Stereocontrolled transformation of nitrohexofuranoses into cyclopentylamines via 2-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptanes: incorporation of polyhydroxylated carbocyclic beta-amino acids into peptides

A promising new strategy for the transformation of nitrohexofuranoses into cyclopentylamines, based on intramolecular cyclization followed by controlled opening of the resulting 2-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane derivatives, allowed the first total synthesis of a carbocyclic beta-amino acid and its incorporation into peptides. This strategy also afforded a new route to cyclopentylamines with well-known glycosidase inhibition properties. [reaction: see text]     

Indium-mediated reaction of nitroethane and aldehydes: characterization of the nucleophilic organoindium species

A novel method for the preparation of 2-nitroalkan-1-ols by an indium-promoted reaction of bromonitromethane and 2-bromonitropropane with a variety of aldehydes was recently reported. Extension of the procedure to 1-bromo-1-nitroethane, which gives rise to a new chiral centre, was considered. On the basis of the diastereoselectivity of the nitroalkanols formed and NMR studies on the reaction mixtures, a mechanistic proposal for the indium-promoted reaction of bromonitroalkanes and aldehydes is discussed. The proposed mechanism allows the prediction of the stereochemical outcome of the present reaction.     

Indium-mediated allylation and Reformatsky reaction on glyoxylic oximes under ultrasound irradiation

A novel and more convenient method for the indium-promoted allylation of glyoxylic oximes based on the use of ultrasonic waves is reported. A similar procedure was used to develop the first example reported in the literature of an indium-mediated Reformatsky reaction on oxime ethers.     

An overview on the synthesis of furanoid and pyranoid sugar α- and β-amino acids and related aminocycloalkanecarboxylic acids from carbohydrates

An overview of the methodologies that have been reported for the synthesis of furanoid and pyranoid sugar α- and β-amino acids and for the synthesis of related polyhydroxylated 1-amino and 2-aminocycloalkanecarboxylic acids from carbohydrates is presented herein.     

Studies on indium-mediated additions to lactones: synthesis of 2-deoxy-2-substituted-3-ulosonic acids

The indium-mediated Reformatsky reaction of a mannose-derived lactone with α,α-disubstituted-α-bromo esters yielded the corresponding ulosonic acid esters as mixtures of anomers. In contrast, the reaction with α-monosubstituted-α-bromo esters is highly stereoselective and afforded a single anomer of the corresponding (2S)-ulosonic acid esters. A mechanistic proposal for the reaction and an explanation of its outcome is discussed. The indium-mediated Reformatsky reaction of the mannose-derived lactone with 2-bromo-lactones was also achieved and the products obtained were consistent with those of our proposed mechanism in all cases. Moreover, indium-mediated allylation of the model sugar lactone was also investigated.     

Studies on the stereocontrolled transformation of nitrohexofuranoses into 2-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptanes. V: Synthesis of enantiopure methyl (1R,2R,4S)-2-amino-4-hydroxycyclopentanecarboxylate

The first total synthesis of enantiopure methyl (1R,2R,4S)-2-amino-4-hydroxycyclopentanecarboxylate was carried out according to our recent novel strategy for the transformation of nitrohexofuranoses into cyclopentylamines, which is based on an intramolecular cyclisation leading to 2-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane derivatives. It was observed that one of the substrate anomers produces an elimination rather than a cyclisation reaction. These and other differences in the reaction paths for this key step were rationalised by means of molecular mechanism based calculations.     

Total synthesis of 3,4-dihydroxyprolines, -threo- -norvaline and (2S,3R,4R)-2-amino-3,4-dihydroxytetrahydrofuran-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester

The Henry reaction between -glyceraldehyde and ethyl nitroacetate allowed the practical development of a diastereoselective synthesis of 3,4,5-trihydroxy-2-nitropentanoic acid esters, which were reduced to polyoxamic acids, which were used in a new diastereoselective synthesis of 3,4-dihydroxyprolines and new enantioselective syntheses of -threo- -norvaline and (2S,3R,4R)-2-amino-3,4-dihydroxytetrahydrofuran-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester.     

The Role of Lignocellulosic Composition and Residual Lipids in Empty Fruit Bunches on the Production of Humic Acids in Submerged Fermentations

The aim of this research was to study the production of humic acids (HA) by Trichoderma reesei from empty fruit bunches (EFBs) of palm oil processing, with a focus on the effects of lignocellulosic content and residual lipids. EFBs from two different soils and palm oil producers were previously characterized about their lignocellulosic composition. Submerged fermentations were inoculated with T. reesei spores and set up with or without residual lipids. The results showed that the soil and the processing for removal of the palm fresh fruits were crucial to EFB quality. Thus, EFBs were classified as type 1 (higher lignocellulosic and fatty acids composition similar to the palm oil and palm kernel oil) and type 2 (lower lignocellulosic content and fatty acids composition similar to palm oil). Despite the different profiles, the fungal growth was similar for both EFB types. HA production was associated with fungal growth, and it was higher without lipids for both EFBs. The highest HA productivity was obtained from type 1 EFB (approximately 90 mg L⁻¹ at 48 h). Therefore, the lignocellulosic composition and the nature of the residual lipids in EFBs play an important role in HA production by submerged fermentation.

     

Feedback-controlled electro-kinetic traps for single-molecule spectroscopy

A principal limitation of single-molecule spectroscopy in solution is the diffusion-limited residence time of a given molecule within the detection volume. A common solution to this problem is to immobilize molecules of interest on a passivated glass surface for extending the observation time to obtain reliable data statistics. However, surface tethering of molecules often introduces artifacts, particularly when studying the structural dynamics of biomolecules. To circumvent this limitation, we investigated alternative ways to extend single-molecule observation times in solution without surface immobilization. Among various possibilities, the so-called anti-Brownian electro-kinetic trap (or ABEL trap) seems best suited to achieve this goal. The essential part of that trap is a feedback-controlled electro-kinetic steering of a molecule’s position in reaction to its diffusive Brownian motion which is monitored by fluorescence, thus keeping the molecule within a sub-micron sized detection volume. Fluorescence trace recordings of over thousands of milliseconds duration on individual dye molecules within an ABEL trap have been reported. In this short review, we shall briefly discuss the principle and some results of ABEL trapping of individual molecules with possible extensions to future works.