methanol the endo,exo-bis(tetrahaptotricarbonyliron) isomer (C₁₂H₁₂)Fe₂(CO)₆(IIa)is the major product. The structure of this complex has been determined by X-ray diffraction.The asymmetric positions of the two Fe(CO)₃ groups with respect to the roof-shaped organic skeleton was used to induce either stereo-specific functionalisation of the uncoordianted endocyclic CC double bond or stereo-and regiospecific functionalisation of one of the two coordinated s-cis-butadiene groups of the pentaene. Thus, hydroboration/oxidation of Ila gave the endo-exo-bis(tetrahaptotricarbonyliron)isomer of 5,6,7,8-tetrakis(methylene)bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-2-ol (IV). cis deuteration of the exocyclic double bond was achieved by treating IIa with D₂/PtO₂ in n-hexane.Protonation of IIa by HCl/AlCl₃/CH₂Cl₂ to give the η⁴-diene : η²-ene : η³-dienyl cationic complex Va, followed by quenching of Va with NaHCO₃/CH₃OH, resulted in a 1,4-addition of methanol to one coordinated s-cis-butadiene system. In contrast, quenching with NaOCH₃/CH₃OH resulted in the corresponding 1,2-addition of methanol. This gave the η⁴-1,3-diene : η⁴-1,4-diene complex VIIIa in which, suprisingly, one Fe(CO)₃ group is coordinated to two CC double bonds in gauche positions with respect to each other.