Author Archive

Suzuki–Miyaura–hydrogenation targets 3D drugs

Scientists in the UK have unveiled a way to make pharmaceutical molecules with increased 3D characteristics. The single pot Suzuki–Miyaura–hydrogenation reaction results in sp2–sp3 linked pharmaceutically relevant molecules.

Source: Royal Society of Chemistry
A single pot Suzuki–Miyaura-hydrogenation can be used to furnish lead and fragment-like products in good to excellent yields

The number of tetrahedral carbon atoms, or how 3D a molecule is, is one factor that determines the success of a molecule in clinical drug trials. Molecules with a high sp3 fraction are in demand, however current methods to make them suffer drawbacks. The Suzuki–Miyaura reaction is common for the cross-coupling of sp2–sp3 systems, but alkyl boron or alkyl halides are prone to β-elimination and other side reactions, producing mixtures of products.

Read the full story by Suzanne Howson on Chemistry World.

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Tactile alternative to colour changes

Many instrument-free analytical methods, such as pH test strips and home pregnancy tests, indicate their results with a colour change. Now scientists in the US have devised a system that outputs a signal you can feel as well as see.

Source: Royal Society of Chemistry
Visual and tactile detection of ATP – gel shapes indicate a positive result.

Read the full story by Jennifer Newton on Chemistry World.

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Telescope arrangement puts a twist on organic synthesis

Scientists have adapted a technique more commonly used for making crisps and mixing polymers so that it can perform complex multi-component organic reactions in a single step without the need for a solvent.

Source: Royal Society of Chemistry, Laboratory-scale twin screw extruder

Fine chemicals such as drugs, food additives and fragrances are typically made through complex processes with many intricate reaction steps. These steps can be time-consuming and expensive, and often require solvents that are harmful to the environment. But mechanochemistry, where mechanical forces initiate chemical reactions, could side-step such problems.

Read the full story by Thomas Foley on Chemistry World.

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HOT ChemComm articles for November

All of the referee-recommended articles below are free to access until 5th January 2018.

Long-wavelength fluorescent boronate probes for the detection and intracellular imaging of peroxynitrite
Adam C. Sedgwick, Hai-Hao Han, Jordan E. Gardiner, Steven D. Bull, Xiao-Peng He and Tony D. James
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 12822-12825
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC07845E, Communication

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Towards broad spectrum activity-based glycosidase probes: synthesis and evaluation of deoxygenated cyclophellitol aziridines
Sybrin P. Schröder, Jasper W. van de Sande, Wouter W. Kallemeijn, Chi-Lin Kuo, Marta Artola, Eva J. van Rooden, Jianbing Jiang, Thomas J. M. Beenakker, Bogdan I. Florea, Wendy A. Offen, Gideon J. Davies, Adriaan J. Minnaard, Johannes M. F. G. Aerts, Jeroen D. C. Codée, Gijsbert A. van der Marel and Herman S. Overkleeft
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 12528-12531
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC07730K, Communication

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Forged and fashioned for faithfulness—ruthenium olefin metathesis catalysts bearing ammonium tags
Anupam Jana and Karol Grela
Chem. Commun., 2017, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC06535C, Feature article

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Nanostructured silicon ferromagnet collected by a permanent neodymium magnet
Takahisa Okuno, Stephan Thürmer and Hirofumi Kanoh
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 12882-12885
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC07372K, Communication

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Biofilm dispersal using nitric oxide loaded nanoparticles fabricated by photo-PISA: influence of morphology
Zahra Sadrearhami, Jonathan Yeow, Thuy-Khanh Nguyen, Kitty K. K. Ho, Naresh Kumar and Cyrille Boyer
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 12894-12897
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC07293G, Communication

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Cram Lehn Pedersen Prize 2018 – call for nominations

The International Committee of the International Symposium on Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry is pleased to invite nominations for the Cram Lehn Pedersen Prize for young supramolecular chemists.

The Cram Lehn Pedersen Prize, named in honour of the winners of the 1987 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, recognises significant original and independent work in supramolecular chemistry.

Previous winners include Tom F. A. de Greef, Ivan Aprahamian, Feihe Huang, Oren Schermann, Tomoki Ogoshi, Jonathan Nitschke, and Amar Flood.

Those who are within 10 years of receiving their PhD on 31st December 2017 are eligible for the 2018 award. The winner will receive a prize of £2000 and free registration for the ISMSC meeting in Québec, Canada. In addition to giving a lecture at ISMSC, a short lecture tour will be organised after the meeting in consultation with the Editor of Chemical Communications, the sponsor of the award.

Nomination Details:

You may nominate yourself or someone else. Please send your CV, list of publications (divided into publications from your PhD and post-doc, and those from your independent work), and if desired, a letter of support, or these materials for someone you wish to nominate, to Prof. Roger Harrison (ISMSC Secretary) at rgharris@chem.byu.edu by 31st December 2017.

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HOT ChemComm articles for October

All of the referee-recommended articles below are free to access until 13th December 2017.

Boron–nitrogen main chain analogues of polystyrene: poly(B-aryl)aminoboranes via catalytic dehydrocoupling
Diego A. Resendiz-Lara, Naomi E. Stubbs, Marius I. Arz, Natalie E. Pridmore, Hazel A. Sparkes and Ian Manners
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 11701-11704
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC07331C, Communication

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Photosensitised regioselective [2+2]-cycloaddition of cinnamates and related alkenes
Santosh K. Pagire, Asik Hossain, Lukas Traub, Sabine Kerresa and Oliver Reiser
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 12072-12075
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC06710K, Communication

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Acid-etched Layered Double Hydroxides with Rich Defects for Enhancing the Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Peng Zhou, Yanyong Wang, Chao Xie, Chen Chen, Hanwen Liu, Ru Chen, Jia Huo and Shuangyin Wang
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 11778-11781
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC07186H, Communication

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Selenoureas for anion binding as molecular logic gates
Arianna Casula, Paloma Begines, Alexandre Bettoschi, Josè G. Fernandez-Bolaños, Francesco Isaia, Vito Lippolis, Óscar López, Giacomo Picci, M. Andrea Scorciapino and Claudia Caltagirone
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 11869-11872
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC07148E, Communcation

This article is part of the themed collection: Chemosensors and Molecular Logic

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Neutron spectroscopy as a tool in catalytic science
Alexander J. O’Malley, Stewart F. Parker and C. Richard A. Catlow
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 12164-12176
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC05982E, Feature Article

This article is part of the themed collection: Commemorating Michael Faraday (1791-1867)

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D-Serine enzymatic metabolism induced formation of a powder-remoldable PAAM–CS hydrogel
Shuang Zhang, Qingcong Wei, Yinghui Shang, Qi Zhang and Qigang Wang
Chem. Commun., 2017, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC06733J, Communication

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Inorganic polystyrene gives old material a new backbone

Synthetic organic polymers and plastics revolutionised the 20th century and helped shape modern-day society. But a new range of materials with useful properties could be in the pipeline thanks to a catalytic method for making ‘inorganic polystyrene’.

Source: Royal Society of Chemistry
B-arylated polyaminoboranes prepared via catalytic dehydropolymerisation

Polystyrene is an important material in today’s society with its uses ranging from a protective packaging material through to disposable cutlery. Its chemical structure, like the majority of other important synthetic polymeric materials, has a backbone of carbon atoms. To discover new materials with useful properties, researchers have tried to replicate these structures using inorganic chains, with silicone materials being a recent example. Now, Ian Manners and his team from the University of Bristol, UK, have made inorganic polymers out of boron and nitrogen.

Read the full story by Jeremy Allen on Chemistry World.

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HOT ChemComm articles for September

All of the referee-recommended articles below are free to access until 6th November 2017.

High Performance Capacitive Deionization Electrode Based on Ultrathin Nitrogen-Doped Carbon/Graphene Nano-Sandwiches
Miao Wang, Xingtao Xu, Jing Tang, Shujin Hou, Md. Shahriar A. Hossain, Likun Pan and Yusuke Yamauchi
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 10784-10787
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC05673G, Communication

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Acetylene hydrochlorination using Au/carbon: a journey towards single site catalysis
Grazia Malta, Simon J. Freakley, Simon A. Kondrat and Graham J. Hutchings
Chem. Commun., 2017, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC05986H, Feature Article

This article is part of the themed collection: Commemorating Michael Faraday (1791-1867)

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Sydnone–alkyne cycloaddition: applications in synthesis and bioconjugation
Elodie Decuypère, Lucie Plougastel, Davide Audisio and Frédéric Taran
Chem. Commun., 2017, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC06405E, Feature Article

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Assembly of the active center of organophosphorus hydrolase in metal–organic frameworks via rational combination of functional ligands
Mengfan Xia, Caixia Zhuo, Xuejuan Ma, Xiaohong Zhang, Huaming Sun, Quanguo Zhai and Yaodong Zhang
Chem. Commun., 2017, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC06270B, Communication

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Inclusion of a dithiadiazolyl radical in a seemingly non-porous solid
Varvara I. Nikolayenko, Leonard J. Barbour, Ana Arauzo, Javier Campo, Jeremy M. Rawson and Delia A. Haynes
Chem. Commun., 2017, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC06678C, Communication

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Synthesis of Trinorbornane
Lorenzo Delarue Bizzini, Thomas Müntener, Daniel Häussinger, Markus Neuburger and  Marcel Mayor
Chem. Commun., 2017, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC06273G, Communication

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Theoretical trinorbornane joins the real world

Scientists have successfully synthesised one of last small polycyclic hydrocarbons left to make or find in nature.1

Until recently, trinorborane (tetracyclo[5.2.2.01,6.04,9]undecane) had only existed in the Chemical Universe Database (GDB) – a database containing all possible molecules up to a certain number of atoms.2 Trinorbornane has an interesting structure where two norbornanes share a pair of neighbouring edges so it looks like three interlaced norbornanes.

Source: Royal Society of Chemistry
The two enantiomers of trinorbornane display axial chirality

Read the full story by Adrian Robinson on Chemistry World.

1 L D Bizzini et al, Chem. Commun., 2017, DOI: 10.1039/c7cc06273g (This paper is free to access until 16 November 2017.)

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Carbohydrates promoted in new prebiotic theory

It’s plausible that carbohydrates formed on primordial Earth before amino acids. So say UK researchers who have shown that parent molecules to amino acids can catalyse the formation of 2-deoxy-D-ribose, a sugar found in the backbone of DNA.1

Source: Royal Society of Chemistry Amino nitriles can promote the enantioselective aldol reaction of formaldehyde and glycolaldehyde to yield D-glyceraldehyde, and the subsequent reaction of the D-glyceraldehyde with acetaldehyde to make 2-deoxy-D-ribose

We’ll never know the exact process that turned chemistry into biology, but many researchers want to get as close as they can to the truth. Paul Clarke at the University of York is one of those researchers.

Read the full story by Jennifer Newton on Chemistry World.

1 A M Steer et al, Chem. Commun., 2017, DOI: 10.1039/c7cc06083a (This paper is open access.)

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