August 2011 – Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry Blog

Archive for August, 2011

Viruses and nanoparticles on the cover of Issue 18

26 Aug 2011

Welcome to Issue 18 of OBC!

On the cover is illustrated a Perspective article by Qian Wang and colleagues at the University of South Carolina, USA, which highlights some of the recent progress in the chemical modifications of bionanoparticles, finding uses as biosensors, electronic nanodevices, drug delivery agents and vaccine carriers, amongst others.

This cover article is FREE to access for a period of 6 weeks. Why not take a look now?

Altering the landscape of viruses and bionanoparticles
L. Andrew Lee, Huong Giang Nguyen and Qian Wang
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C1OB05700F

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Recent advances in indole syntheses: New routes for a classic target

25 Aug 2011

This Perspective article from Rubén Vicente at the University of Oviedo, Spain, reviews the most relevant and inventive approaches towards the preparation of the ubiquitous indole motif in the last five years.

Areas covered in this review:

Indole syntheses from o-alkynylanilines and derivatives
Indole syntheses from o-haloanilines
Indole syntheses from o-alkynylhaloarenes or o-dihaloarenes
Indole syntheses from b-(pseudo)halostyrene derivatives
Indole syntheses from o-propargylanilines
Indole syntheses from acetophenone derivatives
Indole syntheses from arylhydrazines and related compounds
Indole syntheses via nitrene or carbene insertions
Indole syntheses via processes involving a C–C- or N–N-cleavage
Indole syntheses through C–H-bond functionalizations

Despite the impressive list of clever synthetic routes presented, Dr Vicente highlights that more sustainable and efficient routes are still needed for future developments – so why not take a look and get synthesising? The article is free to access for four weeks:

Recent advances in indole syntheses: New routes for a classic target
Rubén Vicente
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1OB05750B, Perspective

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HOT: Versatile Calix[6]crypturea receptor with variable functionalities

22 Aug 2011

Ivan Jabin and collaborators in Belgium and France have designed a novel Calix[6]crypturea receptor with unique binding properties that are acid-base controllable.

This external stimulus is used to modulate the flexibility of the calixarene, allowing it to bind either neutral molecules, anions, primary/secondary ammonium ions, quaternary ammonium ions, with remarkable selectivity.

Interested? Why not read the article now and let us know what you think by leaving a comment below!

Acid–base modulation of a versatile heteroditopic calix[6]arene based receptor Damien Cornut, Jérôme Marrot, Johan Wouters and Ivan Jabin
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1OB05759F, Paper

This OBC paper has been selected as a Hot Article and will be FREE to access to all for a period of 4 weeks.

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Laser Flash Photolysis – an insight into retinol’s phototoxicity

22 Aug 2011

While retinoids are essential in many biological processes such as vision or cell differentiation and can be found in many of our favorite cosmetic products, both phototoxicity and photocarcinogenicity have been reported for retinol. Professor Fukuzumi and Dr. El-Agamey at Ozaka University (Japan) are shedding light on the roles of retinol in phototoxicity and free radical initiated oxidative stress: using Laser Flash Photolysis, the scientists have successfully generated the retinol radical cation , which was found to be reactive towards bases and other carotinoids inducing pro-oxidant effects.

Wish to find out more? Why not read this OBC paper today!

Laser flash photolysis study on the retinol radical cation in polar solvents
Ali El-Agamey and Shunichi Fukuzumi
Org. Biomol. Chem.., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1OB05814B, Paper

This Hot Article will be FREE to access to all for a period of 4 weeks.

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HOT: Chiral olefin/sulfinimide hybrid ligands for efficient asymmetric 1,4-additions

17 Aug 2011

Haifeng Du and colleagues from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Beijing University of Chemical Technology (Beijing, PR China) have used a simple one-step condensation of a α,β-unsaturated ketones and readily available (R)-tert-butanesulfinamide to synthesise a variety of chiral olefin/sulfinimide hybrid ligands. Highly efficient in rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric 1,4-additions, these novel ligands lead to high yields with excellent ee’s (up to 98%) , and could find wide application as a useful asymmetric synthetic methodology.

Interested in asymmetric 1,4-additions? Why not read this OBC communication now!

Chiral N-tert-butanesulfinyl α,β-unsaturated ketimine: a simple and highly effective olefin/sulfinimide hybrid ligand for asymmetric 1,4-additions
Xiangqing Feng, Beibei Wei, Jing Yang and Haifeng Du
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2011, 9, 5927-5929
DOI: 10.1039/C1OB05971H

This OBC communication will be FREE to access to all for a period of 4 weeks

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Gold-catalysed glycosylation on the cover of Issue 17

12 Aug 2011

Work from Srinivas Hotha at the Indian Institute of Science Education & Research, and colleagues at the National Chemical Laboratory (Pune, India) features on the front cover of Issue 17. Their paper describes the efficient preparation of glycosylated amino acids using propargyl orthoesters as glycosyl donors, via gold-catalysis.

Are your interests in carbohydrate chemistry, or peptide and glycopeptide chemistry? Then this article is for you!

Facile synthesis of unusual glycosyl carbamates and amino acid glycosides from propargyl 1,2-orthoesters as glycosyl donors
Ashif Y. Shaikh, Gopalsamy Sureshkumar, Debasish Pati, Sayam Sen Gupta and Srinivas Hotha
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2011, 9, 5951-5959
DOI: 10.1039/C1OB05056G

As with all our cover articles, this paper is free to access for 6 weeks – why not download it today.

View the issue here

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HOT: Bionanoparticles as building blocks

12 Aug 2011

Nature has designed many biogenic systems with exquisite symmetries and complexities on the nanometer scale, such as viruses, ferritins and enzyme complexes. These structures have acted as building blocks on which researchers have been able to develop bionanoparticles with a wide variety of applications including biosensors, electronic nanodevices, drug delivery agents and vaccine carriers, amongst others.

In this OBC Perspective Qian Wang and colleagues highlight some of the recent progress in the chemical modification and molecular engineering of these bionanoparticles with the aim of sparking new discussions and inspiring the development of many new materials in the future.

Graphical abstract: Altering the landscape of viruses and bionanoparticles

Interested? Then why not read this comprehensive review now. It is free to download for the next four weeks!

Altering the landscape of viruses and bionanoparticles
L. Andrew Lee, Huong Giang Nguyen and Qian Wang
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C1OB05700F

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Review: Dehydrotryptophan – a building block for peptide synthesis

12 Aug 2011

Produced by microorganisms, marine organisms and plants, dehydrotriptophan and its derivatives are amino acids commonly found in peptide-based natural products, thereby prompting their use as a building block for peptide synthesis.

Although literature is available on the synthesis of dehydroamino acids, the focus on dehydrotriptophan has now been addressed by Margaret Brimble and coworkers (the University of Auckland, New Zealand) in this OBC Perspective, which highlights the different methods to synthesise the dehydrotryptophan-containing segment of naturally occurring peptides, amino acids and their derivatives.

Interested? Then why not read this comprehensive review now:
The synthesis of dehydrotryptophan and dehydrotryptophan-containing peptides Harveen Kaur, Amanda M. Heapy and Margaret A. Brimble
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1OB05777D, Perspective

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Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry Blog

Archive for August, 2011

Top ten most accessed articles in July

Viruses and nanoparticles on the cover of Issue 18

Recent advances in indole syntheses: New routes for a classic target

Top ten most accessed articles in June

HOT: Versatile Calix[6]crypturea receptor with variable functionalities

Laser Flash Photolysis – an insight into retinol’s phototoxicity

HOT: Chiral olefin/sulfinimide hybrid ligands for efficient asymmetric 1,4-additions

Gold-catalysed glycosylation on the cover of Issue 17

HOT: Bionanoparticles as building blocks

Review: Dehydrotryptophan – a building block for peptide synthesis

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